A new Healthy Ireland Smart Start (HISS) Birth – 3 Years Programme has been developed by HSE Health and Wellbeing and the National Childhood Network (NCN), supported by DCEDIY.

National Childhood Network are delighted to invite Crèche providers across Ireland to nominate Baby and Toddler Educators to take part in this new programme.

Programme content

Health Promotion

Nurturing Emotional Wellbeing

Physical Activity

Nutrition

Oral Health

The programme is of 11 hours duration and will be delivered via Zoom over a six-week period.

Participating services will receive a comprehensive resource pack for their setting. Services working to fully implement the programme and achieve the Healthy Ireland Award in the future will have free access to a dedicated Help Desk at NCN. Participants in the training programme will also receive their own CPD certificate upon completion of the training and return of their training evaluations which are so important to NCN and the HSE so we know what participants like about the programme and what might make it better.

Participating services need to agree the following criteria:

• educators attend the full 11 hours of training

• share information resources and learning from the programme with colleagues

• share programme information with parents

Delivery of the Birth – 3 Years programme will begin week commencing 14th February 2022.

Delivery of the programme is heavily subsidised by the HSE. The cost to service providers is €50 which allows two staff members to avail of the training