Roderic O’ Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, today published Introductory Guidelines to Support the Inclusion of Autistic Children in Early Learning and Care, School-Age Childcare and Childminding Settings.
The Guidelines are for early years educators, school-age childcare practitioners and childminders who are currently working to support the meaningful inclusion of autistic children in early learning and care, school-age childcare and childminding settings.
They form part of a wider suite of universal and targeted supports under the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) which have been designed to ensure children with a disability and additional needs can access and participate in the ECCE programme and early learning and care settings more broadly.
The Guidelines fulfil a commitment in the recently launched National Autism Innovation Strategy, which aims to address the bespoke challenges and barriers facing autistic people and to improve understanding and accommodation of autism within society and across the public system.
Each year 2,735 services benefit from AIM supports.
Speaking today about the National Guidelines, Minister O’Gorman said:
“I am delighted to announce the publication of National Guidelines to Support the Inclusion of Autistic Children in Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare Settings.
“Meaningful inclusion of neurodivergent children and their families in settings starts with the early years educators and school-age practitioners being fully informed of their role in active inclusion.
“These Guidelines form part of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) suite of supports and resources supporting the inclusion of children in the ECCE programme and beyond.
“I hope the Guidelines assist early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners with the important role they play to support the inclusion of all children in their settings.”
Welcoming the publication of these guidelines, Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte added:
“I warmly welcome these National Guidelines for those working with our youngest children. They deliver on an action of our Department’s Autism Innovation Strategy.
“This Strategy will work hard to respond and enhance the lived experience of autistic people, their families and carers, so we can ensure that challenges and barriers currently being faced are being adequately addressed and to improve understanding and accommodation of autism within society and across the public system.
“These guidelines for early learning and care, school-age childcare and childminding settings are an example of a clear action that can make a tangible difference to children’s lives.”
ENDS/
https://carlowccc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ccc4.jpg00Carlow Childcare Committeehttps://carlowccc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ccc4.jpgCarlow Childcare Committee2024-10-14 09:35:112024-10-14 09:35:11Minister O’Gorman publishes Guidelines Supporting Inclusion for Autistic Children in Early Learning, School & Childcare Settings
An Taoiseach Simon Harris, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, and the Minister of State for Disability, Anne Rabbitte, have today announced that Government will accede to the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Ireland ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 20 March 2018. The Convention aims to make sure that people with disabilities are treated fairly, have the same opportunities as people without disabilities, and are fully included in society.
The Optional Protocol supplements the Convention by establishing additional procedures aimed at strengthening the implementation of the Convention. The State’s implementation of the UNCRPD is already subject to periodic review by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Accession to the Optional Protocol means that people with disabilities will have their rights better upheld by strengthened accountability measures.
The Optional Protocol establishes the competence of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a body of independent experts, to:
receive and examine communications from or on behalf of individuals or groups of individuals who claim to be victims of a violation of the rights recognised and protected by the Convention.
undertake inquiries in cases where they receive reliable evidence of grave or systemic violations of the Convention.
After examining such a communication, the Committee will issue recommendations to Ireland.
The Committee will only examine a communication if it meets the admissibility criteria set out in the Protocol, and in particular the requirement that a person has exhausted all available domestic remedies. Encouraging states to ensure the proper protection of rights domestically is one of the main advantages of the Optional Protocol.
Accession to the Optional Protocol demonstrates Ireland’s commitment to the continued realisation of the rights and obligations set out in the Convention. It is an important milestone in Ireland’s journey toward a more inclusive and fair society for everyone, and one in which everyone is valued equally.
Following the government decision, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs will sign an instrument of accession on behalf of the Government, to be deposited with the Secretary-General of the UN. The Protocol will enter into force in Ireland 30 days later.
Speaking about the decision to accede to the Optional Protocol, An Taoiseach Simon Harris said:
“Today is an important day for Ireland and particularly for people with a disability. One of my key priorities as Taoiseach is to make the lives of people with a disability more inclusive, fairer and it is so important that everyone is afforded equal opportunities. Ratification of the Optional Protocol will mean that people with a disability will have their rights more stringently upheld by strengthened accountability measures. I know this is an important day for the thousands of people who have campaigned for this to happen”.
An Tánaiste Micheál Martin said:
“I am delighted that we are now in a position to strengthen Ireland’s commitment to the rights of people with disabilities through this Optional Protocol. This marks an important and necessary step in our commitment to the protection of the rights of those with disabilities, and demonstrates our commitment to progressing towards a more inclusive and fair society”.
Speaking on the matter, Minister O’Gorman said:
“I am delighted that Ireland will be formally acceding to the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In April I convened an interdepartmental group to drive progress on this issue and I am delighted to see that work has led to today’s decision. The decision by Government to take this step marks a milestone moment for the State. It emphasises the value that is placed on ensuring that we are accountable in upholding the rights of persons with disabilities”.
The Minister added:
“My Department’s vision is one of a vibrant, inclusive, and thriving Ireland where no one is left behind or faces discrimination. Central to this vision is ensuring that persons with disabilities are supported to live the lives that they want to and are provided equal opportunities to do so. Acceding to the Optional Protocol further supports the realisation of that vision”.
Minister Rabbitte said:
“Accession by Ireland to the Optional Protocol signals Ireland’s ongoing drive to improving the lives of persons with disabilities in this country. Moving Ireland to the point of ratification has been a major focus for me as Minister. Disabled people must be given every opportunity to participate equally and fully in our society, and to have their rights as set out under the Convention respected. The development of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was rooted in the need to express human rights in the context of disability rights. Accession to the Optional Protocol demonstrates our intention to keep building on the progress we have made in ensuring that these rights are upheld, and ultimately assists in furthering the State’s progressive implementation of the Convention in an important way”.
The Minister added:
“I also think it’s important to recognise the tireless efforts of advocates, Disabled Person’s Organisations, and individuals who have championed this cause. Their voices have been instrumental in driving this progress, and their contributions will continue to shape our policies and practices”.
Notes for Editors:
Accession to the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a commitment in the Programme for Government. It was originally intended to accede to the Protocol after Ireland’s first Periodic Review by the Committee. However, as that has now been delayed at UN level work to progress earlier accession has been underway across government.
The purpose of the UN Convention is to promote, protect, and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.
The Optional Protocol supplements the Convention, and establishes additional procedures aimed at strengthening the implementation of the Convention. It establishes the competence of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a body of independent experts, to:
receive and examine communications from or on behalf of individuals or groups of individuals who claim to be victims of a violation of the rights recognised and protected by the Convention.
undertake inquiries in cases where they receive reliable evidence of grave or systemic violations of the Convention.
In April of this year Minister O’Gorman announced the formation of an Interdepartmental Group that was tasked with expediting work to provide a pathway for accession. The work of that Group has recently concluded, and has ensured that a whole-of-Government approach is taken to adhering to the obligations as set out in the Convention and the Optional Protocol.
While the Optional Protocol does not establish any further rights beyond the scope of the original Convention, it does establish a procedure through which persons can submit a communication to the UN Committee regarding any violation of the rights established under the Convention. The Optional Protocol therefore acts as an important mechanism for implementation of the Convention.
Persons with disabilities can make a complaint to the Committee under the communication procedure. The Committee receives communications in the form of written submissions (either online or by post) from or on behalf of individuals and assesses such communications to establish their admissibility and their merits. Should the Committee deem a communication to be admissible it will examine the complaint, and may ultimately make recommendations as to how the State should rectify the issue in question.
In line with the constitutional and legal position on international agreements, these recommendations are domestically non-binding on the state. The Committee typically convenes twice a year in order to examine these communications.
Complainants must exhaust all domestic remedies in order for the Committee to deem a communication admissible, and one of the advantages of accession to the Protocol is in ensuring that appropriate domestic redress exists for breaches of rights. This means that domestic avenues through which a solution may be found such as judicial proceedings, appeals of lower court decisions, judicial reviews and potentially other enforceable administrative remedies, must be exhausted prior to any complaint being made to the Committee. The Committee may decide that the exhaustion of domestic remedies is not necessary in some cases (where the application of the remedies is unreasonably prolonged or unlikely to bring effective relief).
A communication can be judged inadmissible for a number of reasons such as being anonymous, being examined by another international body at the time of consideration by the Committee, or if the events described in the communication occurred prior to ratification of the Protocol. A communication may also be deemed inadmissible if it is anonymous, or is incompatible with the provisions of the Convention.
On foot on this Government decision, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs will sign an instrument of accession on behalf of the Government, to be deposited with the Secretary-General of the UN. The Protocol will enter into force with respect to the State on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit.
Accession to the Protocol forms part of Ireland’s broader approach to compliance with the Convention. In that regard intensive work is ongoing across government to develop Ireland’s next National Disability Strategy, which will form the implementation plan to advance delivery of the rights as set out in the Convention over the coming years.
https://carlowccc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ccc4.jpg00Carlow Childcare Committeehttps://carlowccc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ccc4.jpgCarlow Childcare Committee2024-10-09 11:14:072024-10-09 11:14:07Government announces decision to accede to the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
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The Menu plan for Early Learning and Care Services has been published by the Healthy Eating and Active Living division in the HSE and Safe food. This menu plan aims to provide a practical guide to implementing the ‘Nutrition Standards for Early Learning and Care Services’. This menu plan’s recipes have been designed for use by all regulated early years providers including children’s centres, nurseries and childminders.
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We all want to improve our children’s wellbeing and help them enjoy learning. One of the best ways to do this is through a healthy lunch. Preschools can provide good guidance on preparing lunch for your child.
This leaflet will give parents some ideas for your child’s lunchbox. A balanced lunchbox will help ensure children have the energy they need to learn and play.
• Overall Budget allocation focused on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth of €8 billion
• 24% increase (€265.8m) in investment in Early Learning and Childcare to €1.37bn
• Increased funding for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, of almost €145m
• Minister Rabbitte has secured an additional €335.8m for disability services, with budget surpassing €3bn for the first time
• Additional €6.95m (9% increase) secured to support and expand youth services.
The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, has secured a Budget 2025 package which will deliver on services for children and people in greatest need.
The Minister announced today an overall increase of 11% which is an additional €837m for the Vote group and the highest ever year-on-year increase in funding for the Department. This brings the overall funding allocated to the Department in Budget 2025 to over €8bn.
Minister O’Gorman said:
“The increase in funding reflects the level of demand and funding required to provide assistance to children, young people and some of the most vulnerable people in our country. It is essential in enabling us to advance our vision of a fair, equal, and inclusive society, where rights are respected and where everyone – from childhood onwards – is supported to achieve their potential.”
The funding builds on the substantial investment in 2024 in Early Learning and Childcare, with total funding in 2025 of over €1.37 billion, an increase of 24% or almost €266m. This supports the full year costs of the significant National Childcare Scheme subsidy increases for parents introduced this September 2024.
It also ensures the continued expansion of the numbers of children supported under the National Childcare Scheme, ECCE and AIM. Added to that, it ensures the continued roll-out and expansion of Core Funding and Equal Start, with new funding to support improved pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners. It will also deliver an additional nutrition programme to early learning and childcare settings operating in the context of concentrated disadvantage.
Further funding of €145m or 14% is being put into child welfare and family support services delivered by Tusla. This funding will deliver:
• Further investment and support towards children in foster care, including funding for extra support to foster families during the initial placement of a new foster child, and additional mileage support for foster carers bringing children to appointments.
• Maintain and support Family Support Services and early intervention and preventative programmes across Ireland including an expansion to the network of Family Resource Centres, and
• Increased Special Care and Residential Care provision.
• Increased funding to meet growing numbers of separated children seeking international protection.
Additional funding of almost €336m (a 12% increase over 2024) is being provided to HSE disability services, bringing the overall budget to €3.2bn. This increased funding will deliver:
• In the region of 70 additional residential places, as well as supporting the transition of people from congregated settings and under-65s from nursing homes to more appropriate housing in the community.
• Continued support for respite services, particularly alternative respite such as weekend clubs, equine therapy respite, afterschool clubs and tea-time respite.
• Development of new Autism Innovation Fund for local community groups supporting autistic children and adults.
• Progressive alignment of the PA hourly rate and the Home Support rate in line with Older Persons Services.
Minister Rabbitte said:
“This year’s allocation demonstrates the Government’s strong commitment to building capacity in disability services. This funding will provide greater investment in a range of service areas such as residential, respite, children’s services, day services, PA, Home Support and neurological community services.
“I will continue in 2025 to do the very best I can for people with disabilities and their families, to provide intervention and care when it is needed and to progressively deliver tangible improvements to the lives of people with disabilities.”
Minister O’Gorman concluded:
“Across my Department, we are entrusted with responsibility for children and some of the most vulnerable people in our country – children in care, refugees, survivors, people with disabilities, people who may be facing disadvantage and discrimination. This investment will support us to deliver for each of these groups.
We continue to build on previous budgets in driving down costs for all parents, improving quality and expanding access to early learning and childcare for all families. This includes targeted measures for children with disabilities and children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
We continue to increase investment in disability services, child protection and family support services and youth services. All of this is with a view to supporting those in need to feel safe, respected and empowered to reach their full potential”.
ENDS
Notes to the Editor
Early Learning and Childcare
The 2025 allocation of €1.37bn will allow the Department to consolidate and build on recent progress. This includes continuing the implementation of:
• The National Childcare Scheme (NCS), with more than 216,000 individual children set to benefit from the Scheme in 2025. This is by far the largest number of children ever to benefit from NCS.
• The universal Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, which will benefit over 107,000 children in 2025, and the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) to enable c7,800 children with a disability to access and meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme.
• Continue the implementation of Year 3 of Core Funding, with enhancements in Year 4 of the Scheme. Importantly, these include new ring-fenced funding to support employers in meeting further increases in minimum rates of pay for those working in the sector, arising from future negotiated Employment Regulation Orders by the independent Early Years Services Joint Labour Committee.
• Advance implementation of Year 1 of Equal Start, with enhancements in Year 2. These include a new measure of an Additional Nutrition Programme in Equal Start Priority Settings, as well as supports for the development and rollout of Parent Community Coordinator training, and Diversity, Equality and Inclusion training.
• Deliver new early learning and childcare places for children under 3 under the Building Blocks Extension Scheme.
Child Protection and Wellbeing
• Budget 2024 sees an increase of almost 14% in funding for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.
• Budget 2025 also includes an allocation of €0.3m which will be used to provide a bonus payment at the start of each initial placement. This will aim to alleviate the substantial out-of-pocket expenses during the initial placement period, which can deter potential foster carers from coming forward and can strain the resources of those already fostering.
• Tusla are facing an unprecedented increase in demand for services from children, who are separated from their families, who have come to Ireland. This Budget provides significant additional resources to the teams in Tusla who are dedicated to helping these children.
Youth Services
• For youth services, €84.9m is being allocated in Budget 2025 to current expenditure to youth services, an increase across current and capital funding of €7 million, or 9%, on the 2024 budget.
• This additional funding will expand youth work service capacity and enable 10 new targeted youth services to be opened. It will also fund a new pilot initiative to address holiday hunger among young people attending youth work services.
• It will allow for the implementation of a new national strategy for youth work and related services and support the expansion of initiatives to enable children and young people to participate in decision making within the framework of the Participation of Children and Young People in Decision-Making Action Plan 2023-2028.
Disability
• Minister O’Gorman and Minister Rabbitte have secured €3.2 billion of current funding for Specialist Community Based Disability Services next year. This amounts to an 11.6% increase in funding on last year and represents an overall increase of €1.2bn since 2020.
• This significant level of funding recognises the challenges facing the sector including the increased cost of service provision, pay cost pressures and service provider sustainability.
• It will mean that 2025 will see some further expansion, including in relation to Children’s Services, Day Services, Residential Services, and Personal Assistance Hours. This expansion will further assist people to continue living independently in their own homes.
• This allocation will support the continued implementation of the Action Plan for Disability Services and the roll out of the Roadmap for Service Improvement for Disability Services.
• €27m will be invested in a range of infrastructure developments supporting areas such as Respite, Residential, and day services.
Equality
• Increased funding has been secured for equality to drive forward new national strategies – on Travellers and Roma, LGBTI+ inclusion and on women and girls. This funding will strengthen the Government to address key equality issues and to improve opportunities for diverse groups at risk of discrimination.
• A 62% increase in LGBTI funding has been agreed which provides crucial resources towards strengthening the LGBTI+ infrastructure and will enable a much larger number of LGBTI projects to be funded.
• As part of the Department’s commitment to enabling Ireland to meet its international human rights monitoring obligations, the budget of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has been increased by €1.021m (a 12% increase).
Ukraine response
• Budget 2025 includes funding which will enable the Department continue to meet Ireland’s responsibilities in relation to the provision of access to, or the means to access, temporary emergency accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) fleeing the war in Ukraine.
• This funding allows for continued support for people currently living in DCEDIY-supported accommodation and pledged accommodation as they continue to make their way towards independent living in 2025.
International Protection
• Additional funding has been secured to work towards meeting Ireland’s legal obligation to receive and accommodate International Protection Applicants and for increased Community Engagement and communications, to assist with engagement with local communities and stakeholders on the opening of new accommodation centres.
• €8.4m has been secured for child supports. This will fund the International Protection Child Payment being rolled out in 2025, benefitting an average of 5,000 eligible children per month. This is a crucial part of improving integration and reducing child poverty.
Mother & Baby Institutions Payment Scheme
• Budget 2025 has ensured funding of almost €125m to continue the Government’s response to the legacy of Mother and Baby Institutions, including implementation of the Payment Scheme, the intervention at Tuam, the Special Advocate for Survivors, and the National Centre for Research and Remembrance.
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Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte, has launched the next call for applications to the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund.
The primary aim of this Fund is to support the participation and inclusion of people with disabilities in their local communities around Ireland. A total of €3.5 million has been allocated to the Fund this year. Applications are being invited under four thematic strands. Applications are particularly encouraged from organisations led by people with disabilities. In addition to cash grants, non-financial support will also be provided, which will be tailored to each project/organisation, and will be aimed at building its capacity and increasing its impact.
Strand 1
Supporting community, sports and physical participation: Funding projects/organisations that improve and encourage the accessibility of, and participation in, community life for disabled persons.
Strand 2
Supporting participation in arts and cultural activities: Funding projects/organisations supporting arts and cultural activities, particularly those that foster awareness of the lived experiences of people with disabilities and that support the participation of people with disabilities in arts and culture.
Strand 3
Supporting employment and apprenticeships: Funding social enterprise initiatives to provide valuable employment experience or apprenticeships to people with disabilities.
Strand 4
Supporting projects/initiatives in the area of neurodiversity: Funding projects/organisations supporting the participation of neurodiverse children and adults in their local communities.
The fund will be operated on behalf of the Department by Rethink Ireland. Organisations can make an application under the different strands through the Rethink Ireland website. Support for organisations to make an application will also be provided to organisations by Rethink Ireland.
Announcing the opening of the fund, Minister Rabbitte said:
“I am delighted to announce the launch of the next round of funding under the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund (DPAF). This funding has a strong focus on supporting people with disabilities to participate in their communities through arts, culture, sports, employment and apprenticeships.
Since I established the DPAF, I have been consistently impressed by the quality of the projects and initiatives being devised and led at a community level by organisations across Ireland. I am proud that the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund has been able to support so much of this great work over the past number of years. I look forward to seeing the projects which will emerge in this round of funding.
We are working this year again with Rethink Ireland on this important fund, and I encourage all organisations who may wish to apply to contact Rethink Ireland for support in making an application. Initiatives under this Fund make a tremendous impact in local communities, by encouraging and facilitating meaningful participation and inclusion of disabled people.”
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The Disability Participation and Awareness Fund will be operated through Rethink Ireland and is open to non-profit organisations to support the participation and inclusion of disabled people in local communities, across four different strands.
Strand 1
Supporting community, sports and physical participation: Funding projects/organisations that improve and encourage the accessibility of, and participation in, community life for disabled persons.
Strand 2
Supporting participation in arts and cultural activities: Funding projects/organisations supporting arts and cultural activities, particularly those that foster awareness of the lived experiences of people with disabilities and that support the participation of people with disabilities in arts and culture.
Strand 3
Supporting employment and apprenticeships: Funding social enterprise initiatives to provide valuable employment experience or apprenticeships to people with disabilities.
Strand 4
Supporting projects/initiatives in the area of neurodiversity: Funding projects/organisations supporting the participation of neurodiverse children and adults in their local communities.
• Rethink Ireland will undertake a fund outreach to ensure maximum exposure for the fund, including the provision of webinars.
• Funding from €50,000 to €200,000 per project will be made available under each strand.
• This fund is open to organisations that are not-for-profit.
https://carlowccc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ccc4.jpg00Carlow Childcare Committeehttps://carlowccc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ccc4.jpgCarlow Childcare Committee2024-10-01 09:43:042024-10-01 09:44:14Minister Rabbitte announces next funding call under the €3.5m Disability and Participation Awareness Fund 2024
The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, has today launched the 2024/25 Parent Peer Support Fund. The fund is open to organisations working with parents and/or children and young people to facilitate the development of parent peer support projects.
A total of €75,000 was distributed among 37 organisations under the 2023/24 Parent Peer Support Fund. This funding facilitated delivery of parent peer support projects by organisations who provide a diverse range of services such as domestic violence, kinship care, breast-feeding, disability, and migrant supports.
This year, the total funding available has increased to €100,000 and a new tier of funding has been introduced for applicants.
• Tier 1 will provide grants of €2,000 to 37 successful applicants who either currently operate, or wish to establish a new parent peer support project.
• Tier 2 will provide grants of €5,000 to 5 successful applicants who wish to scale up an existing parent peer support project, which is already having a positive impact on parents.
Speaking today Minister O’Gorman commented:
“I am delighted to launch the 2024/25 Parent Peer Support Fund. I am keenly aware of the value that this particular funding brings to organisations who work with parents, children, and young people”.
“Parent led peer-to-peer support initiatives promote the sharing of information, increase parents’ empowerment and improve parental wellbeing”. It is for these reasons, that I was eager to ensure that the level of support available to services through the Parent Peer Support Fund were expanded again this year. Increasing the total fund value from €75,000 to €100,000, along with the introduction of a second tier of enhanced financial assistance, specifically for established peer support projects, helps to ensure that my department will continue to enable organisations to deliver high quality peer support initiatives for parents & carers across the country”.
How to apply
Please find link to application forms for the €2,000 and €5,000 funding tiers, along with the funding Guidance and Terms and Conditions here.
Supporting Parents: A National Model of Parenting Support Services was developed in accordance with a commitment in First 5, A Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and Their Families 2019-2028. The model was developed by a collaborative working group led by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), with input from a wide range of stakeholders from across Government Departments, agencies and community and voluntary organisations.
The introduction of the Parent Peer Support Fund builds on commitments set out in Supporting Parents: A National Model of Parent Support Services, through the provision of funding for the enhancement and promotion of supports to assist parents.
The fund was first launched in 2022 and provided grants of €2,000 to 25 services. The 2023/24 round of funding was increased to provide grants of €2,000 to a total of 37 services.
This year, the total value of the fund has increased from €75,000 to €100,000 which will provide grants to 42 services. 2 tiers of funding will be provided under the 2024/25 Parent Peer Support Fund.
• Tier 1 will provide 37 grants of €2,000 to services seeking to set up new parent peer support projects, while Tier 2 will provide 5 grants of €5,000 to services who wish to scale up an existing parent peer support project, which is already having a positive impact on parents.
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• Minister O’Gorman has awarded €378,000 to establish four pilot Local Area Child Poverty Action Plans to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children, young people and their families under the What Works initiative, funded under Dormant Accounts.
• Ireland’s National Action Plan under the European Child Guarantee commits to establish four pilot Child Poverty Local Area Action Child Poverty Action Plans in Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC) areas.
Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, today announced the allocation of €378,000 under What Works to four Children and Young People’s Service Committees working in collaboration with their corresponding Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) to research and pilot Local Area Child Poverty Action Plans. Following a call for applications and selection process, 23 applications were received, and four applications were selected:
• Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and Wicklow Children and Young People’s Service Committees and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown and Wicklow Local Community and Development Committee
• Kildare Children and Young People’s Service Committees and Kildare Local Community and Development Committee
• Monaghan Children and Young People’s Service Committees and Monaghan Local Community and Development Committee
• Tipperary Children and Young People’s Service Committees and Tipperary Local Community and Development Committee
The objective of these pilot plans will be to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children, young people and their families by first gaining a detailed understanding of the child poverty problem in each area, and then using this information to promote experiences of enhanced service integration.
Funding is being made available through the What Works prevention and early intervention initiative which receives its funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund (DAF). The DAF is managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development.
Announcing the fund, Minister O’Gorman said:
“The What Works Initiative, funded under Dormant Accounts, aims to take a coordinated approach to enhance capacity, knowledge and quality in prevention and early intervention for children, young people and their families, with a focus on those at risk of developing poor outcomes.
These four projects are undertaking important initiatives to better support innovation and collaboration between local organisations to enhance communications, knowledge sharing and joint working to respond to child poverty issues at local level. I look forward to seeing these pilots implemented and making real difference to the lives of children, young people and their families”.
Welcoming the announcement, the Taoiseach said:
“I am delighted to see significant funding awarded to four pilot Local Area Child Poverty Action Plans. I am particularly encouraged to see that all four pilots will explore how to enhance access to vital supports in the areas of early years, food and fuel poverty, for those facing challenging circumstances, and for disadvantaged families with neurodivergent children”.
We are fortunate to have many outstanding family and children’s services in Ireland, but sometimes they can be difficult to access and navigate, especially for families in poverty. These pilots will allow us to learn from innovative and practical action and will move us closer to making sure service integration means every child gets the service they need, when they need it – a key priority area in my Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Plan.”
As Minister for responsibility for the Dormant Accounts Fund, Minister O’Brien stated
“I make it an absolute priority to ensure that the fund is used to support communities and services most in need. The issue of poverty, and child poverty in particular, informs almost every aspect of my work which is why I’m pleased today to be able to provide funding for this important initiative to tackle child poverty.
My Department also has strategic responsibility for Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) who collaborate with the Children and Young People’s Service Committees (CYPSCs) in many respects to support the planning of services in a local area. Today’s announcement, is a clear example of this strong partnership with the overall objective of improving access to services that support disadvantaged families and children in their local areas.
This funding will help achieve that.”
Note for Editors:
Under this scheme, Children and Young People’s Service Committees (CYPSC) and their Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) were invited to submit a joint application for up to €100,000 in funding to design and implement a pilot plan that will respond to their local realities and contexts while utilising existing co-ordination structures.
Funding is awarded to:
1. Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and Wicklow Children and Young People’s Service Committees and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown and Wicklow Local Community and Development Committee – €100,000.
The pilot focuses on early childhood (pregnancy to age 4) and aims to improve service coordination and family support, addressing systemic and intergenerational factors contributing to child poverty.
2. Kildare Children and Young People’s Service Committees and Kildare Local Community and Development Committee – €100,000.
The pilot aims to improve access to services for disadvantaged families with neurodivergent children by piloting Community-Based Occupational Therapy in Family Resource Centres; Flexible Referral Criteria; providing simultaneous support for professionals, parents, and children to build understanding and skills across all parties involved; piloting Plural Practice Model using recreational activities tailored to each child’s needs to improve social communication and emotional regulation.
3. Monaghan Children and Young People’s Service Committees and Monaghan Local Community and Development Committee -€93,000.
The pilot aims to address issues such as intergenerational patterns, difficult household conditions, migrant status, and the “working poor” experiencing mortgage arrears through the use of a “Family Champion” role to coordinate support providing tailored assistance and advocating for their needs while aiming to improve engagement with existing services and address the root causes of poverty.
4. Tipperary Children and Young People’s Service Committees and Tipperary Local Community and Development Committee – €85,000.
The pilot aims to enhance living conditions and reduce child poverty by improving energy efficiency and service integration. The pilot will focus on energy auditing and profiling to improve household energy efficiency and security and will assess how these interventions impact poverty indicators.
What Works, funded under Dormant Accounts, is an initiative designed by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. What Works aims to take a coordinated approach to enhance capacity, knowledge and quality, primarily in prevention and early intervention for children, young people and their families. Four key strands have been identified to embed and enhance prevention and early intervention in children and young people’s policy, service provision and practice:
• Data
• Evidence
• Professional development and capacity building
• Quality
What Works funding supports research and pilots with regard to prevention and early intervention. Further information can be found on the What Works website.
National Action Plan and European Child Guarantee
Ireland’s National Action Plan is a first step toward full implementation of the European Child Guarantee. The Child Guarantee is a European Commission initiative, which sets out to ensure that at the very least the most vulnerable children in the EU will have access to healthcare, childcare, education, housing and adequate nutrition. On foot of this, the Irish government prepared a national action plan as a first step to ensuring the child guarantee. The first interim report on Ireland’s progress under the European Child Guarantee was published on 10 June 2024. This can be found here.
https://carlowccc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ccc4.jpg00Carlow Childcare Committeehttps://carlowccc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ccc4.jpgCarlow Childcare Committee2024-09-26 09:20:352024-09-26 09:20:35Minister announces funding for Local Area Child Poverty Action Plans
• Regulations provide important safeguards for children and quality assurance for parents.
• First official recognition of childminders as part of the early years sector.
• Regulations pave the way for childminders to come into the National Childcare Scheme.
Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, today announced the publication of the new Childminding Regulations, which will come into effect on 30 September. This is the first time that childminders will be able to register with Tusla under new regulations that reflect the home and family setting in which childminders work and that take into account the unique features of childminding.
The introduction of the Childminding Regulations follows through on a commitment in the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028.
From 30 September, it will be possible for childminders to start applying to Tusla to go through the registration process. Once registered by Tusla, childminders can then also apply to take part in the National Childcare Scheme.
An extensive consultation process on the Draft Regulations took place in the first half of the year with childminders, parents and other stakeholders. As a result of the consultation process, a number of significant changes have been made in the regulations that are now being published.
The Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Childminding Services) Regulations 2024 are due to be commenced on 30 September. Relevant sections of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024 will be commenced on the same day and, in line with the Act, there will be a transition period of three years following the commencement of the Regulations. During this 3-year transition period, childminders will be able to register with Tusla, but they will not be required to do so.
Minister O’Gorman said
“I am delighted to announce the publication of Childminding-specific Regulations. Childminders play a hugely important role in caring for children in every community in this country, both rural and urban. This is a historic day for childminders and for the many families who use childminders every day.
Since coming into office, I have been committed to the extension of regulation and supports to all paid, non-relative childminders, which in turn will open up the National Childcare Scheme to parents who use childminders. A priority for me has been to ensure that these new regulations are proportionate and appropriate to the home and family setting in which childminders work, whilst ensuring the necessary safeguards for the protection of children.”
Kate Duggan CEO Tusla said
“Tusla welcomes the new childminding-specific regulations. Childminders across Ireland play an important role in supporting children and families. The regulations have been developed in close cooperation with childminders, ensuring they are mindful of the home setting. We will provide a supportive compliance approach by working with childminders to help them achieve registration.”
Tusla’s Early Years Inspectorate are responsible for implementing the regulations and will commence registration for child minders on 30 September. The regulations will support child safeguarding and quality assurance in the care of children, and recognise the essential services provided to parents by childminders.”
In addition to the Childminding Regulations, Minister O’Gorman announced the publication of the independent report on the public consultation on the Draft Regulations. This report is accompanied by the Department’s response document that sets out in detail the ways in which the regulations were amended in response to the public consultation.
The main route through which parents are subsidised for their early learning and childcare costs is the National Childcare Scheme. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the National Childcare Scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered providers are eligible to participate in the Scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes to Tusla-registered childcare providers helps to ensure that public funding is provided where there is assurance of the quality of provision. Therefore, only childminders who are registered with Tusla will be able to offer the National Childcare Scheme to the families that avail of their services.
3. Changes in response to the public consultation:
Public consultation on the Draft Regulations took place over a 12-week period from February to May 2024. Research Matters, an independent team of researchers, were commissioned to analyse the findings of the consultation on the draft regulations. Their analysis is presented in the consultation report available here. In addition, further consultation with childminders and Childminding Ireland took place through to July 2024.
There were over 1,000 inputs into the consultation process. The online survey had 664 responses, including 243 childminders and 327 parents. In addition, 52 focus groups were held to allow more in-depth discussion, with at least one in every county, and 216 childminders took part in the focus groups. There were 90 written submissions, with 79 from childminders. And there were 35 participants from 28 organisations in a national stakeholder organisation event.
While the consultation showed continuing support for the principle of regulation of childminding, and support for many specific aspects of the proposed regulations, a range of suggestions were made for amendments to the draft regulations.
In response to the consultation findings, a number of significant changes have been made to the draft regulations. The revisions focus strongly on reflecting the home and family setting in which childminding takes place, while ensuring the appropriate safeguards for children and offering assurance to parents of the safety and quality of the childminding setting.
Changes made to the regulations in response to the public consultation are set out in the Department’s response document here , along with explanations of proposals made in the consultation process that did not result in changes or that are being addressed in ways other than through Regulations.
https://carlowccc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ccc4.jpg00Carlow Childcare Committeehttps://carlowccc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ccc4.jpgCarlow Childcare Committee2024-09-19 10:16:032024-09-19 10:16:03New Regulations for Childminding
