Early Years Membership
Providers & membersJoin a community of early years settings and professionals working together to strengthen early childhood care and education across Northern Ireland. Membership gives you practical support for your setting, professional resources and member benefits, opportunities to connect with others across the sector, and a voice in the issues shaping early years policy and practice.
Together, our members help us champion high-quality, child-centred early education and care and improve outcomes for young children.
Membership at a glance
- Fee
- £110 a year, renews annually
- Who can join
- Settings, providers, practitioners and organisations
- Branches
- Eight across Northern Ireland
- How to apply
- Online, through the membership portal
Membership benefits
Why become an Early Years member?
Working in early childhood care and education brings opportunities, responsibilities and challenges. Early Years membership means you do not have to navigate them alone. As a member, you become part of a sector-wide community committed to putting children at the heart of early years policy, practice and decision-making.
Support
Get expert support
Advice, guidance and practical support designed around the day-to-day needs of early years settings.
Practice
Strengthen your practice
Professional resources, learning opportunities, guidance and examples of evidence-informed practice.
Your setting
Support the running of your setting
Governance, policies and procedures, finance, staffing, health and safety and other operational responsibilities.
Voice
Make your voice heard
Take part in consultation and advocacy and help inform the issues affecting young children, families, practitioners and settings.
Community
Connect with others
Build relationships with other members through branches, forums, events and opportunities to share experiences and practice.
Benefits
Access member benefits
Receive member-only resources, preferential rates, offers and savings through Early Years and selected partners.
Communications
Member communications
Stay informed about developments affecting early childhood care and education, Early Years activity, consultations, opportunities and resources.
Newsletter
Weekly e-newsletter
Stay informed across the members’ community and find out more about upcoming funding, schemes and opportunities.
Offers
Creative Activity discounts and offers
Receive members only discounts and offers on multi-sensory, furniture, outdoor play and educational resources.
Our quality mentor provides ongoing guidance and support. She has also challenged our thinking and encouraged us to become much more reflective practitioners. As a result, we are now able to measure the impact of our actions and clearly demonstrate how they have improved outcomes for our children.
Member Resources
Members only
Policies and procedures - templates
Access to updated and regularly reviewed policies and procedures to implement in your setting.
Members only
Inspiring practice - around the groups
Access to inspiring practice around the membership and the opportunity to share your practice.
Members only
Contingency and Finance - Templates
Templates for staffing, contingency planning, supportive actions to take relating to finances of settings and communication.
Practice Support
Many of our members access our evidence-informed programmes to improve practice within their services and benefit from the variety of support services below, which help early years education and care providers in running their day-to-day business.
1. Early Years Mentoring Support Service and Training
Our on the ground experts provide ongoing support and advice to playgroups, daycares, crèches, parent and toddler groups and after school groups on an individual, group or peer network basis.
2. Community Development and Committee Management Support
Early Years’ work has always been underpinned by a strong community development ethos focused on helping communities to assess the need for, develop and manage their own Early Years setting. We provide training, support and resources to help management committees and leadership teams make decisions and create excellence in leadership and management within the voluntary and independent sector.
3. Disclosures Service
We process AccessNI checks on behalf of our members. The Early Years Disclosures Service can support with form processing guidance, disclosure tracking and training on the AccessNI process.
4. General Data Protection Regulation Support
We have created a GDPR manual designed for early years settings. It contains practical advice and examples of how to make sure data protection policies and procedures are in keeping with best practice, with templates you can adapt for your needs.
5. Policies and Procedures
Every early years service provider needs policies and procedures in place to guide the actions of everyone involved in the setting. Our Members Area contains a comprehensive range of sample policies which are editable templates that cover key areas of practice and can be adapted to meet the individual needs of settings, helping to save time and ensure documentation remains current and compliant.
6. Salary Service
Our payroll service for members provides extensive assistance in handling payroll and employee financial matters, aiming to minimise costs, mitigate risks, and save time. Customised specifically for the Early Years sector, it offers tailored support to meet your unique needs and challenges.
Need more support for your setting?
In addition to your membership benefits, you can also avail of our Specialist Support Services.
How to join
Ready to join Early Years?
Joining Early Years is straightforward.
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Step 1: Start your application
Create an account through the Early Years membership application portal and complete the online form.
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Step 2: Submit your details
Provide the information requested for you, your setting or organisation.
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Step 3: Complete Your Membership
You can pay online or contact membership@early-years.org to receive an invoice. As soon as payment is received, we will activate your membership and email your membership pack to you.
- Fee
- £110 a year
- Renewals
- Annually, through the same portal
- Takes
- About ten minutes
Already a member? Renew through the same membership portal.
Need help joining or renewing online?
If you haven’t used the membership portal before, or you’re having trouble renewing, these should help.
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Watch the video: Membership portal walkthrough (opens in a new tab)
Membership portal walkthrough
Watch us walk through the full application process, so you know what to expect.
Common questions about the membership portal
I can’t remember my username for the membership portal
We recommend that you use your email address as your username.
If you received an email invitation to renew your membership, your username should be in that email.
I can’t remember my password for the membership portal
Select Forgot your password? on the sign-in page. We’ll email you a link to reset your password.
My Early Years Specialist contract includes a discounted membership fee, but I’m asked to pay when I renew online
Membership fees are included in your Early Years Specialist contract. Payment should be bypassed for members with a current contract.
If you have yet to return your online acceptance form for the Early Years Specialist Support Service contract, please complete it and arrange payment before continuing with your membership renewal.
Who can I contact for help with membership renewal?
Watch the video above, where we walk through the full application process. If you need more help, contact the Early Years Membership Team:
Email: membership@early-years.org
Telephone: 028 9066 2825
Already an Early Years member?
Access member-only resources, professional guidance, training and webinars, partner benefits and other membership support through Members Login. For existing Early Years members.
Branch network
Our branches
Early Years operates a voluntary branch network for our membership across Northern Ireland. Our branches allow settings and practitioners to meet, discuss issues, raise awareness and contribute to the sector. Our branches are:
- Armagh & Dungannon
- Belfast
- Craigavon, Banbridge, Newry and Mourne
- Lisburn & Down
- Fermanagh and Omagh
- Northern Branch
- North Down & Ards
- North West
Contact
Questions about membership?
Not sure whether membership is right for you or need help with an application or renewal? Our Membership Team is here to help.
- membership@early-years.org
- Telephone
- 028 9066 2825 - option 1