Our members are the heart and focus of what we do. We represent early childhood carers and educators who are part of the mission to be a strong voice for thousands of children on the island of Ireland and beyond.
Our members depend on us to be a strong, sustainable outcomes-focused and evidence-led organisation for young children. What role will you play in moving the sector and early childhood practice forward?
PEACEPLUS ASPIRE is an exciting cross-border project supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB)
The aim of the project is to foster peace, reconciliation and collaboration through shared education.
Early Years is the largest organisation in Northern Ireland working with and for young children. We are a non-profit making organisation and have been working since 1965 to promote high quality childcare for children aged 0 - 18 and their families.
Our goal is to advocate, mobilise and influence early years’ policy developments that are rights-based, evidence-informed and appropriately resourced, to support the rights of young children and deliver outcomes for young children. Over the past 50 years with our members we continue to speak up for children, their family and the early childhood care and education sector.
Early Years focus is evidence-based practice throughout the early childhood care and education sector. We draw from research and academic studies to develop innovative quality programmes which support services within the sector.
Our members ensure that children are immersed in active learning environments, while we support them with their learning and the provision provided through Early Years specialist mentoring and support, committee management, salary and disclosures services, financial support and advice and guidelines on new legislation within the sector.
Early Years is passionate in supporting the movement for peace that draws on the power of early childhood development. We engage in a number of international networks and projects to support practice and research innovations.
Early Years delivers a wide range of training, programmes and professional learning events that continue our drive to improve practice by applying an appropriate play-based curriculum. We facilitate the roll out of the Reggio approach in Northern Ireland by inspiring reflective communication within a diverse Learning Community, to bring about change for children and communities.
We focus on meeting the needs of the early childhood care and education providers, promoting available funding opportunities and offering support for members when applying for these. Early Years is currently administrator of the Pathway Fund, Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme and ASPIRE.
Our new Members Area is packed with resources designed to support, inform, and empower our members.
Cathy Mason gave a summary of recent developments including the publication of findings from the independent Strategic Review of the Northern Ireland Curriculum; a £6.6 million investment package for the Pathway Fund, new funding stream for Approved Home Childcarers; and the extension of NICSS to school age children.
Early Years recently hosted an AgendaNi round table on early learning and childcare. Read in full here.
To celebrate our 60th anniversary, we’re getting back to our grassroots and offering FREE membership to all Parent & Toddler groups for the 2025/26 year.
In this issue, we offer a closer look at the final transnational project meeting in Genoa, as well as the results of the project, and how the project multiplier event “Greencode Days” was held in our partner countries.
Membership is open to any childcare setting, individual or organisation working to support the vision and values of Early Years.
Watch CEO Pauline Walmsley outline the new offer and comprehensive benefits of joining our community.
Early Years have issued a commemorative publication to celebrate '60 Years of Nurturing Young Children' which captures some of the highlights of the last six decades.
