Policies Every Irish Creche Must Have in 2026
Last updated: July 2026
Tusla inspections do not just ask whether you have policies. Inspectors look for current, accessible documents that match what staff actually do, with evidence the team has seen the latest version.
Core policy list (commonly expected)
- Child safeguarding and the Child Safeguarding Statement
- Managing behaviour, inclusion, and settling-in
- Accidents, incidents, and medication
- Infection control, nappy changing, and sleep checks
- Fire safety, outings, and missing child
- Complaints, recruitment, and staff supervision
- Data protection and photos of children
Acknowledgement and version control
- Give each policy a version and a review date.
- Record that current staff have read the version in force.
- Retire old copies so the floor folder matches the one you would hand an inspector.
- Update named roles, such as the DLP, when people change.
Inspection relevance
- Policies accessible to parents and staff, not locked in an unused filing cabinet.
- Practice matches the written document.
- Review dates within the last 12 months where that is your stated cycle.
Pair this with the Childcare Compliance Checklist Ireland 2026.