Barnardos Knowledge Bank
Not a member yet
1232 research outputs found
Sort by
Early Years eNews: Issue 2
No full textNewsletterIn this issue of Early Years eNews we bring you details of Barnardos new online course for early years educators on learning environments. This free course looks at the range and nature of environmental influences on children's development and practical ways educators can prepare and maintain indoor and outdoor environments to stimulate children's senses. This issue also contains information on the delivery of more affordable childcare from September, the Action Plan on School Age Childcare and capital funding for pre-school services, among other news and developments
Early Years eNews: Issue 1
No full textNewsletterThis issue of Early Years eNews brings you information on extended funding supports for community childcare and the Access & Inclusion Model; information on the Action Plan for Education 2017 as well as the latest CSO figures on child poverty
School Costs Survey 2017: Briefing Paper
Get PDFPaperThe mantra is the same: the back to school costs places a huge financial burden on parents with many feeling stressed at juggling household bills or getting into debt to ensure their children have all they need to start another school year. It is clear that Ireland’s free education system is very expensive and adversely affects those on lower incomes often restricting their children from thriving in school. There is a strong awareness by parents that the educational system remains under-funded, but they do not believe that they should be expected to fill the void. It is the Government’s responsibility to adequately fund public services – including education. Many parents welcomed the Minister’s comments and plans for schools to be more proactive in reducing the costs on parents and were frustrated at not feeling the benefit of it. However, in the absence of support and investment from Government, these plans are not likely to be advanced in full
Early Years eNews: Issue 4
No full textNewsletterThe Affordable Childcare Scheme has been in the news in the past couple of weeks, with concerns that that just 60% of early years settings in Ireland have registered for the Scheme. The announcement by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that the creation of more affordable childcare is a priority for Government must be welcomed. We must remember though that quality should also be top of the agenda, children have a right to quality care and education that supports their wellbeing, learning and development. In this issue of Early years eNews we bring you news of a review by the Dept of Children and Youth Affairs into the cost of delivering quality childcare, the findings of which will impact on future Government investment. We also have details of a new report that looks at the working conditions of professionals in the early childhood care and education sector, as well as other news and developments
Birth to Two Years: 12 - 18 Months
No full textInformation sheetSome ways to support your 12-18 month old baby’s development
Spring 2017 Newsletter (Better Finglas)
No full textNewsletterTopics covered in this newsletter include The National Aistear Síolta Initiative, Wizards of Words, Pregnancy and New Parents, New Triple P Practitioners and Courses, Finglas Positive Wellness Week, Award of Funding for Circle of Security Training, Evaluation and Interagency Reports and Upcoming Courses and Training
ChildLinks Issue 1: The Home Learning Environment
No full textBarnardos journal ChildLinksThe home learning environment (HLE) concerns any activities that parents carry out with their children to support learning. This might include interactions that encourage learning opportunities, practices and activities that nurture learning, and the availability of educational materials in the home. The quality of the HLE during a child’s first years of life impacts on their school readiness and social emotional competence, as well as having a long term impact on their academic attainment, progress and learning behaviour. Home learning practices and resources are widely recognised as crucial contributing factors to language ability outcomes in infants and children. The first article in this issue of ChildLinks looks at the impact of the HLE on language development and shows how the practices of shared reading, talking to the child, educational play, screen time and the availability of educational resources all contribute to the overall HLE. Also in this issue the home numeracy environment is considered. Children develop early mathematical competencies long before they start school, acquiring mathematical language, such as the names of shapes, positional and directional language, and number words, as part of general language acquisition. The HLE provides many opportunities for parents to support their children’s increasing competencies in daily activities such as using recipes, measuring ingredients or counting out cutlery. Two further articles examine programmes that support the HLE. The first gives an overview of Better Finglas, one of the programmes in Ireland selected to participate in the Area-Based Childhood (ABC) Programme, which aims to improve outcomes for children and their families in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country. Better Finglas recognises parents as the first educators of their children and has designed its programmes to reflect the essential need for a positive HLE. The second looks at the Parent-Child Home Program, which works with under-resourced families in the US and several other countries, including Ireland. This programme targets parent child interaction and the child’s social-emotional and language development, with the aim to improve the quality and quantity of verbal interaction between parent and child, and to foster pro-social behaviour in children to improve school readiness and, ultimately, overall functioning in childhood and beyond. Also in this issue, Dorothy Keane, a Home School Community Liaison Coordinator, outlines a study that aims to gain an understanding of the issues that impact on the involvement of fathers in the education of their children. Some strategies identified that encourage paternal involvement include a strength-based, gendered approach, enlisting the support of mothers and building on fathers’ interests together with an overall proactive approach to communication with fathers by all educational professionals. It is apparent from all of the articles in this issue that the home learning environment is highly influential and that the more involved parents are in their children’s learning and development, the better the outcomes for the child
Early Years eNews: Issue 3
No full textNewsletterThere have been a number of significant developments in the Early Years sector in the past few months and in this issue we bring you information about two of these: the new Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 and the new Access and Inclusion Model (AIM). AIM offers seven levels of progressive support for early years services including new Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Charter and Guidelines for Early Years Care and Education. This issue of Early Years eNews also has information about Barnardos' submission to Government on Budget 2017 and we ask you to help us in our call to prioritise childre
ChildLinks Issue 3: Homelessness
No full textBarnardos journal ChildLinksThe number of families and children experiencing homelessness in Ireland today is the highest since records began. The latest Department of Housing figures reveal that more than 1,100 families are homeless, including 2,363 children. Many families are spending months living in hotels, B&Bs or other emergency accommodation. While the longitudinal research required to fully understand the impact of homelessness on children has not yet been undertaken, we know that inadequate, unsafe or insecure housing has serious repercussions. The impacts on children are far reaching, affecting a child’s mental and physical health, social and emotional development, education and their key relationships. There is no question this is a serious crisis and that children are the most vulnerable victims. In the first article in this issue of ChildLinks on homelessness and its impact on children and families, Barnardos looks at some of the reasons for this crisis and makes recommendations as to the multilevel response required – family-friendly emergency accommodation in the short term, greater security for medium-term housing and, ultimately, providing more long-term homes. Women who find themselves homeless during pregnancy are particularly vulnerable, often lacking the type of support available to most new mums. An article from Anew outlines the support the organisation offers to women during and after pregnancy, providing an accommodation service to women who find themselves homeless as well as counselling and life skills classes. After the birth and the initial supports have been given, women are then helped in moving on to live independently with their children. The next article discusses the relationship between homelessness and domestic violence, drawing on selected narratives from women who participated in a qualitative study of women’s homelessness in Ireland. Women’s economic dependence on their partners emerged strongly in the narratives as well as the fear that their children would be taken into State care if they sought help at a domestic violence refuge. Focus Ireland, in an article about their Family Homeless Action Team, describes supporting families experiencing homelessness during their time in emergency accommodation and assisting them to move on to stable accommodation. In Dublin, almost 75% of families experiencing homelessness are residing in commercial hotels with many families staying for long periods in single hotel rooms, without access to cooking or washing facilities. Given the scale of the current crisis, and the number of families who have to be accommodated on a nightly basis, families are often residing considerable distances from the schools their children are attending. Families are also removed from their personal support structures, such as other family members. The final article in this issue is another from Barnardos which looks at the experiences of one family and gives a worrying picture of the difficulties being faced. It is clear that stronger action is needed from Government to relieve the pressure of the housing crisis on families
Promoting Positive Behaviour Training
Get PDFFlyerBarnardos’ Promoting Positive Behaviour training is based on the work of Dr.Karen Bierman from Penn State University. The aim of the training is to support workers to understand that children are unique individuals who express their feelings and emotions through their behaviour. The training enables workers to explore their role in supporting children to develop their social-emotional skills