‘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'
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
3
Investment in Childcare
€1.139 billion
over a 10 year period from 2000 –
2010
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
4
Bricks and Mortar
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
5
Investment
Equal Opportunities
Childcare
Programme 2000 – 2006
Created 33,582 new childcare
places of which 14,799 were
fulltime
€564.7 million
Supply side measure…
‘a facilitator of labour force
participation’ (Office of the
Minister for Children, 2007,
p. xii).
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
6
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
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
7
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).
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
8
Investment
National Childcare Investment
Programme 2006 – 2010
Shift in focus from supply to
quality of provision
€575 million
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
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Outcome of the NCIP
Created an additional 24, 487 new childcare
places nationally
Introduced the Community Childcare
Subvention Scheme
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
10
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)
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
11
• The Nordic countries spend between 1.2%
and 1.7% of GDP
• Ireland’s investment is 0.2%
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
12
% Public Spending on Children & Families in Ireland
Early Childhood (Birth to 5)
Middle Childhood (6 to 11)
Later years (12 to 17)
OECD (2010)
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
13
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
14
Melhuish (2010) in Start Strong (2011)
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
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Who is holding the baby…???
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
16
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 Practitioner
NFQ: 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 Practitioner
NFQ: Level 7/8 (Ordinary Bachelors Degree)
Full autonomy and responsibility for own
actions and those of others.
Responsibility for meeting required quality
standards.
Expert Practitioner
NFQ: Level 8/9 (Honours Bachelors Degree)
Complete autonomy in professional activities.
Responsibility for achieving personal and group
Dr. Mary Moloney outcomes.
& Dr. Jennifer Pope
Accountability for all decision 17
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).
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
18
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
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
19
Frequency of inspections
Early Childhood Ireland, 2013
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
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Concerns
Inconsistency (ECI, 2013, Moloney, 2011):
What one inspector approves on one year
another inspector will say we are noncompliant 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.
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
21
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.”
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
22
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.
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
23
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 noncompliance
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
Síolta
Aistear
frameworks
Dr. Maryof
Moloney
& Dr.and
Jennifer
Pope
24
Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
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Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
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Dr. Mary Moloney & Dr. Jennifer Pope
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