In this overview article I trace the shift from denial (of an issue) to acknowledgement (of a problem), to a programme for action in the 2024 general election manifestos of the two parties that have presided over the Irish early childhood system for years and their commitments to reform it over the new term of government. I find both ambition and lack thereof, and map out what we should really be talking about in 2025.

This article illustrates the interconnectivity between the vision, principles, and themes of Aistear through discussion of the rights of babies, toddlers, and young children, the role of the agentic educator, the importance of relationships, and the value of play. These concepts will be developed further through consideration of the new Guidance for Good Practice for educators engaging with the updated Aistear framework.

Dr Sharon Skehill
Education Officer, NCCA

Donna Carolan
Acting Director, Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA

Dr Mary Daly
Education Officer, NCCA

Lorraine Farrell
National Aistear Development Officer, NCCA

This research explores children’s perceptions of the Aistear curriculum framework, to better understand how children interpret its four themes: Wellbeing, Communicating, Identity and Belonging, and Exploring and Thinking. This article outlines the research background and methodology, and describes its findings for each of the four themes.

The article briefly explores the interrelatedness of Trócaire’s development education concepts and the proposed updated Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework. It considers Sustainable Development Goal 4, Quality Education, in the context of the transformative power of education. It concludes with a short reflection on the author’s role and how it may be understood within the framework of early childhood practice.

As Ireland prepares for a new Programme for Government in 2025, with obligations at EU level to reduce child poverty and combat social exclusion, this article comments on the increasing numbers of children experiencing material deprivation, which is detrimental to their development and well-being. The Equal Start model offers hope of greater access and participation in early childhood education and care, but is it enough to address inequality for our youngest citizens?

There is a sector-wide recruitment and retention crisis in early childhood education and care (ECEC), with many services closing rooms, and parents not being able to access childcare for their children. This article discusses the crisis, its complexities, and its impact on the children who are attending ECEC services.

With some notable exceptions, Ireland has not yet teased out deeper questions of what is meant by ‘publicness’ in early childhood education and care (ECEC). This article discusses that topic by offering an overview of themes explored in a recent symposium in Trinity College Dublin, which aimed to draw ECEC into the wider conceptualisation of public education.

Workers in the early years and school-age care system in Ireland remain undervalued in a marketised system. This article shows how regarding the system as a public good has gained momentum in 2024, and it makes the case for investing in the sector to deliver on the promise of high-quality provision, despite the bias towards capital expenditure on infrastructure rather than human capital.

Early childhood home visiting in Dublin’s inner city is a prime example of grassroots community development and how prevention and early intervention work for children, families, communities, and government. This article describes how involving local people using community action research has improved educational and other outcomes in this area. It outlines the innovative home visiting programmes undertaken and highlights the impact of these initiatives.

This article gives an insight into Nigerian immigrant mothers’ perceptions of the benefits of parental engagement in early childhood care and education in Ireland. It reports on doctoral research into this topic and describes the main benefits perceived for both parents and children, supported by the participants’ own voices.

The thousands of children who participate in childminding services, and their childminders, have been invisible in policymaking until recently. Ireland can learn from European experiences in formalising and developing the quality of such services. This article reports the findings of an EU-funded project to stimulate reflection and debate and inspire practice, research, and policy. It focuses on childminder–child ratios and a qualified and supported workforce.

Aoife Horgan
Researcher, Early Childhood Ireland

Lauraine Giacovazzi
Researcher, Early Childhood Ireland

This article reports on research at Technological University Dublin that examined the impact of ‘Train the Trainers’, a Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) programme from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. It looks at how trainers were supported to deliver the content and how early childhood educators used their learning to implement the DEI Charter and Guidelines in their practice. It concludes with some key recommendations from the study.