Validation of non-formal and informal learning in child-minding Erasmus Project

Project Title

Validation of non-formal and informal learning in child-minding

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Recognition (non-formal and informal learning/credits); Recognition, transparency, certification

Project Summary

Child care is an area that includes practitioners who have been trained in a formal setting, or have learned by experience or through a planned setting with no learning objectives. Informal childcare plays an important role in European countries, as parents increasingly use it, sometimes in combination with formal care. Nevertheless, child care provisions in the EU differ substantially regarding existing structures and systems, workforce qualifications, and as a result in childcare coverage rates and quality.
VALCHILD aimed to tackle this deficit/challenge by assessing informal childminders’ prior learning against pre-set guidelines through a purpose-made and scientifically grounded validation scheme that can be adopted in a European context. Further to this, the project also aimed to facilitate the training provision for childminders by enabling VET providers to improve and customize training programs that match the learners’ different levels of learning.
In particular, project objectives involved: 1) developing a validation mechanism, including a toolbox and a recommendation & certification scheme for childminders to make their knowledge, skills, and competences recognised and visible, 2) supporting low-skilled childminders to seek personalised learning pathways for further training and qualifications, and 3) supporting the integration of harmonised validation practices by relevant stakeholders across the EU, by anchoring the VALCHILD validation framework to existing best practices and EU priorities.
The partnership comprised 5 partners with complementary skills and long experience and expertise in the childminding sector and in recognition of skills. ECI, IPERIA, ESEIMU, ISPA hold a long-standing expertise in the childminding sector, practices, training, education and support of occupational interests for informal childminders. EC-VPL has significant experience in the Validation of Non-formal and Informal Learning, and lifelong learning-strategies. PROMEA brought significant Research and Development capacities and experience in the implementation of training activities and the delivery of innovative learning methodologies.
Main project activities involved: a) setting evidence-based criteria and requirements for the validation of informal and non-formal learning in the wider area of childcare, based on extended research on existing validation practices, b) developing an assessment toolbox for assessing and validating childminders’ prior learning, c) delivering recommendations and a certification scheme to provide learners with feedback and guidance on further learning and/ or certification, d) carrying out pilot sessions to evaluate VALCHILD outputs & assessment material, e) involving key policy makers and stakeholders in the (social) recognition and mainstreaming of project results, and f) sharing and validating outputs with multiplier events, inviting target groups to uptake VALCHILD results and to act as further disseminators.
•Criteria and requirements for the validation of informal and non-formal learning in the childcare field.
•A toolbox with evaluation materials, examination processes and documentation methods for the recognition of childminders’ previously acquired skills and knowledge.
•A recommendations and certification scheme to supplement the validation toolbox, providing guidance to informal child-minders on further learning and certification (O3).
•A handbook on the use of the VALCHILD framework by validation practitioners (toolbox and recommendations/certification scheme)
•A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a position paper to influence and support policy making to further simplifying the transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications across Europe (O4).
•Three workshops in Ireland, France, and Portugal to run a pilot test of the VALCHILD assessment & validation framework (E1-E2-E3)
• Two national information days in Greece, and the Netherlands to share and disseminate project results (E4-E5).
Finally, the project’s long-term benefits:
-Raised awareness and improved childminders’ capacity, especially the low-skilled, for validation and/or certification through VALCHILD assessment and validation mechanism.
-Informed and enabled VET providers, career-related stakeholders and other educational & training entities to connect childminders with the labour market by integrating VALCHILD validation materials and tools in their existing practices and by cooperating with public and private sector stakeholders to promote transparency, social inclusion and better employability for childminders.
-Social partners, sector representative and VET national and EU authorities benefited from VALCHILD framework for the recognition of childminding skills in line with European reference tools (EQF, ECVET, and ESCO).

Project Website

https://www.valchild.eu/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 367615 Eur

Project Coordinator

ECCE & PLAY EARLY CHILDHOOD IRELAND & Country: IE

Project Partners

• Associação de Pedagogia Infantil
• FOUNDATION EUROPEAN CENTRE VALUATION PRIOR LEARNING/STICHTING EUROPEESCENTRUM WAARDEREN VAN LEREN
• CERTIFICATION & COMPETENCES
• HELLENIC SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGIES ASTIKI ETAIRIA
• ISPA CRL