The National Conversation on Education – the First Five Years and School-Age Childcare

As part of the National Conversation on Education, the Department of Children, Disability, and Equality (DCDE) is undertaking a broad public consultation process on the future of early learning and care and school-age childcare which includes childminders.

Early Learning and Care means any regulated arrangement that provides education and care from birth up to compulsory primary school age – regardless of the setting, funding, opening hours or programme content.

School-age childcare means any regulated service for school going children aged 4-14 years (inclusive), which operates during one or more of the following periods: – Before school – After school – During school holidays.

A childminder is a self-employed person who single-handedly cares for an individual or small group of children in the childminders own home. As a result of the commencement of the relevant parts of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024 and the Childminding Services Regulations, which came into effect on 30 September 2024, childminders are now able to apply to register with Tusla. The 2024 Act provides for a transition period of three years before registration becomes mandatory.

Whether you’re a parent, an early years educator, a school-age childcare practitioner, a childminder, a provider or someone who has an interest in the future of early learning and care and school-age childcare, we want to hear from you

Your views will help inform issues for discussion as part of the National Conversation on Education. This might include what about early learning and care and school-age childcare should change or stay the same, what should be prioritised, and how to make early learning and care and school-age children better for children and their families.

Your views will inform the development of Shaping the Future, which will set out Government’s approach to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early learning and care and school-age childcare system.

Your views will also inform the successor to First 5, the Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families.

Further information on First 5 is available here.

Further information on Shaping the Future is available here.

Stage 1: an online survey

A national survey will be launched in which participants will be asked to think about the role of early learning and care and school-age childcare within Ireland’s education system.

Stage 2: Local consultation events

Local consultation events will provide stakeholders (parents, early years educators, school-age childcare practitioners, childminders and providers) with another opportunity to be actively involved in shaping the strategy for the sector for the coming years. Input from these events and the online survey will help set the agenda for a national consultation event.

Stage 3: a national consultation event

During this event stakeholders will be asked to reflect on the National Conversation thus far as well as potential steps needed to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early learning and care and school-age childcare system.