On Tuesday 7th June 2016 MLAs debated the following motion:
“That this Assembly recognises that the experience of children in the early years of life has multiple impacts on development, health and educational achievement; believes that there should be a common, cross-departmental approach to funding, inspection, registration and access to child and family support services; calls on the Minister for Education to develop and bring forward an early education and care act and a care and early childhood development strategy with resourced and supported training, qualifications and a professional development strategy for the entire early years workforce; and further calls on the Minister to bring forward proposals for the provision of free pre-school childcare for children aged three and four years to a minimum of 20 hours per week to be in place in the 2016/17 financial year, and for an increase in provision to 30 hours per week from the 2017/18 financial year.”
You can read a transcript of the debate on our website.