Early childhood is a vital period for the child. Traditionally, it was left entirely to families to find solutions. Whilst policy has evolved considerably over recent years, it still has a very long way to go if we are to deliver Best Practice.
To ensure that people who understand those challenges shape policy evolution in the Care of the Child, we have created the concept of the Policy Lab within Fine Gael.
The first element of the Policy Lab is to enlist your input by completing our survey, to pinpoint both the problem areas and the strong points of our present services. Our aim is that this survey will help get all the issues out on the table.
The second element will be a series of facilitated workshops, where, if you choose, you can help work up optimal solutions. We call these “Policy Kitchens“ and they are structures to ensure that the participants shape the outcome.
The first phase has just commenced, and I invite you to take part in our survey, which will take about ten minutes to complete; you’ll find it by clicking on this link: Care of the Child survey. The closing date for contributions is Wednesday 7 April.
If, for any reason, the link doesn’t work – you can also access the survey via a link on our website www.finegael.ie
I would also ask that you consider sharing the link to parents and to staff in your service, so we can get a wide understanding of the challenges.
This is a real opportunity to shape to shape the future.
If you have any other queries or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me by email at michael.creed@oir.ie.