‘ breach of trust’: where does responsibility lie for quality early childhood care and education...

‘Breach of trust’: where does responsibility lie for quality Early Childhood Care and Education?

Dr. Mary Moloney &

Dr. Jennifer Pope

Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope 2


RTE crèche documentary exposes 'emotional abuse'


Investment in Childcare

€1.139 billion over a 10 year period from 2000 –

2010

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=0R1aTGMGzA4lWM&tbnid=RtkXDT_aPcVSyM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://mafiatoday.com/tag/banking-system/&ei=UGMeUqTSK4athQftmoDwAw&bvm=bv.51156542,d.ZGU&psig=AFQjCNEMkM5PQawgdk5mkKvAEHofF1sInQ&ust=1377809485840025


Bricks and Mortar


InvestmentEqual Opportunities ChildcareProgramme 2000 – 2006

€564.7 million

Supply side measure…

‘a facilitator of labour force participation’ (Office of the Minister for Children, 2007, p. xii).

Created 33,582 new childcare

places of which 14,799 were

fulltime

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=childcare+premises&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=5ACV0km1Ut5ruM&tbnid=C-EClSrrcKtSNM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk/business/butterfly-day-nursery-cambridgeshire-75875.html&ei=B20eUqXBEIKQhQfuwIHwDw&bvm=bv.51156542,d.ZGU&psig=AFQjCNF66ysCFZhyTt_Tlzp0AzYP7EgscA&ust=1377812073086432


Investment in staffing

2, 848 staff working in the community childcare sector supported via EOCP interventions

1,280 full-time staff 1,568 part-time staff

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=staff&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=GKhN36yLy-YzGM&tbnid=gjtxWvl3mu6R-M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.hickory-dickorys.co.uk/staff.htm&ei=OGkeUqvyOc2IhQf0o4EQ&bvm=bv.51156542,d.ZGU&psig=AFQjCNHBJxj3a_ECye-Flr3DAVLHdY0Qtg&ust=1377811084530298


Value for money review 2007

• Conclusion: ‘while the EOCP was undoubtedly effective at

the generation of childcare infrastructure and hence the facilitation of increased participation in employment, education and training opportunities, only limited progress has been made in terms of ensuring quality childcare provision’ (OMC, 2007, p. 118).


InvestmentNational Childcare Investment Programme 2006 – 2010

€575 million

Shift in focus from supply to quality of provision


http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=0R1aTGMGzA4lWM&tbnid=RtkXDT_aPcVSyM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://mafiatoday.com/tag/banking-system/&ei=UGMeUqTSK4athQftmoDwAw&bvm=bv.51156542,d.ZGU&psig=AFQjCNEMkM5PQawgdk5mkKvAEHofF1sInQ&ust=1377809485840025

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=question%20time&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=m4CvVQeOUBNiSM&tbnid=asLHHRxxEq2iAM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.cs.miami.edu/~geoff/Seminars/HowToGiveATalk/QuestionTime.html&ei=5G0eUrTrIYLPhAfkioGoBA&bvm=bv.51156542,d.ZGU&psig=AFQjCNEoIDBrr7PUhjqRt6ueg-aw0MjjMw&ust=1377812311442844


Outcome of the NCIP

Created an additional 24, 487 new childcare places nationally

Introduced the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme


While the economic boom ‘saw a scramble to put services in place in response to demand [there had been] a wholly inadequate approach to quality and sustainability’ (Minister Frances Fitzgerald, T.D)


• The Nordic countries spend between 1.2% and 1.7% of GDP

• Ireland’s investment is 0.2%


% Public Spending on Children & Families in Ireland

Early Childhood (Birth to 5)

Middle Childhood (6 to 11)

Later years (12 to 17)

OECD (2010)


Melhuish (2010) in Start Strong (2011)


Who is holding the baby…???


Occupational Profiles Occupational Profile from the Model Framework

Accountability

Intermediate practitioner NFQ: Level 5

Responsibility for own actions under direction. Some responsibility for quality of services within prescribed guidelines.

Experienced PractitionerNFQ: Level 5

Operate with full autonomy with broad guidance/evaluation. Responsibility for quality of services in accordance with specified standards. Limited responsibility for work of others.

Advanced PractitionerNFQ: Level 7/8 (Ordinary Bachelors Degree)

Full autonomy and responsibility for own actions and those of others. Responsibility for meeting required quality standards.

Expert PractitionerNFQ: Level 8/9 (Honours Bachelors Degree)

Complete autonomy in professional activities. Responsibility for achieving personal and group outcomes. Accountability for all decision making (Des, 2010).


Free pre-school year in ECCE

Of 4,162 settings contracted to deliver the FPSY in 2011, 85.4% (3, 553 settings) met the basic capitation criteria

Only 14.6% (609 settings) meeting the higher criteria (DCYA, 2012).


Compliance with Childcare regulations

75% of pre-schools and crèches in breach of the childcare regulations 34% in breach of five or more regulations 48% in breach of regulation 8: adult/child ratios and staff

background checks 29% in breach of regulation 19: overcrowding and upkeep of

premises 41% in breach of regulation 27: provision of a safe

environment One in seven crèches nationally were in breach of regulation 5

concerning the welfare of children


Frequency of inspections

Early Childhood Ireland, 2013


Concerns

Inconsistency (ECI, 2013, Moloney, 2011): What one inspector approves on one year

another inspector will say we are non-compliant the following year.

Culture of Fear (ECI, 2013, Moloney, 2011)Inspections need to be a support to each setting

rather than something to be feared.


Qualifications of Inspectors

Send me an educator to evaluate me as an educator … Not a nurse. I have a degree in early childhood education and a primary teaching degree … I wouldn’t walk into a hospital to assess a nurse!”

“Inspections are being carried out by health nurses and environmental health officers, not including early childhood specialists or similar. We need inspectors to have qualification in ECCE - thus emphasis would be placed on what is important to the holistic development of the child.”



A file full of the best paper work with all the boxes

ticked may look great but is useless and doesn’t mean the children are receiving loving good quality care.


Proposed action plan to redress issues in the sector

1 Publication of on-line inspection reports from 1st July, 2013

2 Strengthening the national inspection system

3 Introducing new protocols on regulatory compliance and enforcement

4 Increasing and widening the sanctions which can be taken for non-compliance

5 Increasing the qualification requirements for all staff in pre-school services

6 Introducing a registration system

7 Introducing new national pre-school standards

8 Supporting implementation of Síolta and Aistear frameworks

‘ breach of trust’: where does responsibility lie for quality early childhood care and education...

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