This week in childcare

Dear Colleagues,

These are the deadlines, information, and announcements for the week 20th -24th March 2023.

DEADLINES / IMPORTANT DATES:

Friday 24th March (TODAY)

Closing date for surveys and submissions on Review of Special Education Legislation

Monday 27th March

Closing date for the National Childminding Survey

Wednesday 29th March until Friday 7th April inclusive

The second Core Funding ‘Review and Confirm’ window will be open for all Partner Services (see below)

Friday 31st March

Deadline for submission of your Core Funding Quality Action Plan amendment if required (see below)

Friday 21st April

Closing date for Parent and Toddler Grant Applications

Tuesday 25th April

Little Libraries Book Bags Initiative Consultation – local online workshop (see details below)

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

National Childminding Survey

As part of the National Action Plan for Childminding (NAPC), the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth (DCEDIY) are conducting a national survey of childminders. The purpose of this survey is to gather data on current childminding practice in Ireland.  This is one step in a series of consultation processes.  The survey is open for 1 week only from Monday 20th March (8am) to Monday 27th March 2023(6pm). 

Please click on the link below to complete the survey: 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/nationalchildmindsurvey or alternatively scan the bar code on the poster attached.

Please feel free to share this information with any childminders you may know.

Core Funding Quality Action Plan amendment if required.

When submitting your Core Funding Quality Action plan services were informed there would be an opportunity mid-year to amend your plan if necessary. Now you are being asked to review your Quality Action Plan. If you do not require any changes to be made you do not need to do anything.

However, if you selected an option which you would now like to change please email your Development Worker or info@westmeathchildcare.ie and we will send you a new link to complete your revised Quality Action Plan.

If you would like to discuss your Core Funding QAP please don’t hesitate to contact your Development Worker. 

Core Funding Review and Confirm

Under the Core Funding Programme, Partner Services are required to ‘Review and Confirm’ their Core Funding Application information throughout the programme year.

The second ‘Review and Confirm’ window will open to all Partner Services on Wednesday 29th March until Friday 7th April inclusive. This process enables Core Funding payments to continue by facilitating Partner Services to confirm that no changes have occurred or to submit an Application Change. To complete the second Review and Confirm process a Partner Service must have completed the first Review and Confirm process. If a service has not completed the first R&C process by Thursday 23rd March, their Core Funding application will be declined, and where appropriate all funding paid will be recouped.

If a Partner Service does not complete the second ‘Review and Confirm’ process within the required timeframe, Core Funding payments will be placed on hold until such a time as the process is completed. Please note, the late submission of a ‘Review and Confirm’ form noting a decrease to the base rate value will be effective from the change effective date rather than the last day of the review and confirm window.

Preparing for Review and Confirm

To complete the Review and Confirm process your Core Funding Application Module must be at status Approved.

If your previous application/application change is at “Approved” and you have an application change at a “Draft” status you must abandon the draft application prior to completing the Review and Confirm form.

If your application is at “Referred back”, you must address the reason for the refer back and then complete the review and confirm process.

Application Changes

Core Funding Application Changes functionality remains available on Hive and permits service providers to make changes to their Core Funding Application Module. Partner Services are encouraged to ensure their most recent Core Funding Application Module is up to date and accurate, to proceed through the ‘Review and Confirm’ process with little to no changes required.

To support services in completing a Review & Confirm form a detailed guidance document and tailored training videos are available in the Resources section of the Early Years Hive.

AIM Level 5 Transfer of Ownership

The AIM Level 5 Transfer of Ownership process is now open. Services with AIM Level 5 equipment which is due to transfer at the end of the ECCE 2022/23 programme call will be issued with a notification on the Early Years Hive.

A How to Guide and recordings of the Training Webinars are now available in the Help & Support section on the Early Years Hive.

Should you have any queries in relation to AIM Level 5 Transfer of Ownership please contact the Early Years Provider Centre by raising a Request on Hive as follows:

– Programme: AIM Level 5

– Request Type: Equipment

– Request Type Detail: Transfer of Ownership

Parent and Toddler Group Grants Initiative 2023

Minister for Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman recently launched The Parent and Toddler Groups Grants Initiative 2023. This year the emphasis will be on supporting Parent and Toddler Groups that offer a welcome to families who are newly arrived in Ireland. Following from the success of the additional funding streams in last year’s Initiative, the Parent and Toddler Group Grants Initiative 2023 will again offer three streams of funding:

1. Funding of €800 for existing groups and €1,100 for the establishment of new groups.

2. Funding of up to €300 is available to establish and operate Buggy Walking Groups. These Buggy Walking Groups are organised social walks for parents/guardians and young children. The grant is open to any existing or new organisations or groups who wish to offer a minimum of six organised walks within their community.

3. Additional funding of up to €300 is available for new or existing Parent and Toddler Groups to provide a second session to meet demand.

Closing date for receipt of applications is 21st April. For further details or for an application form please contact kmurray@westmeathchildcare.ie or call 0443935454.

Little Libraries Book Bags Initiative

S3 Solutions are currently completing an evaluation of the Little Libraries Book Bags initiatives in 2021 and 2022.

Central to this evaluation will be ensuring widespread consultation to better understand the impact of the initiative on the following:

  • Parental and child engagement with library services,
  • Transition to school,
  • Parent-child engagement through reading and on children’s independent reading
  • Impact on other household behaviours.

The evaluation will be used to inform policy decisions and direction of travel for a proposed annual rollout of the Little Libraries Book-Bags Initiative, and to identify any areas where processes for engagement and distribution could be improved.

There are a number of ways you can contribute to this consultation:

Covid case advice

ELC and SAC providers and Childminders that have positive cases and require support can contact the HSE ELC/SAC dedicated helpline on 01 511 9777.

For general Covid-19 queries you can contact HSE live on 1800 700 700 or 01 240 8787 or visit the First 5 website for the most up to date information and guidance. (www.first5.gov.ie)

Should you have any queries on any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0449335454 or info@westmeathchildcare.ie

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