Essential Policies Every Early Years Setting in Ireland Must Have in 2026

Every early years setting in Ireland that is registered with Tusla must have a comprehensive set of essential policies in place as a condition of registration and continued operation. These are not optional documents that services can choose to develop when they have time. They are a legal requirement under Schedule 5 of the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016, and Tusla inspectors will assess them as a core part of every regulatory inspection. Having the right policies in place is one thing. Having policies that are up to date, reviewed regularly, accessible to staff and parents, and actually reflected in the daily practice of your service is what compliance really means. This guide covers every policy your early years setting must have in 2026, what each one must include, when to review them, and the most common policy-related reasons Irish services receive action plans.

The 21 Mandatory Policies Under Schedule 5 of the 2016 Regulations

Schedule 5 of the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 sets out a list of 21 specific policies, procedures and statements that every registered early years service in Ireland must have in place. These must be compiled into a single Policies and Procedures document and made available to Tusla inspectors, staff and parents on request. The 21 mandatory policies are:  

• Statement of Purpose and Function
• Administration of Medication Policy
• Safe Sleep Policy (for services caring for children under 24 months)
• Infection Control Policy
• Accident and Incident Policy
• Risk Management Policy
• Healthy Eating Policy
• Nappy Changing Policy (where applicable)
• Fire Safety Policy
• Outings and Trips Policy
• Anti-Bullying Policy
• Behaviour Management Policy
• Complaints Policy
• Settling-In Policy
• Intimate Care Policy
• Confidentiality Policy
• Record Keeping Policy
• Recruitment Policy including Garda Vetting procedures
• Staff Training and Development Policy
• Child Safeguarding Statement (published, reviewed annually and accessible to parents)
• Belonging Policy (in line with Siolta Standard 14)

  In addition to these 21 mandatory policies, many services will also have additional policies based on their specific context, such as an Admissions Policy, a Social Media Policy, a GDPR Data Protection Policy, a Staff Supervision and Appraisal Policy, and an Inclusion Policy. From 2026, the Shaping the Future Action Plan signals that an Admissions Policy will become a specific requirement for publicly funded services.

What Each Policy Must Include

Tusla’s guidance on developing policies, updated in 2025, is clear that each policy must be more than a generic template downloaded from the internet. Every policy must be specific to your service, must reflect how your setting actually operates, and must be written in language that staff and parents can understand. A good policy typically includes the following elements:  

• Policy title and a version or reference number
• The rationale for the policy and why it matters for your setting
• The relevant legislation, regulations or frameworks that inform the policy
• A clear statement of how the service approaches the issue covered by the policy
• Step-by-step procedures that staff follow in practice
• Roles and responsibilities: who is responsible for implementing and reviewing the policy
• The review date and the signature of the person in charge or owner

  Tusla provides sample policy templates on tusla.ie, developed in collaboration with Barnardos. These are intended as starting points only. You must adapt every template to reflect your specific setting, the children and families you serve, and the context in which you operate.

How Often Must Policies Be Reviewed?

Under Regulation 10 of the 2016 Regulations, all policies must be reviewed at intervals of not more than one year. The record of each review must be kept for three years after the review is carried out. In practice, this means that every policy in your Policies and Procedures document must have a documented review date showing it was reviewed within the previous 12 months. A policy that was last reviewed two years ago is non-compliant regardless of how well-written it is. The review does not need to result in any changes to the policy content but it must be documented. Many services use a Policy Review Log to track this. The log should show the policy title, the date of the most recent review, who carried out the review, any changes made, and the date of the next scheduled review. This log itself should be made available to Tusla inspectors as evidence of ongoing review.

The Most Common Policy-Related Reasons for Action Plans

Based on patterns from Tusla inspection reports published across Ireland, the most frequent policy-related reasons services receive action plans are:  

• One or more of the 21 mandatory policies is missing entirely
• A policy exists but has not been reviewed within the previous 12 months
• The review has not been documented or the documentation is not immediately available
• Policies are generic templates that have not been adapted to reflect the specific service
• The Child Safeguarding Statement has not been reviewed annually or is not publicly displayed
• Staff are unaware of the content of key policies, suggesting policies are not lived documents
• Policies are held in a folder but are not accessible to parents on request

  The recurring pattern across inspection reports is that policies are often present but not embedded in practice. A policy that sits in a folder and is unknown to frontline staff does not meet the standard Tusla expects. Staff at all levels should be familiar with the key policies relevant to their role and should be able to explain how they implement them on a daily basis.

How to Keep Your Policies Organised and Inspection-Ready

The most practical approach to policy management is to keep all 21 mandatory policies in a single, clearly tabbed compliance folder or binder. Each policy should be easy to locate by title. The folder should be kept in a consistent, accessible location that every senior staff member knows. Supplement the folder with a one-page Policy Review Log at the front that shows every policy title, its current version, its last review date, and its next scheduled review date. Update this log every time a review is completed. Set a recurring calendar reminder at the same time each year, ideally at the start of the programme year in September, to begin your annual policy review cycle. This ensures that all reviews are completed and documented well before Tusla might arrive for an inspection. At Early Years Shop, our Records, Policies and Toolkits range includes professionally prepared policy templates specifically designed for Irish early years settings, built around the requirements of the 2016 Regulations and ready to adapt to your service.