Early Years and Childhood Studies - Reports
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Item Report of consultations with children on after-school care(Department of Children and Youth Affairs, Government Publications, 2017) Horgan, Deirdre; O'Riordan, Jacqui; Martin, Shirley; O'Sullivan, JaneThere has been an increasing focus on developing policy in the area of after-school care in Ireland in the past two years. In January 2015, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs announced the establishment of an Inter-Departmental Group (IDG) on Future Investment in Early Years and School-age Care and Education. The purpose of this group was to identify and assess policies and future options for increasing the quality, supply and affordability of early years and school age care and education services in Ireland. In order to inform the work of the IDG, an Open Policy Debate was held with a range of stakeholders and representatives from the early years and school-aged care and education sector and online consultations were also held with the general public. Future Investment in Early Years and School-Age Care and Education was published in 2015. In light of the commitment in the National Strategy on Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision-Making, 2015–2020 to consult with children and young people on policies and issues that affect their lives, in March 2016, a proposal was sought from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) for the provision of services to develop a report of consultations with children (age 5–12 years) on after-school care. These consultations were to be conducted by the Citizens Participation Unit of the DCYA with the aim of identifying what children like and dislike about after-school care and to identify the places where children most like to be cared for after school. Consultations were held with 177 children and young people in total comprising 81 children aged 5–7 years and 96 children aged 8–12 years from primary schools in Dublin, Dundalk, Limerick, Meath, Monaghan, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow. The research team from University College Cork: Attended all of the consultations with children on after-school care in May and June 2016; Removed, documented and analysed the data generated at each consultation; Produced a report on the process and findings of the consultations. This report provides an overview of the process and findings from these consultations with children. It analyses the data generated at the consultations and discusses the rationale, methodology and findings from consultations with children on after-school care.Item Children and young people's experiences of participation in decision-making at home, in schools and in their communities(Department of Children and Youth Affairs, 2015-06) Horgan, Deirdre; Forde, Catherine; Parkes, Aisling; Martin, Shirley; Irish Research CouncilThe aim of this study is to explore the extent to which children and young people, aged 7-17 and living in contemporary urban and rural Ireland, are able to participate and influence matters affecting them in their homes, schools and communities. The investigative focus of the study is shaped by Lundy’s (2007) conceptualisation of Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which focuses on space, voice, audience and influence. With this in mind, the objectives of this research are: to consider the extent to which children and young people have a voice and influence in matters affecting them at home, in their school and in the community where they live; to identify the facilitators and barriers to giving children and young people a voice and influence in matters affecting them in each of these settings; to examine the type of approaches used in each setting and identify examples of good practice; to distil key messages for consideration by parents and families, teachers, schools and communities in Ireland.