The National Conversation on Education: the First Five Years and School-Age Childcare
- Published on: 13 January 2026
- Last updated on: 4 February 2026
- What is Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare?
- Who do we want to hear from?
- Why do we want to hear from you?
- What will the consultation process involve?
As part of the National Conversation on Education, the Department of Children, Disability, and Equality (DCDE) is undertaking a public consultation process on the future of early learning and care and school-age childcare (including childminders).
What is Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare?
Early Learning and Care means any regulated arrangement that provides education and care from birth up to entry into primary school – 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.
Who do we want to hear from?
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
Why do 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. Further information on Shaping the Future is available here.
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.
What will the consultation process involve?
A broad public consultation process will help inform the development of Phase 2 of Shaping the Future: the Early Years Action Plan as well as the successor strategy to First 5.
It will involve five stages:
Stage 1: Our online survey is now live! You can share your views here. The survey will explores investment priorities as well as the role of ELC and SAC in the education system, complementing the current survey on the role of schools that is being conducted by the Department of Education and Youth. It will run until March 12th.
Stage 2: A survey of a nationally representative sample of parents.
Stage 3: A consultation exercise with children and young people.
Stage 4: Local consultation events that will take place in late April or early May and will be organised with the City and County Childcare Committees.
Stage 5: A national consultation event that will take place in June: The Shaping the Future National Forum: Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare.
