Please see below a list of various resources that you may find useful. Click on the images for more information:
Choosing an Early Years service
Choosing an early an Early Years service is often one of the first and most significant decisions that a parent/guardian will make. It is important therefore that the service you choose for your baby or young child is a safe and nurturing place where your child will grow and develop to his or her full potential. The following may be helpful when choosing an Early Years service. EYI-GDE30.2_Choosing_an_early_years_service__1.pdf
Barnardos have a range of resources in a variety of languages available to parents and families click here Resources for Parents & Families
Examples include:
- Choosing the Best for Your Child par_choosing_the_best_1998_1117.pdf (1.48 MB)
Your child’s holistic development should be supported in a nurturing and encouraging environment of care, where each child’s curiosity and interest are developed and extended through play. This leaflet published by Tusla, the independent statutory regulator of Early Years services in Ireland, gives an outline of what to expect in an Early Years service.
You can download the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate as Gaeilge and in English:
?Quality in Early Years Education webinars from Department of Education
Insights – Partnership with Parents
This series of webinars comprises two webinars: one for parents and one for early years educators. The webinars include some helpful ideas on how parents and educators can work collaboratively to support children on their lifelong journey and how parents can become more involved in their child’s learning in the early years setting.
Insights – Partnership with Parents
Outdoor Play Matters: The Benefits of Outdoor Play for Young Children par_outdoor_play_2014_0196.pdf (719.38 KB)
This booklet highlights the benefits of outdoor play and shows how playing outside supports your child’s development. Playing in an outdoor environment has huge benefits for young children’s learning and development.
Inspections of Early Learning and Care (ELC) settings
Inspections are carried out by the Department of Education (DE) and the Tusla Early Years Inspectorates. This leaflet provides information on the different types of inspections and other types of work carried out by the Department of Education (DE) and Tusla Early Years Inspectorate.
English | Irish
In addition to Tusla’s Early Years Inspectorate, the Department of Education undertakes inspections of Early Years services. These inspections are focused on the quality of the nature, range and appropriateness of the early educational experiences for children. You can find out more about these inspections on the Department of Education Early years Education Inspections website.
National Quality Guidelines for School Age Childcare Services | Guidelines, Components and Elements (September 2020)
The purpose of the Guidelines is to assist and guide school age childcare providers to reach beyond and aspire to achieving more than the minimum standards set out in regulations. https://assets.gov.ie/88025/5e6c734d-7d21-47f2-ae28-b84b581939d9.pdf
Parent and Toddler Groups
A Parent and Toddler Group is an informal group within the local community, which provides an opportunity for young children and their parents/carers to meet. Parent and Toddlers groups are run by a voluntary committee of parents. All groups offer opportunities for friendship, learning, and play and strive to provide a secure, friendly, supportive and safe environment, for babies, toddlers, and young children and for the parents/carers. Many groups aim to strike a balance between the children’s needs and the adult’s needs.
Although called a toddler group, all children under the age of five are welcome to attend.
Grandparents, aunts, uncles, childminders and nannies as well as the parents, are also welcome to attend the group.
In a Parent and Toddler Group parents/carers stay with their children and are responsible for them at all times.
- If you are looking for a group in your area, please click here
- If you are interested in setting up a Parent and Toddler Group please contact Galway Childcare Committee on 091 752039.
Mychild.ie
Expert advice from the HSE is available on My child - HSE.ie
Healthy Ireland resources
gov.ie - Eating well has ideas for keeping active and cooking with your children as an ideal way to allow children to feel that they are contributing to the work of the home and for them to learn some valuable life skills. It is also an opportunity for you to have fun together as a family.
gov.ie - Eat Well has healthy eating guidelines help people make choices to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. We all want our kids to have the best possible start in life so getting their diet right is of huge importance. Making changes as a family can make it easier for everyone to adjust and help develop healthy habits for life.
First 5
First 5 is a whole-of-government strategy to improve the lives of babies, young children and their families. It is a ten-year plan to help make sure all children have positive early experiences and get a great start in life. https://assets.gov.ie/31184/62acc54f4bdf4405b74e53a4afb8e71b.pdf
National Childcare Scheme:
The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help families with their early learning and childcare costs.https://www.ncs.gov.ie/en/
Tusla Parenting24seven website:
Offers key messages on what works best for children and families at different ages and stages. Parenting24seven is part of the Supporting Parenting project in Prevention Partnership and Family Support service within Tusla. You can choose your child’s age range or look through our different articles.
National Parents Council
NPC West | National Parents Council offers a range of resources pertinent to Early Years, Primary and post-primary age groups.
