With approximately 180,000 children in some form of childcare in Ireland today, ensuring the quality of the care is of a high standard is becoming increasingly important, says the National Children's Nurseries Association. In order to help parents choose good quality care the NCNA has just published an updated version of its guidelines to include developments such as the implementation of the Child Care Act. The booklet includes pointers regarding health, safety, equipment, discipline and parental involvement. It is available, free, through the association (tel: (01) 872 2053).

Drugs education

Residents of the Crumlin, Dublin, area may be interested in a drug-awareness programme for parents, which is being organised by Joan Molamphy, home-school liaison co-ordinator at Rosary College. It is a six-week course of three hours a week, facilitated by Community Awareness of Drugs (CAD) and is generally run twice a year.

CAD, which was founded in 1983, assists primary prevention groups to set up in communities and is now operating in 20 areas. It offers a residential training course four times a year.

The primary prevention group set up in Crumlin was the result of a group of parents doing a course at Rosary College. They have since gone on to further training and hope to work in the community in a variety of ways. They were the 100th group facilitated by CAD and they have been invited to visit Aras an Uachtarain in June to meet the President.

For further information contact Joan Molamphy at Rosary College (tel: (01) 455 5824; fax: (01) 456 0856).