Policy document

ISSA’s Quality Framework for Early Childhood Practice in Services for Children under Three Years of Age is grounded in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and stands for the centrality of the child and family in conceptualizing, designing and implementing programs dedicated to this age group, no matter the type of service, program, or sector.

It comprises 31 principles and 143 recommended practices, grouped around 9 Focus Areas, thus covering the complexity of the practices and responsibilities that binds all professionals working in early childhood services.

Through this framework, ISSA launches an invitation for dialogue and joint action among practitioners, managers, policy- and decision-makers, program coordinators, trainers/mentors from all sectors and institutions active in early childhood systems, so they may develop an articulated vision and a shared understanding around quality practices impacting the lives of the youngest children.

Examining the Associations Between Infant/Toddler Workforce Preparation, Program Quality and Child Outcomes: A Review of the Research Evidence summarizes the findings of an evidence review conducted to address the following question:
What evidence do we have from the research literature about associations between infant/toddler teacher and caregiver preparation (e.g. education, credentials, etc.) and improvements in quality and child outcomes.

The research team worked to synthesized research about which core competencies and credentials have the strongest associations with program quality outcomes. Their findings report what research currently says about:

• teachers’ degrees in relation to program quality and child outcomes;
• teachers’ major/concentration in ECE or child development in relation to observed quality and child outcomes;
• state credentials on observed quality and child outcomes; and
• teacher training on observed quality and child outcomes.

The study describes the implications of this research for policy, practice and for further research.

2013 National Early Childhood Education and Care Workforce Census, commissioned by the Department of Education as part of a range of Australian Government initiatives designed to improve the quality of information used in developing and measuring early childhood policy and programs. This report was developed specifically to address information gaps in existing administrative data sources, with respect other ECEC workforce, participation in and provision of preschool programs and children with additional needs in child care. The data presented in this census will help policy makers better understand the challenges of providing quality child care and early learning, assess the capacity in the workforce to meet future demand and formulate strategies to support early childhood development policies.

Call to Action on the Social Service Workforce Strengthening in the Europe and Central Asia Region, developed by Oxford Policy Management and UNICEF Europe and Central Asia, seeks to ensure that functions, competencies and qualifications across the social service workforce are aligned so there will no longer be unqualified professionals in roles requiring professional competencies and there will be a range of personnel deployed across a range of services with the right qualifications for the competencies and responsibilities of their position.

The governments of the region are called upon to act upon the following:

1. Agreeing to a common set of definitions of the social service and allied workforces in the ECA region
2. Effective long-term planning of the social service workforce and aligning functions, processes, competencies and qualifications
3. Developing the competencies of the social service workforce
4. Supporting the social service workforce

The Erasmus+ report, Professionalisation of Childcare Assistants in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC): Pathways towards Qualification, focuses on reviewing profiles of ECEC assistants in 15 European countries, as well as the professionalization opportunities available to them. The report makes recommendations on how pathways for qualification and continuous professional development (CPD) can be created for assistants. Examples from Denmark, France and Slovenia show some successful pathways in these areas.

Several key findings were introduced in the report. The first is that ECEC assistants are not recognized in policy documents or research. This is unacceptable considering the high number of assistants in the ECEC workforce. Additionally, ECEC assistants have little opportunity to receive the same qualification as a core practitioner. There should be investment in systems that reward the work of all staff, and opportunities to be upwardly mobile at work. This includes increasing the number of opportunities for professional development that assistants have access to. European countries do not generally provide funding for staff’s non-contact time, causing assistants to miss out on reflection time with their teams.

Pursuing Quality in Early Learning: Early Childhood Care and Education Teacher Competency Framework for Southeast Asia

Recognizing the crucial roles that teachers have in early childhood development, UNESCO developed a competency framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) teachers in Southeast Asia. The Framework was realized through a consultative and participatory process, taking into account insights from ECCE teachers, researchers, and practitioners from across Southeast Asia. This document provides: 

• a brief background and a discussion of the purposes and intended audience for the Framework;
• reflections on the regional ECCE landscape;
• a discussion of the ECCE teacher competency framework for Southeast Asia;
• uses of the ECCE teacher competency framework; and
• areas for future action

The aim of this document is to enhance the professionalization and capacity development of ECCE teachers in the region.

Early Childhood Care and Education Teacher Development in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Island Developing States: Project Brief

This project aims to contribute to the professionalization and capacity development of ECCE teachers and practitioners in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The three specific objectives are:

1. To develop baselines of ECCE teachers and practitioners in the countries of Southeast Asia and the Pacific SIDS, in terms of qualifications, standards and required/desired competencies; pre-service education and professional development; status, working conditions and environments.
2. To develop a regional ECCE teacher competencies framework(s) for Southeast Asia and the Pacific SIDS.
3. To support selected countries to upgrade their national ECCE teacher policies, qualification frameworks, standards and/or curricula.

This report is the final report of the CARE project (Curriculum Quality Analysis and Impact Review of European ECEC). It aims to highlight priorities in ECEC professional development and develop recommendations regarding high-quality provisions for common EU policies. Six policy priorities are identified in throughout the report:

• in-service and ongoing professional development;
• the leveraging of communities of practice (CoP) and communities of innovation (CoI);
• quality in professional development;
• innovative approaches to professional development; and
• addressing the vulnerable through professional development.

As ECEC's policies and systems evolve, so does the work and expectations of those working in the field. This emphasizes the importance of enhanced, continuous professional development.

You may also like Report on “good practice” case studies of professional development in three countries from the CARE project.

Definition of skilled health personnel providing care during childbirth is a joint statement by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the International Council of Nurses (ICN), the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the International Pediatric Association (IPA).

A background document, Defining competent maternal and newborn health professionals, outlines eight categories of maternal and newborn health (MNH) competencies that professionals must process as an integrated team, while focusing in particular on the competencies of the MNH professional providing intrapartum care.

This document and the new joint statement also link the competent MNH professional with the enabling environment comprising the six building blocks of the health system – service delivery; health workforce; information; medical products, vaccines and technologies; financing; and leadership and governance – which are essential for effective, timely, continuous, quality care.

Below you may also find the web appendix, Mapping of WHO competencies for the maternal and newborn health (MNH) professional based on previously published international standards.

Scope of Practice for Midwives in Australia from the Australian College of Midwives defines the roles, functions and responsibilities that:

• A registered midwife is educated and competent to carry out;
• meet legislative requirements, professional standards, and local or organizational policy;
• are accepted as contemporary midwifery practice by the profession;
• meet women’s and infant’s health needs and enhance their health outcomes;
• aim to provide evidence-informed care; and
• are collaborative through consultation and partnership with the woman and other health care professionals.

The document is underpinned by the International Confederation of Midwives International Definition of a Midwife.

The Child protection workforce strategy 2017-2020 recognizes the difficulties that can be encountered by child protection practitioners and the vital role practitioners play in working with children and families.
In recognition of the fact that a strong workforce must be supported in order to protect children, Victorian Government focused on five major priorities:

• attracting and recruiting the best people;
• building a professional identity for the workforce that recognizes child protection as a valued; profession of the highest integrity and competence;
• growing and developing our people;
• engaging and retaining our people;
• the wellbeing of our workforce – our goal is to ensure immediate and responsive mental health; support and to develop innovative approaches to the health, safety and wellbeing of our workforce.

The three-year strategy aims to deliver these outcomes.