Written answer
Early Childhood Care and Education
623. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of early years educators who have completed continuous professional development under quality training from city/county childcare committees; in particular diversity, equality and inclusion training, the Always Children First training and the Introduction to Aistear, in tabular form;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24960/24]
Comment on this
Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is the term used to describe any learning activities that an early years educator /school-age childcare practitioner engages in consciously and proactively as a professional to develop and enhance their knowledge and skills.
My Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs) to act as its local agent in the delivery of national early learning and childcare programmes and the implementation of Government policy.
The role of the CCCs is to provide support and guidance to local service providers and parents in relation to the various early learning and childcare programmes, and support quality in keeping with national frameworks and policy objectives. CCCs also play a role in facilitating the delivery of some CPD courses to early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners on behalf of my Department.
In December 2021, I launched Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC), 2022-2028. It sets out a number of key objectives to support the ELC and SAC workforce to continue and further strengthen the ongoing process of professionalisation and at the same time to give those working in the sector the prospect of career development and professional recognition. Pillar 3 specifically references the need to develop a national CPD system.
The table shows the number of early years educators and SAC practitioners who completed continuous professional development under quality training from CCCs in the year 2023. Training programmes are delivered each year to different groups of educators / practitioners.