As part of Parenta’s commitment to quality, we regularly call childcare workers after they achieve their Children and Young People’s Workforce qualification to ensure they are happy with the service they received.
In our most recent survey, we were delighted to achieve 100% satisfaction rating with some extremely positive comments.
Colleen B. Level 3: “My assessor was brilliant! I have developed new skills – particularly around safeguarding and Health & Safety.”
Georgina P. Childminder: ” The learning was fantastic, really well delivered. I have learnt lots of new skills throughout the whole course and no improvements could be made to the service at all! The tutor support was fantastic and support was second to none, I would definitely recommend to other people!”
Michelle K. Childminder: “My tutor was brilliant, extremely helpful. I will stay in touch with her after the course.”
Paulete T. Nursery Nurse: “I hadn’t done any learning for 30 years, but I really enjoyed it. My tutor helped with any problems but there wasn’t really any issues at all and I learned lots of new skills.”
The “Growing Up in Ireland” study has found that, despite being responsible for almost a third of all infants in some form of childcare, 55% of childminders have no recognised qualification or training.
Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald, who launched the latest report, insisted that more people wanting to work with children were taking further education courses, ensuring improved quality.
“We are seeing improving qualifications in childcare centres,” Ms Fitzgerald said.
“More people now do Fetac (Further Education and Training Awards Council) training and we are going to make it obligatory that you have qualifications if you’re going to work in a childcare centre.” The study revealed that 22% of childminders hold this qualification.
Nearly 6% had a higher education qualification, almost 14% had completed some sort of related course, and 3.5% had been awarded a childcare qualification from outside Ireland.
The remaining 55% had no formal qualification at all.
The report pointed out that while childminders caring for three or fewer children are not required by Irish law to have a formal qualification and are exempt from regulation, promoting training and qualification among them would “advance the quality of care”.
The report also found that 40% of infants were in some form of childcare at nine months, with 42% of those being looked after by relatives, 31% by home-based childminders and 27% being cared for in a childcare centre.
Childminders who look after more than three children at once are required by law to notify the Health Service Executive.
“The importance of paid childminders for the care of infants in Ireland is not well recognised, as much literature on childcare focuses on centre-based care, and some debates on childcare do not recognise the significance of the role of childminders,” said the report, written by Dr Frances McGinnity, senior researcher at the Economic and Social Research Institute.
“Given the importance of quality of care for child development noted in the international literature, this raises the issue of childcare qualifications for childminders.”
Meanwhile, the vast majority of relatives who parents rely upon to look after their children had no formal childcare qualification.
A simpler, less bureaucratic system for assessing how young children in England are developing is to be announced.
The Early Years Foundation Stage, which currently has 69 benchmarks, will be reduced to just 17, focusing on basics like physical development and language.
The EYFS has been statutory since 2008 and sets out targets for learning and welfare for childcare providers. (more…)
The Ofsted report found that the early years and childcare sectors continues to perform well and suggests that the introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage has forced ineffective providers to leave the system.
In 2009/10, the proportion of early years registered providers judged good or outstanding for overall effectiveness increased to slightly over two thirds. A remarkable achievement considering the difficult climate providers continue to face nationwide.
Of those providers judged inadequate in 2008/09 and who have since been reinspected, 95% are now satisfactory or better. (more…)
Dame Clare Tickell has launched a consultation on her independent review of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
Early years professionals and parents are being urged to respond to the review, which covers issues of regulation, curriculum, children’s welfare and whether early-years-age children should be formally assessed.
Tickell said: “I particularly want to hear from those who are delivering the EYFS on a regular basis and can advise on where we could make improvements. These views will help shape the future of the EYFS and will be invaluable in helping me to identify the best parts as well as the parts that may have to change.” (more…)
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As part of Parenta’s commitment to quality, we regularly call childcare workers after they achieve their Children and Young People’s Workforce qualification to ensure they are happy with the service they received.
The “Growing Up in Ireland” study has found that, despite being responsible for almost a third of all infants in some form of childcare, 55% of childminders have no recognised qualification or training.
The Ofsted report found that the early years and childcare sectors continues to perform well and suggests that the introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage has forced ineffective providers to leave the system.
Dame Clare Tickell has launched a consultation on her independent review of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).