Dear Colleagues,

I am delighted to have launched the National Childcare Scheme on 11 March which I believe represents a major landmark for Ireland. It is our pathway to truly accessible, affordable and quality Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare. From October, the NCS will replace all previous targeted programmes.

I look forward to continued co-operation between all sector members in the implementation of this new scheme later in the year.

At the Early Years Forum meeting in February I impressed upon those present the importance of expediting a Sectoral Employment Order (SEO) to positively shape our sector’s future. Government is not the employer of staff in the sector, and cannot set pay rates, but it does wish to support high quality service provision and Government

Finance Governance and Reform

Quality Projects Policy and Strategy

Operations and Communications

March 2019

PROJECTS

knows that a valued and respected workforce is a significant part of that quality agenda.

I look forward to shortly launching a dynamic public consultation campaign in relation to comprehensive School Age Childcare regulations and quality standards. I hope that Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare practitioners, along with other relevant stakeholders, will make submissions and lend your voices and ideas to the future direction of School Age Childcare policy in this country.

I hope you find this a useful resource and I look forward to continuing to work with you.

The National Childcare Scheme

The pathway to quality, accessible and affordable Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare

The National Childcare Scheme was launched by Minister Zappone and the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on March 11th. A landmark new Scheme, it is the first ever statutory entitlement to financial support towards the cost of Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare in Ireland.

To raise awareness and help both parents and providers to prepare for the National Childcare Scheme’s opening in October, a nationwide Communications Campaign is now underway. The www.ncs.gov.ie website is live. It contains dedicated parent and provider pages, with tailored information for families looking to access the Scheme and for providers interested in participating. A range of information materials, including leaflets, detailed booklets and Frequently Asked Questions, have been published and are available via the website. Video resources and a helpful Subsidy Calculator will also be available in the coming months.

A nationwide training programme for providers will deliver 12,500 training places across 600 venues throughout the year, as well as webinars and e-learning options. Registrations can be made now at www.ncs.gov.ie/provider for Phase 1 Training Sessions, which will cover the rules of the Scheme and their practical application, as well as requirements for service providers who choose to participate.

For questions or queries, please contact ncs@dcya.gov.ie

Pictures of Minister Zappone and the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the launch of the National Childcare Scheme.

Ongoing Consultation on the National Childcare Scheme

From the beginning, public and stakeholder engagement has been at the forefront of the Scheme’s development.

Starting with a formal online consultation on the Policy Paper in 2016, communication, consultation and engagement has continued throughout. Dedicated Business and Systems and Communications Consultative Groups, with representatives from the sector, provide the project team with valuable input. This is backed up by information and feedback from ongoing focus groups with both parents and providers. The national Early Years Forum and other key groups have also offered invaluable feedback to guide many areas around the Scheme. All of this engagement is central to ensuring that the National Childcare Scheme is as user friendly as possible, reflecting the needs of those using it.

Transition Support Payment PSP

The Minister recently announced a once-off Transition Support Payment which will be paid to all providers who participate in the National Childcare Scheme. The payment acknowledges the work involved in the initial transition period when both the new Scheme and the old legacy programmes will briefly run side by side. In announcing the payment, the Minister also emphasised her gratitude for the dedication and commitment demonstrated by those in the Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare sector.

Further details will be announced in the coming months.

Did you Know?

The ncs.gov.ie website has had over 27,000 hits in its first two weeks.

The FAQ page is updated weekly in response to queries we get through our NCS@dcya.gov.ie email

National Childcare Scheme Information packs are on the way to every provider in the Country.

The trainers for our nationwide training programme have completed their 'train the trainer' preparations and are ready to go.

Our Phase 1 Training for Providers starts from the 25th March, book your ticket now in your preferred region at ncs.gov.ie/provider. Over 2500 places have been booked across nearly 200 Locations nationwide already!

We will soon be launching a new NCS Facebook page. Stay tuned!!

Why does First 5 use the term Early Learning and Care?

Many of you will be aware of, and are debating, the term Early Learning and Care or ELC. This term, introduced in First 5, the whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families, seeks to move away from the most commonly used term among members of the general public - childcare.

The term childcare used almost consistently by parents and other key stakeholders is not in line with current thinking in relation to the educational role played by the sector, nor is it helpful as we collectively seek to raise the status of this work and move the profession forward over the coming decade.

The Department did consider using the term Early Childhood Education and Care or ECEC in First 5, but the reality is that despite many years of effort from across the sector, it has failed to become part of everyday language. DCYA will still refer to ECEC in certain circumstances, but our primary effort is to replace the term “childcare” with a term that is accessible and user friendly and reflects the educational or learning component of the work.

The Department looked internationally and found other jurisdictions who have experienced similar challenges. ELC is used elsewhere, for example in Scotland, Australia, Canada and the United States and it seems to have been part of a change in the public’s perception of what it is the sector does.

We believe Early Learning and Care

• offers accessible, child-centered language that can be used in the everyday communications of the general public.

• highlights that learning starts before primary schooling – even before birth.

• reinforces the fact that learning and care are inseparable.

• places a clear focus on the educational experience from the child’s perspective and the child’s centrality in playing an active role within that holistic experience. This is in keeping with the national practice frameworks - Aistear and Siolta - and their promotion of the child as a co-constructor of knowledge, which is so important in high-quality early education.

This change in terminology reflects a genuine commitment by the Department to change and improve both attitudes towards ELC, and the conditions under which it operates.

What does this term mean for titles of profession role?

As committed to in First 5, work will soon commence on developing a Workforce Development Plan for the sector and, through this, it is envisaged that agreement will be reached with the sector on titles for the professional roles going forward.

POLICY AND STRATEGY

OPERATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Training

The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) came into force on 25 May 2018. All organisations are responsible for ensuring that they are compliant with all relevant legislation, including GDPR. Further information can be found on the Data Protection Commission website: https://www.dataprotection.ie/docs/Home/4.htm

In response to concerns within the Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare sector relating to GDPR readiness, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) has made complimentary online General Data Protection Regulation training available for all services to support you in meeting your Data Protection obligations. This training is designed and delivered by iHasco. Further information, including the link to the training site, can be found on Pobal’s Childcare Collaboration Portal.

This online training is offered as a support for services in relation to GDPR obligations and provides a high-level overview of the principles of GDPR. Services will need to assess what further actions they may need to take to ensure they are fully informed of their responsibilities in relation to GDPR in an Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare context.

Did you Know?

Anyone with an interest can sign up to receive this e-bulletin by contacting dcyaey_comms@dcya.gov.ie with your name and e-mail address.

FINANCE GOVERNANCE AND REFORM

Early Learning and Care and School Aged Childcare Capital

Applications for 2019 Early Learning and Care and School Age Capital closed Wednesday 27th March 2019 at 3pm.

Applications were accepted under 3 strands:

Strand A: Creation of new 0-3 places

Strand B: Fire Safety Improvements for Community early learning and care services

Strand C: Creation of new SAC places

Appraisal commences from end March and decisions are expected to be delivered in June. Interest in the schemes has been high once again this year.

Programme Support Payments (PSP)

Over €19m in Programme Support Payments (PSP) is to be made available to providers from June 2019.

• Payment is equal to 7 days' (1.4 weeks') registrations for ECCE, and 14 days' (2.8 weeks') registrations for CCS(P) and TEC.

• The application window is due to open from 13th May - 21st June.

• Providers may apply for PSP using the short application form on PIP.

Compliance and Case Management

Across all sectors, wherever Exchequer funding is used, a rigorous compliance regime must accompany it to ensure that the State investment is being used in accordance with agreed rules.

At the beginning of the 2018/2019 programme year, compliance visits focused on CCS contracts. This was done due to the high rate of non-compliance previously identified in the CCS programme. Unfortunately, the high rates of non-compliance with the attendance and registration rules of the CCS programme have continued and services have been asked to correct their registrations.

However, most services found non-compliant are engaging constructively on resolving this issue. DCYA, Pobal and the CCCs are available to support services who are experiencing difficulties.

For services that have had findings of non-compliance, where re-registrations are required, and where overclaims are due; DCYA is strongly encouraging services to access the supports available. City/County Childcare Committees around the country can offer expert advice and guidance on the rules and requirements that services are expected to adhere to. Pobal can offer a variety of sustainability supports through a Case Management process. It is crucial that services which find themselves in difficulty engage with Pobal or their local CCC. The Department, Pobal and the CCCs are all working hard to support services to become fully compliant with the programme rules whilst continuing to deliver a quality and sustainable service. DCYA greatly appreciates services engagement and their commitment to becoming compliant.

For the remaining programme year, Pobal will be carrying out compliance visits on all the programmes (ECCE, CCS, CCSP and TEC) to encompass all rules. Click here for RULES

Providers should note that no late applications for PSP will be admitted this year under any circumstances.

Leadership for Inclusion in the Early Years (LINC) higher education programme

On the 5th March, Minister Zappone announced the fourth intake onto the Leadership for Inclusion (LINC) higher education programme which will commence this September. Up to 1,150 free training places are being made available to pre-school practitioners to ensure their pre-school services are inclusive and accessible to children with disabilities.

Across the country, over 1,300 graduates from the first two years of the programme are now performing a new leadership role of Inclusion Coordinator within their pre-school setting. This attracts an increase in the ECCE capitation payable to that setting. LINC graduates also meet the educational requirement to perform the role of ECCE room leader within their pre-school setting.

LINC is an award-winning programme, having recently won the Student Engagement and Communications Award at the Education Awards 2019. This represents the third award for the LINC programme since it was established in 2016. Congratulations to everyone involved!

The application deadline for applying for a place on the LINC programme is Thursday, 4th April 2019 and further information on how to apply can be found on www.lincprogramme.ie

Aistear Síolta Practice Guide

An effective early childhood system will ensure that those caring for young children are equipped to support early childhood development ... (using) a consistently implemented curriculum framework. (First 5, 2018)

The Aistear Síolta Practice guide was developed to support practitioners in using Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (2009) and Síolta, The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education (2006) together to develop the quality of their curriculum and in doing so, to better support children’s learning and development.

The Practice Guide is based on the understanding that settings are compliant with, or are working to become compliant with the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 and the Child Care Regulations (The Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) ( Amendments) Regulations 2016. The Practice Guide includes a range of resources to help practitioners to critically reflect on their curriculum and to identify what works well. Additionally, the resources can help practitioners to identify priorities for development and to plan actions for positive change. In this way, the Practice Guide can be used for on-going review, development and improvement by individual practitioners, practitioners working together, and by practitioners supported by a mentor.

The Practice Guide can be accessed at aistearsiolta.ie For support and/or queries please contact the National Aistear Development Officer at lorraine.farrell@ncca.ie

QUALITY

IN OTHER NEWS...

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