This Week in Childcare

These are the deadlines, information, and announcements for the week of 13th -17th January 2025.

DEADLINES / IMPORTANT DATES:

27th January 2025 @12 noon

Deadline for Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme

1st February 2025

New Garda Vetting Procedures come into effect

28th February 2025

Submission of Core Funding Reporting – Income and Expenditure

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Core Funding Financial Management Tool update

An updated version of the Financial Management Tool (FMT) for 2024/25 is now available on the Early Years Hive HERE.

The FMT was developed as an optional support for services that do not have their own accountancy software packages.

It can be used to prepare a trial balance, which Core Funding Partner Services will be required to submit to fulfil their financial reporting obligation after the end of the 2024/25 programme year.

The FMT can be used on an ongoing basis to record financial information and make this report easier to generate when it is due for submission.

Using the FMT can help an organisation to make informed and timely financial decisions and take corrective actions where needed. Guidance documents are available on Hive and your Development Worker is available to support with queries.

Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme

The application process for the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is now open and will close for applications on 27th January 2025 at 12pm.

Information on the Scheme can be found HERE with detailed application templates, applicant guidelines and FAQ’s available HERE in the resources section on the Hive.

New Garda Vetting procedures

New Garda Vetting procedures for ELC and SAC services are coming into effect on February 1st.  The following changes will take effect:

• Early Childhood Ireland (ECI) will manage Garda Vetting services for all ELC & SAC employees. Membership with ECI is not a requirement to avail of vetting services.

• Tusla will manage Garda Vetting services for registered providers including Chairpersons of Boards of Management and Childminders.

• As part of these changes, Barnardos will no longer provide vetting services.

More detailed information on the new Garda Vetting procedures can be found on the gov.ie website HERE.

Westmeath Libraries are looking forward to the 5th year of Ireland Reads which will take place on Saturday February 22nd 2025.

Ireland Reads is a national day that celebrates reading and books. Its aim is to promote the wonders of reading to all people, young and old.

The event is an initiative of the government of Ireland, funded by Healthy Ireland and supported by public libraries, and many organisations that promote literacy and the arts.

Westmeath Libraries would love to involve Early Learning Centres in  2025; share your love of reading with us, your favourite book, poem, a piece of text that resonates with you or that fostered your love of reading.

Have a poll among staff and children and let us know what the favourite book is?

We would love to share your enthusiasm for reading with the public via our social media channels so if you wish to be recorded or share a clip from your centre, please contact Fiona.shortt@westmeathcoco.ie

Perhaps your words will inspire someone to pick up a book and let their imagination take over even for a few magical minutes in their busy day.

Please let us know if you would like to be part of Westmeath Libraries Ireland Reads journey for 2025 and I can explain further how to share your experiences.

Jobsplus for Employers

Jobsplus is a financial support which rewards employers who hire unemployed people in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment.

Employers all over Ireland are using Jobsplus to fill new vacancies, or for re-filling positions of employment as a result of natural staff turnover.

Employers can qualify for either a €7,500 or €10,000 payment grant, and these grants are paid to employers in monthly instalments over an 18 month period.

To qualify for the grant the position of employment must be full time.

Full time employment is employment of at least 30 hours per week, over a minimum of four days out of 7 days every week. An employer must also be registered with the Revenue Commissioners and registered as a PAYE employer.

Further information is available on www.gov.ie/jobsplus

Covid Case Advice

Please see below links to relevant information: Preventing the spread of covid 19 in school or childcare – HSE    &  Pre_School_ManagementInfectiousDisease.pdf

General Covid-19 queries:  Contact HSE on 1800 700 700 between 8 am and 8 pm Monday to Friday and 9 am – 5 pm Saturday and Sunday / HSE Covid-19

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