Childcare Services who are registered for the ECCE scheme must agree to provide an appropriate educational programme for children in their pre-school year, which adheres to the principles of Siolta, the national framework for early years care and education.

Services will be supported in meeting this requirement through the assistance of Siolta Co-ordinators, funded for this purpose, and by their local CCC.  Services must agree to accept assistive visits and advice from Siolta Co-ordinators and staff of the local CCC.

In addition to meeting the requirements regarding staff ratios, as provided for under the Child Care Regulations, the pre-school year Leader should have a qualification in early childhood care and education at level 5 in the National Framework of Qualifications.  This can equate to a FETAC accredited major award at level 5 or equivalent. (Note: Within a reasonable time a qualification at level 6 in the National Framework of Qualifications will be the required qualification for staff in this position).

In recognition of the complex nature of educational attainment of staff within the early childhood care and education workforce in Ireland, it is proposed that where an individual has achieved a FETAC component certificate of 50% of the minor awards of the mandatory components of the FETAC Level 5 Major award in Childcare, that service may be deemed eligible to participate in the ECCE initiative .  Such services will however be required to commit to ensuring that staff become fully qualified within a reasonable timeframe.

A pre-school year Leader will be accepted for pre-school year provision where the total number of children in each group does not exceed 16 or 20, as appropriate to the service under the Child Care Regulations, and where a second childcare worker is present.  Where a service is provided to not more than 8 or 10 children, as appropriate under the Child Care Regulations, the Leader must meet the qualification requirement.

What is the National Framework of Qualifications?

The National Framework of Qualifications (NQF) is a system of ten levels. It is based on standards of knowledge, skill and competence and it incorporates awards made for all kinds of learning, wherever it is gained.  It includes school qualifications awarded by the State Examinations Commission, further education and training qualifications awarded by FETAC and higher education and training qualifications awarded by HETAC, DIT, other Institutes of Technology and the Universities.

What is a FETAC major award?

FETAC major awards are made up of a number of specified (8 or more) minor awards commonly known as modules or component certificates. Each module can be taken separately or as part of an overall programme incorporating all the required modules for a major award. Learners receive a Component Certificate for each module they successfully complete. When a Learner has successfully completed the required Component Certificates for a major award they automatically become eligible for the overall Certificate. The following is an example of how the component certificates fit together:

FETAC (NCVA) Level 5 Major award certificates will be awarded to a candidate who reaches the required standard in at least 8 modules made up as follows:

5 Vocational modules (including mandatory and elective modules)

2 General Studies modules (one of which must be communications)

1 Work Experience module

What are the mandatory component minor awards in Childcare?

A list of elective component minor awards can be found on the FETAC website

In addition to the FETAC (NCVA) Level 5 Certificate in Childcare there is also a FETAC (FÁS) Certificate in Childcare.

The mandatory component minor awards for the FETAC (FÁS) Certificate in Childcare at level 5 are:

Workforce Development Plan for the Early Childhood Care and Education sector.

It is important that all lead staff in services delivering the ECCE initiative will have achieved a major award in early childhood care and education at level 6 of the NFQ or equivalent. It is also recognised that the historical complexity of educational attainment of the workforce in ECCE services in Ireland may present challenges in this regard. To facilitate practitioners, who are not currently fully qualified, to achieve this status, it is proposed to put in place a Workforce Development Plan which will address issues such as access and effective participation in education and training programmes. A national consultation process will commence shortly to enable all stakeholders in ECCE provision in Ireland to express their views on this important issue. This consultation process will conclude in the autumn of 2009 and the Workforce Development Plan will be produced thereafter. Implementation of the Workforce Development Plan will commence in early 2010.

In light of this timeframe it is anticipated that unqualified staff working in services participating in the ECCE initiative will be required to commit to becoming qualified within five years. After that time a service who does not have a fully qualified staff member leading the preschool year will not be eligible for participation in the ECCE initiative.

Recognition of international awards

If an individual has completed an award in early childhood care and education that has been accredited by an international awarding body then a procedure has been established by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) whereby they can seek to establish if it’s recognised as being equivalent to an award on the National Framework of Qualifications.  For further details contact the NQAI. www.nqai.ie