Early childhood is a period of the exceptional importance to a child’s development, while the options available also shape the choices open to parents.
Traditionally in Ireland, families had to find their own solutions. While policy has evolved considerably, it has grown in a piecemeal fashion and strains are evident. 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, Fine Gael has created the concept of the Policy Lab.
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 phase 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 concludes today, 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
If, for any reason, the link doesn’t work – you can also access the survey via a link on our website www.finegael.ie/policylab.
This is a real opportunity to shape the future.
Please get in touch with me if you have any questions about the Fine Gael Policy Lab and how you can get involved.