We have created a wonderful environment where each child is nurtured as an individual. With this in mind, we focus on implementing an evolving play-based curriculum that follows guidelines laid out by Aistear (Early Childhood Curriculum Framework) and Siolta ( National Quality Framework).
We are a well-established childcare provider that is run by a dedicated and highly motivated team since 2004.
Childhood Matters Early Years currently operate 2 services in purpose build facilities in Cork City. One is located in Blackrock and the other in Farranree. To find out more information about the service provided in each location please visit Blackrock or Farranree’s page.
Service Delivery Ethos
Our existing childcare service delivery model prioritizes supporting and encouraging each child that attends the service to progress and develop into confident and competent children, achieving this at their own unique pace. We appreciate and embrace the fact that each child has their own individual needs and identity, and to this effect, we implement and evaluate individually-led, and education-based, programmes. We also develop strong working relationships with parents and recognize their role as primary educators in their child’s life.
Integral to our delivery model, is the creation of an inviting, safe, fun, healthy, and warm environment that prompts a positive relationship between staff and children and also between the children themselves.
We provide children with a safe space to develop their full potential supported by a childcare team that will observe them and then put in supports that help them to become competent and confident learners. This environment enables children to learn the necessary social skills that are paramount through the early years and beyond.
We endeavour to provide a curriculum that reflects the abilities and also ensure we challenge the children in an appropriate manner to build confident, competent, and happy children. Our learning emphasis is play-based and established children as being active agents in their learning, and they learn by doing.
The Aistear Curriculum
We are committed to practicing the Aistear curriculum framework as it celebrates early childhood as a time of being, enjoying and learning from experiences as they unfold. Time and again we see how these principles underpin healthy social and emotional development as well as setting strong foundations for an appreciation of learning and self-development.
The aims and goals of the Aistear curriculum framework outline the dispositions, values and attitudes, skills, knowledge, and understanding to give our childcare team a scaffold to work with.
Management Structure
We operate a co-management structure in our early years’ services, overseen by our Chief Executive Officer – Registered provider. We find that a co-management structure allows for smooth delivery of high-quality childcare with a strong emphasis on statutory compliance, best practice and sound financial governance simultaneously.
Our co-management system reinforces this capacity while ensuring that childcare leadership and planning is allowed the space and resources it needs for children and families to enjoy a multi-award-winning high-quality service. This can be attested through references and testimonials from current and past service users.
While both managers have a sound understanding of the operational system as a whole, they both have a clear and distinct management portfolio.
The managers’ training and qualifications are:
Awards
Our commitment to excellence in childcare is reflected in a number of awards we have achieved in recent years:
1. 2014: Síolta National Validation (Quality Assurance Programme)
2. Maternity & Infant Awards 2016 – Best Outdoor Area
3. Early Childhood Ireland 2016 Innovation Award for Innovation in Outdoor Curriculum Design
4. Early Childhood Ireland 2016 Learning Story Award
5. Early Childhood Ireland 2017 Inspired practice award for wellbeing
6. 2018 Irish Healthcare Centre Awards – Healthcare Initiative – Child Health and Wellbeing Clinic/Specialized Centre (finalists)
7. Early Childhood Ireland 2019 Learning Story Award
8. Early Childhood Ireland (ECI) National Awards April 2019.
9. Shortlisted for 2022 Irish Healthcare Centre Awards under following category: Healthcare Initiative / Project, Child Health & Wellbeing (Finalists)
10. HEALTHY IRELAND AWARD 2022
We are also very proud to receive the Healthy Ireland Award and to become a Healthy Ireland Early Learning and Care service.
Our practitioners participated in Pre-school Health Promotion training programme that offers baby and toddler and pre-school providers the opportunity to demonstrate and build on existing good practices within the service and to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors. This programme have been given great praise from children, staff and parents.
This programme consists of 5 units:
1. Health Promotion
2. Emotional Well- Being
3. Physical Activity
4. Nutrition
5. Oral Health
Frequenty asked questions
Admission Procedures
The Childhood Matters Early Years is available to any child between 4 months and 9 years.
All children are welcome irrespective of gender, ethnic origin, language, culture, disability, or learning difficulty.
Where necessary we operate a waiting list, this is administrated by the Service Manager.
Minimum enrolment is two days: either part-time or full time.
Please contact Elizabeth Cronin (Practice Manager) at 021-4357730 or by email: at lcronin@childhood-matters.ie to make an enquiry about the childcare options available and about the availability.
Settling Period & Transitions
At Childhood Matters Early Years we are aware that the settling in period must be smooth and pleasant as possible for both children and parents.
You will be contacted to discuss your child’s settling-in and start dates.
Before the commencement of the placement, the child can avail of a settling in period, which provides for a part time stay in the crèche. This occurs over a week up to a maximum of two, if required. During this period the parents can stay with the child, or stagger their times with the child, increasing the time gradually that the child is left with the staff in the crèche. This settling period is free of charge. There is no settling period offered for the Afterschool & Sessional care (Pre-school).
Transitions involve a process of change that requires a period of adjustment for you and your child. To help your family adapt to change, we at Childhood Matters Early Years aim to provide as much continuity of education and care as possible. We will accomplish this by sharing information about your child and working closely with you, other providers who care for your child and any Primary School your child may move on to.
Parental Partnership & Communication
We endeavour to provide good communication with parents, as we consider and believe that parents are also partners in their child’s education and development. We endeavour to ensure good communication with parents by the following measures;
· We believe in a strong working partnership with our parents to ensure each individual child and parent is happy with the care we provide.
· Each child is assigned a key worker, who works with the child to ensure they are meeting their needs and developmental miles stones.
· Parent/teacher meetings
· All parents are provided with live updates with respect to their child’s day through the communication tool that we operate in our service – childcare software called Child Paths. Parents are provided with daily reports that record their child’s day: Food, nappy/toilet, sleep, and any other relevant information through Child Paths.
Healthy Eating and Food Provision
We recognize the importance of good quality, low-processed warm meals for children in ensuring they are most comfortable and nourished throughout the day. Childhood Matters Early Years’ Service has a healthy eating policy and we work in partnership with parents to advise them of the menus and nutritional value of the same. In the Sessional rooms, the parents/guardians bring in snacks and we encourage these to be healthy and in line with our policy recommendations.
Parents/Guardians: will be consulted about the dietary or religious requirements of their child and plans put in place to meet these requirements.
Staff Qualifications & Training:
All staff at Childhood Matters Early Years are fully trained childcare professionals.
All staff is up to date with all mandatory training (Pediatric First Aid, Fire Safety and Manual Handing training, HACCP Level 1 & 2). Two staff members are fully trained First Aid responders (PHECC), Qualified LINC coordinators on site and one is in training to become the LINC coordinator.
All staff working in the Childhood Matters Early Years have been Garda Vetted and have completed the Children First e-learning programme and the certificate is available in the crèche office for compliance purposes.
Security and Safeguarding
Childhood Matters Early Years aims to ensure that all premises, indoor and outdoor activities, outings, materials and equipment are safe for children to use. We do daily risk assessments to check the outdoor areas and equipment before children arrive and after they leave. We ensure that any hazard is identified and removed, or minimised. We check all our appliances, toys and equipment. We also have CCTV in and around our premises and security guards constantly checking the surroundings.