What is it?

The SureStart Developmental Programme for 2–3-Year-Olds is for children in their ‘pre’ pre-school year.

The Programme focuses on constructive play in group settings to enhance children’s social and emotional development, to build on their language and communication skills and to encourage imagination through play. The Programme has an emphasis on engaging with parents, providing a joint care, and learning environment and supporting a seamless transition from the home to school environment.

Ethos of the Programme:
The Programme aims to provide a happy, safe, child centred and caring environment that is stimulating and challenging for your child with a home from home experience. All those responsible for delivering the Programme recognise each child as an individual, value the role of the parent as the first educator and actively encourage the participation of the family in all the learning and development opportunities provided by the Programme.

Essential Requirements for Participation:
All children participating in the Programme must satisfy the following conditions:

The child is in his/her “pre” pre-school year (therefore the child should have reached their 2nd birthday on or before 1st July prior to the commencement of the Programme in September, when the child will be a minimum age of two years and two months).

The child and parent (or person having parental responsibility) must reside within the Sure Start catchment area and be registered with Sure Start at the time of taking up the place. 

The programme is usually oversubscribed; therefore, we cannot guarantee a place for every applicant. 

Programme Structure:

The Department of Education fund the Programme’s delivery; the Programme is dependent on the following requirements being met by the Programme setting:

The Programme is registered with the Health and Social Care Trust.

The maximum number of children per session is 12.

All staff members involved in the Programme’s delivery have completed the necessary Sure Start Developmental Programme for 2- to 3-Year-Olds training.

The Programme runs for 38 to 40 weeks.

The Programme is delivered for 7½ hours per week.

The length of each session is 2 ½ hours per day.

One visit is made to the child’s home before the Programme formally commences. This visit is carried out by Programme staff to help familiarise the child and his/her parents with someone from the setting and to enable the staff member to also be aware of any needs that the family may have.

In addition to a home visit, monthly Stay and Play sessions will be provided. These will be facilitated by staff delivering the Programme and all parents/carers will be expected to attend.

Provision of Speech and Language support is an essential component of the Programme. Support from other Health Professionals working within Sure Start (Health Visitors, Occupational Therapists etc.) is available to families.

The Programme also provides transitional visits in June were children get the opportunity to meet their new Playgroup teachers and see their new Playgroup setting.