10 March, 2025

Aistear Blogs

The Early Childhood team in NCCA is developing a series of blogs to share insights on the recently updated Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework.

The blogs will support educators, families and other interested stakeholders in becoming familiar with the new and enhanced concepts of the updated Framework. The first blog in the series focuses on the Principles of Aistear and illustrates the importance of the Principles as the foundation for early learning and development for babies, toddlers and young children.

Other blogs to date look at the: The agentic educator in Aistear and Aistear and the Irish language.

Future blogs will explore Aistear and the outdoors; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Aistear; Aistear and the Arts; Emergent Literacy; Emergent numeracy; and STEM in the updated Framework.

We are releasing the blogs fortnightly and hope you find their practical introductions to key aspects of the updated Aistear helpful.

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February 2025 – Tusla Regulatory Notice ‘Definition of Enrolment in a School Age Service’

Tusla have published a regulatory notice relating to the definition of enrolment in a School Age Service. The notice makes clear that the Early Years Inspectorate (EYI) considers a child enrolled in a school-age service if they are physically attending the service and, for primary students, registered on the Primary Online Database (POD). A two-week settling-in period before attendance starts is allowed with supporting records. This approach helps maintain appropriate care ratios and takes effect immediately.

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Minister O’Gorman publishes Introductory Guidelines to Support the Meaningful Inclusion of Autistic Children in Early Learning and Care, School-Age Childcare and Childminding Settings – 11 October 2024

Roderic O’ Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, today published Introductory Guidelines to Support the Inclusion of Autistic Children in Early Learning and Care, School-Age Childcare and Childminding Settings. The Guidelines are for early years educators, school-age childcare practitioners and childminders who are currently working to support the meaningful inclusion of autistic children in early learning and care, school-age childcare and childminding settings. They form part of a wider suite of universal and targeted supports under the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) which have been designed to ensure children with a disability and additional needs can access and participate in the ECCE programme and early learning and
care settings more broadly. The Guidelines fulfil a commitment in the recently launched National Autism Innovation Strategy, which aims to address the bespoke challenges and barriers facing autistic people and to improve understanding and accommodation of autism within society and across the
public system. Each year 2,735 services benefit from AIM supports.

Public Consultation on a National Plan for Irish Language provision in Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) is now closed

Following on from the launch of the public consultation on a national plan for Irish language provision in Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC), on 06/06, DCEDIY are encouraging the ELC and SAC sector, early years educators, practitioners, and parents to engage with the consultation through completing the online survey and /or to express their interest in participating in the focus groups (please contact fiosru@mic.ul.ie)

All information on the consultation is available here.

Táimid ag lorg do thacaíocht leis an gcomhairliúchán poiblí ar Phlean Náisiúnta do Sholáthar Gaeilge san Fhoghlaim agus Cúram na Luath-Óige (ELC) agus sa Chúram Leanaí d’Aois Scoile (SAC).

An féidir libh aird a chuir ar an gcomhairliúchán le suíomhanna, na hoideoirí luathbhlianta agus grúpaí tuismitheoirí chun páirt a ghlacadh sna ghrúpaí fócais (i bpearsan nó ar líne, léirigh spéis le fiosru@mic.ul.ie ) agus /nó an suirbhé a líonadh isteach.

Tá gach eolas ar fáil anseo

Cóiméad do shúile amach do na fógraí agus roinn iad ar na meáin sóisialta, chomh minic agus is féidir.

Tusla Guidance Documents and Resources

Tusla have developed a guidance documents and resources for everyone working in early years services – please find a range of guidance documents on Tusla’s resource page along with report documentation on ResourcesTusla – Child and Family Agency

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