Employment Equality Act 2004

The Employment Equality Acts 1998 and 2004

Equality: “the importance of recognizing different individual needs and of ensuring equality in terms of access, participation, and benefits for all children and their families. It is therefore not about treating people the ‘same’.” (National Children’s Strategy, 2010)

Regarding corkchildcare.ie policy is a statement of principles, values or intent that guides, or usually determines, decisions and actions to achieve an organization 's goals.

“Procedures spell out precisely what action is to be taken in line with the relevant policy and outline the steps to be followed or the way that a task is to be performed. Procedures can reduce the need to make decisions under pressure or to have to wait for

The Employment Equality Act 1998 was introduced in October 1999. It has been amended by the Equality Act 2004. They are known together as the Employment Equality Acts 1998 and 2004 and they deal with the following aspects: advertising, equal pay, access to employment, promotion, dismissal, as well as other issues.

The Employment Equality Acts 1998 and 2004 also promote equality, prohibit discrimination, prohibit sexual harassment and harassment, require appropriate measures for people with disabilities in relation to access, participation and training in employment. The Act gives protection to employees in both the public and private sector as well as applicants for employment and training.

It allows an employer to put in place positive action measures to promote equal opportunities on gender grounds. It also allows positive action specifically geared towards the integration in employment of people over the age of 50, people with disabilities and members of the traveller

All children have right to equality and to have equal opportunities to learn and develop. Children need to feel valued and to be protected from discrimination. I believe it is very important to raise awareness in children at a very early age and childcare providers have a huge role in forbidding discrimination in a setting in case it may occur as children as young as three may already have a bias and prejudgments. An ECCE educator can always act as a role model and has to always show anti-discriminatory behavior and can encourage her class to develop a positive attitude to the differences, such as gender, ethnicity1, culture, religion, language, sexual orientation, age, ability, disability and social circumstances.

When a child care practitioner values anti-discriminatory practice, she also will support the children to achieve:

-Better self-esteem

-Better confidence to start something new, unknown

-Affirming individual and group identities

-Strengthens the child’s connection to his family and background

-Cater for different traditions,