More than Door Talks. Insights into Parental Involvement in the Irish ECE and Care Context

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International organisations including the OECD and UNICEF characterise parental involvement in young children’s care and education as a fundamental right and obligation. This is reflected in early childhood curricula internationally.

This paper argues that parental involvement involves much more than ‘door talks.’ Drawing upon Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which underpins parental involvement, the paper discusses ECEC as a form of parental support vis a vis addressing poverty and educational disadvantage.

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