Quality Childcare
"Childcare in Ireland was traditionally a fragmented area that evolved in an ad hoc, unplanned way. In the absence of an overarching national or local strategy, childcare services were provided by individuals and organisations in the private, public and community/voluntary sectors, in response to local demand for childcare facilities." - Dublin City Childcare Committee Strategic Plan, 2007-2010.
Due to the changing nature of the working environment, more and more women are returning to the workforce. This in turn has placed a higher demand on childcare places and which led to improved family friendly policies.
Childcare is a child's first experience away from their primary carers - their parents/guardians. It is therefore imperative that the experience is a positive, holistic one.
There are a number of differing approaches to childcare, reflecting on family needs, values, and cultures.
Play as a Measure of Quality
Play is an essential part of every childhood experience as children learn and develop through play. Play contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of a child. United Nations High Commission for Human Rights recognises play as a right of every child.
IPPA, the Early Childhood Organisation, embraces the concept that play is a most powerful learning vehicle for young children. Early childhood settings should be carefully designed to offer children a wide variety of developmentally appropriate experiences. It may look like "just play" to the casual observer, but to the child, play is serious business; it is the way children learn what they need to know in order to take their place as creative, responsible adults in our complex society. Play is the most important thing a young child can do. Play is not only the essence of a happy childhood, it is the way children learn - about their bodies, their environment, ideas, events and the people and objects around them.
The following are just some of the things children learn while they're playing:
- large muscle skills develop as children reach, grasp, crawl, run, climb, skip and balance;
- hand-eye coordination improves as the child handles objects in play;
- language expands as a child communicates on increasingly mature levels, beginning with coo and babble games and progressing to such levels as making-up stories, telling jokes, and communicating thoughts and feelings;
- social skills grow through play experiences as the child moves from enjoying simple contact with another person to learning to cooperate, take turns, and even to play by the rules;
- cognitive skills advance as a result of problem solving with play materials, ideas, events, and people. This begins in infancy when the baby makes the startling discovery that his action causes a reaction, such as when a shaken rattle produces a sound. Stimulating play environments facilitate progress to higher levels of thought throughout childhood;
- emotional development is fostered through positive play experiences that allow children to feel successful and capable. Sharing positive play experiences forges strong bonds between adult and child from the earliest stages of infancy through childhood.