Ensuring No Child Gets Left Behind
Barnardos provides “best practice” advice on childcare
In a country where children represent a quarter of our population, how we treat children and childhood must be important topics for parents, professionals and policy makers. There are slightly more than one million children in Ireland today and we have the highest ratio of children in our population of any EU country.
Barnardos, as Ireland’s leading children’s charity, works to ensure that Irish society responds to the changing picture of childhood in Ireland today. Barnardos’ vision is an Ireland where childhood is valued and all children and young people are cherished equally.
The child and the family in the 21st century faces many challenges – families are under time pressures and many of the new estates across the country lack safe places to play.
These challenges will be compounded for the one in nine children in Ireland growing up in consistent poverty, or who are victims of discrimination.
At heart, and despite all the challenges, children are still children. Children in Ireland in the future may face many more pressures and challenges than the child of any previous generation, and may have to face them more alone than previous children. There can surely be no stronger argument for ensuring that we should commit ourselves to valuing those children, and their childhood, now.
Barnardos responds to the needs of vulnerable children through its direct services based in some of the most disadvantaged communities throughout Ireland. At the same time, Barnardos also strives to ensure that all services available to children – including childcare, education and after-school provisions - are of the highest standards.
Here are some of the most recent developments from Barnardos and how it aims to support children – and those working with children – in Ireland today.
Barnardos’ National Children’s Resource Centre (NCRC) is dedicated to providing high quality information, training and publications for professionals working in the childcare field.
By providing this service Barnardos aims to provide guidance and standards for childcare across Ireland and ensure that children receive the best service and supports possible.
Working with dads
Children today are experiencing different forms of parenting in relation to their fathers. Barnardos is looking at different ways of highlighting the importance of male role models in children’s lives, as well as providing practical training and support for childcare providers in working with dads.
The Barnardos “Da project” in Cherry Orchard, Ballyfermot, Dublin was set up to analyse and improve the way family support projects worked with fathers and to increase participation of fathers in the lives of their children. A full evaluation of this work, in addition to a practice tool, will be launched in June 2007 and will be available from Barnardos.
Drawing on the experience of working with fathers, Barnardos’ National Children’s Resource Centre has organised a training programme for childcare providers on engaging with fathers to bring long-term benefits to children.
In addition to the new training course, the current issue of Childlinks – Barnardos National Children’s Resource Centre’s journal – deals with the issue of working with fathers with a wide range of expert contributors on the subject. Childlinks is available to buy from Barnardos’ National Children’s Resource Centre, Christchurch Square, Dublin 8.
Raising standards and supporting quality in childcare
As part of its aim to raise standards in childcare, Barnardos recently launched a guide promoting good health and safety practices in childcare centres and a guide to grievance and disciplinary procedures for employers working in childcare.
Commenting on the need for Health and Safety in Childcare: A Guide for Centre Based Services Fergus Finlay, Barnardos Chief Executive, said, “There are almost 300,000 children under the age of five in Ireland. A significant proportion of these children are cared for outside the family home, up to 10 hours a day, five days a week.
“The traditional family unit, with all its roles and rituals, has changed dramatically. That both parents work outside the home is the norm; and one in seven children grow up with one parent only. As a result, the crèche or Montessori has become an extension of the family environment and a life-line for many parents who would not be in a position to earn a living and pay the bills if the option of alternative child care was not available to them.
“It is therefore vital that parents’ trust when they drop off their child in the morning is met with the highest possible standards from child care professionals. Simply put, it should reflect the same level of care, safety and protection that parents would provide for their child in their own home.”
He added, “Parents I have spoken to express guilt and worry about placing their child in a childcare service as the biggest source of stress in their day-to-day life. Barnardos’ new guide will provide a reassurance as it is a comprehensive tool for childcare centres. It details providers’ legal responsibilities, encourages a responsible attitude amongst staff to health and safety within the service, assists them in developing standards and encourages them to place health and safety on the agenda for the provision of quality childcare.”
TV presenter and health and safety expert Duncan Stewart supported the launch of the publication and outlined measures that the childcare service sector will need to put in place to meet new health and safety Regulations which will come into effect in September 2007. The Regulations outline specific requirements on issues such as toy safety, safety measures for furniture and outdoor access, food preparation, hygiene and space provision. He said, “Within a childcare service setting a combination of best practice and compliance with legislation is key to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of the children being cared for.
He added that providing a healthy and safe environment was dependent on the co-operation of all involved, including the management, staff, parents, children and visitors. He advised professionals working in the childcare sector to involve parents by informing them of policies and encouraging their participation; and to ensure that children were taught how to use equipment properly and made aware of hazards and emergency procedures in an age appropriate way.
In addition to the Health and Safety in Childcare guide, Barnardos’ National Children’s Resource Centre has recently published two new booklets:
Grievance and Disciplinary Handbook for Childcare Providers aims to give examples, outline legislation and best practice for employers in the childcare field. The easy to use guide supports the management of employee relations, while giving a number of examples specific to the childcare field.Grievance and Disciplinary Handbook for Childcare Providers costs €10 (+€1.50 P&P)
Parental Involvement – a Handbook for Childcare Providers explores ways for childcare providers to engage parents in their child’s learning and social development, including methods to reflect on what measures are in place and their effectiveness.
Parental Involvement – a Handbook for Childcare Providers– is free (+€1.50 P&P)
Health and Safety in Childcare: A Guide for Centre Based Services is published by Barnardos in association with the Border Counties Childcare Network (BCCN). It costs €20 plus €3 post and packaging.
All publications mentioned are available directly from Barnardos, call 01-4549699, and are also available to buy/download online from www.barnardos.ie.
About Barnardos National Children’s Resource Centre:
Barnardos National Children’s Resource Centre provides parents, policy makers and
practitioners with the latest research and practical resources on children and childcare.
Our National Children’s Resource Centre provides:
• Training and Consultancy Service
• Publications
• Information and Library Service
Training and Consultancy Service
Access to a range of high quality and innovative training programmes is crucial to strengthen skills in the childcare sector and benefit children.
Public training events - The NCRC runs a series of public training events throughout the year. These events are suitable for professionals working directly with children (aged 0-18 years of age) or in support services such as childcare, community care, youth services and
family support services. Parents may also benefit from some of these events.
Tailor-made training- The NCRC develops, in consultation with an individual or organisation, courses on any aspect of childcare, such as parenting, after-school programmes and child protection. It also provides training on staff development, enterprise management and team building in childcare settings.
Parenting programmes- The NCRC also runs parenting programmes tailor-made to the needs and interests of participating parents throughout Ireland.
Consultancy service- This service provides an opportunity for organisations to avail of one-to-one guidance and advice on a variety of issues related to direct work with children or on management issues.
Publications
Barnardos National Children’s Resource Centre aims to provide the highest quality publications, targeted specifically at the children’s sector. Many of the NCRC publications are free to download and you will also find a list of publications available for purchase on Barnardos’ website: www.barnardos.ie.
Library and Information Service
This service provides comprehensive information on all childcare related issues, e.g. child protection, child development, legislation, family support, bereavement, adoption, diversity, parenting, childcare and training. In particular, the Library and Information Service aims to meet the information needs of the City and County Childcare Committees and the childcare sector generally.
About Barnardos
Barnardos supports children whose well-being is under threat, by working with them, their families and communities and by campaigning for the rights of children. Barnardos was established in Ireland in 1962 and is Ireland’s leading independent children’s charity. To find out more about Barnardos please visit www.barnardos.ie
Barnardos’ National Children’s Resource Centre,
Christchurch Square,
Dublin 8.
T: 01 454 96 99
Opening hours Monday – Friday 9:30am-5.00 pm
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