Reflective Practice In Child Care Essay

Previously in Ireland the education side of child care was majorly under rated which meant more emphasis was placed on the care of children rather than promoting the potential of the developing child.
Before the 1990’s children were cared for by mothers, other family members or neighbours and other child care settings were largely run by voluntary organisations such as Irish Preschool Playgroup Association, family support groups such as Barnardos. These services were created due to demand that was not previously needed, but they were unregulated. The Child Care Act 1991 was the first regulation brought into practice in childcare settings. This included the definition of the child as under eighteen and focused on protection and welfare of children and that the state was responsible for this, however the act excluded any

Moon, 1999, p. 161, defined reflection as:
“a mental process with purpose and/or outcome in which manipulation of meaning is applied to relatively complicated or unstructured ideas in learning or to problems for which there is not an obvious solution.”
Reflective practice, according to Fulton 2015; p. 9, should be “integrated into what practitioners do. Reflective practice should be a continual and ongoing, a real part of life.” Reflective practice and continual professional development are highly important in early childhood settings as they are a fundamental processes that ensure high standards of quality service. Some theories can help practitioners in their reflective practice. Donal Schön, 1983, outlines two types of reflection:
1. Reflection-in-action – involves quick thinking
2. Reflection on action – is a reflective process used to consider new situations or reflect on actions that we took in dealing with a certain