One of Ireland’s leading childcare groups has responded to the recent report on non-parental childcare, welcoming its key findings.
The report on ‘Non-parental childcare and child cognitive outcomes at the age of 5’ was published this week as part of the Growing Up in Ireland study, which examined the effects of early childcare on a child’s cognitive development.
The research established that a child, who is under the care of a créche or childminder, does not experience a negative effect on their cognitive development or reasoning ability.
Responding to the report, which was carried out using data from 11,000 families, Director of Giraffe Childcare Dearbhala Cox Giffin welcomed the findings.
Acknowledging that the report is 'comprehensive' in its consideration of all the contributing factors to a child’s cognitive development and outcomes, Ms Cox Giffin welcomed the report’s focus on the positive role that centre-based care plays in a child’s preparation for school.
“It is widely recognised and accepted that it is the quality of the early years setting and leadership skills of the management which results in a high quality experience for children, but this must be underpinned with enthusiasm, commitment, effort and a real understanding of how children develop and learn in the early years,” said Ms Cox Giffin, in a statement.
She went on to highlight the importance of childcare leaders working in partnership with parents in order to both understand their child’s interests and bring about the best educational outcomes for them.
“At Giraffe, we are focusing on the quality agenda and training, investing in our staff and developing all our talent to offer a quality early years’ experience to children. We work closely with our parents to support their child’s development and to build the foundations for sustained learning,” she added.
