Minister Barry Andrew has extended the registration period for free preschool education but Children’s Rights Alliance says parents are still confused.

90% of playschools and crèches are said to have signed up to the new pre-school scheme announced in Budget 2009, but many places remain unfilled.

The Start Strong Network claims that the current “patchwork response” to Early Education leaves Ireland “bottom of the league” of 25 OECD countries.

Five groups representing parents and children have warned of the serious negative impact which would follow a reduction in Child Benefit in the Budget.

The Government-funded pre-school scheme, starting in January, will provide a year of free education for children born between 2/02/2005 and 30/06/2006.

The Government has discovered major legal and practical obstacles to fulfilling its Budget plan to tax and means test child benefit payments.

The free pre-school year will provide 70,000 children with three hours education a day, five days a week over a 38-week year, at a cost of €170m.

Connemara’s new mobile Playbus is a service which allows children and their parents to avail of a programme of Early Childhood Education and Care.

The 50,000 childcare places promised by the Government under the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) has been almost halved.

The number of non-resident children qualifying this year for the Early Childcare Supplement is expected to be about 7,000, at a cost of €7m.

New research claims that parents who use lots of gestures when speaking to their toddlers help them to develop a wider vocabulary and do better in school

Minister Andrews met Cardinal Brady and Archbishop Martin to discuss the safeguarding of children and society’s responsibility in this critical issue.

A report card from The Children’s Rights Alliance gives the government an E grade for its performance in areas such as Early Childhood Education.

Ireland has tied with Canada for bottom place in an international comparison of early childhood development policies. Only Sweden fulfilled all ten criteria.

Figures from the 2nd annual return under the CCSS, which subsidises childcare costs in 865 community-based services, have been released.

Researchers now claim that good pre- and primary schools have more impact on children’s academic progress than gender or family background.

A conference heard that investment in early childhood can result in better academic performance, lower crime levels and a more productive workforce.

The trade union IMPACT has criticised the Government’s decision to close the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education (CECDE).

Fine Gael Education spokesman Brian Hayes outlined 32 cuts in education not mentioned by Minister Brian Lenihan in his budget speech.

The decision to close the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education, with the loss of eight jobs, was conveyed to staff last Friday.