Final Reminder Learner Fund Ends Tomorrow 01/10/2021

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The Learner Fund had two primary aims:

  1. To provide subsidy funding to support existing staff working directly with children in registered Early Years Services and registered childminders to meet the mandatory minimum qualification requirements which came into effect on December 31st 2016 i.e. Level 5 in Early Childhood Care and Education on the National Qualifications Framework (NFQ) (or equivalent)2.
  2. To provide subsidy funding to support existing Early Years practitioners who have an ECCE Major Award qualification at Level 5 on the NFQ (or equivalent), to attain a Level 6 qualification, in order to meet ECCE contractual requirements which also came into effect on 31st December 2016.

Since the Learner Fund was established over 5,000 early years practitioners have been supported through the Learner Fund to raise their qualification levels in Early Childhood Care and Education in line with the National Qualifications Framework.

As well as providing subsidies for Levels 5 and 6, as above, Learner Fund has also provided bursaries to Early Years Graduates who have completed qualifications Level 7, 8, 9 on the National Framework.

The 2021 Learner Fund Graduate and Childminder bursary is open to applications from August 16 to October 1, 2021.

Contact your local City/County Childcare Committee (CCCs) for further details. Their contact details are available at https://myccc.ie/

First 5

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First 5 is a whole-of-Government strategy to improve the lives of babies, young children and their families. It is a ten-year plan to help make sure all children have positive early experiences and get a great start in life.

https://first5.gov.ie/

 

Water Play ~~~ Activities to do with kids

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Water Play

Similar to sand play, water play enables children to experiment in a safe environment with basic concepts such as volume. Additionally, water play is great for learning consequences of actions. Add in some hand-eye coordination and physical strength, and water play is a firm favourite.

Learner Fund Closing Date Approaching Fast

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Learner Fund Busary – Reminder closing date 1st October
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth have re-opened the Learner Fund Bursary to Early Learning and Care practitioners who are new graduates of a recognised Early Childhood Education and Care degree programme and for Childminders who are registered with Tusla and hold a Level 5 or Level 6 award on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).
For more info and application form see:https://carlowccc.ie/
May be an image of text that says "Don't Miss the DEADLINE!"

Changes to Covid-19 testing and contact tracing for children under 13 years come into effect from today

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HSE Public Health Update: Changes to the Management of
Covid-19 Cases & Contacts in Children
DCEDIY has written to providers about the changes to Covid-19 testing and contact tracing for children.
Dear Provider,
We are writing to you today regarding the attached update and FAQ documents from the HSE for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) managers and school principals on the changes to Covid-19 testing and contact tracing for children, 3 months to under 13 years (and inclusive of all children attending primary school).
Over a short transition period the HSE public health dedicated helpline for ELC/SAC services – 01-5119777 will remain open if you have a confirmed case of Covid-19.
The National Covid-19 out of hours helpline 1800 940341 will also remain available from 10am-4pm on Saturday and Sunday.
If you have any general queries please contact your local City and County Childcare Committee (www.myccc.ie) for support.
Kind regards,
Early Years Communications Team
Early Years Division
Both the update and FAQ documents are on our website: http://childcareonline.ie/hse-public-health-update…/

Edible slime ideas for your little ones

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https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/

Edible slime can be made of…

Candy

Condensed milk

Chocolate

Cornstarch

Corn syrup

Powdered sugar

Marshmallows

Oil

Read on to find out how to make edible slime your kids will love!

 

WHY MAKE AN EDIBLE SLIME?

Some kids are still in the tasting everything phase of life and our traditional slimes are NOT taste-safe, even just a bite. Therefore, you need an edible slime recipe instead.

Or maybe you need to accommodate kids of multiple ages and need to make sure everyone has a safe experience (just in case there is a nibbler in the group).

Some kids might also have sensitive skin to the common ingredients in slime activators, especially if they are already sensitive to laundry detergents, soaps, and cleaning products.

Lastly, you may just not have access to some of the different supplies needed to make our basic slime recipes.  But you do have the edible slime ingredients mentioned above in your pantry!

CAN YOU EAT EDIBLE SLIME?

Yes and no! Edible slime is non-toxic and made without borax. However, is it a slimy snack for your kids to chow down on? NO! Although everything is labeled edible, I like to think of these slime recipes as TASTE-SAFE.

If your kids taste it, they will be safe. With that said, some of these recipes will be tastier than others anyway. Some kiddos will naturally want to taste slime and some won’t. Always keep the needs of your kids in mind when making slime!

DISCLAIMER: Please double check all food allergies among kids making these slime.  We never recommend that edible slime be eaten as a snack.

No more having to print out a WHOLE blog post for just one recipe!

Get our borax-free slime recipes in an easy to print format so you can knock out the activities!

—>>>  FREE SLIME RECIPES

 

 

 

 

 

Activities for Children to Help Them Learn Through Play

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Play is one of the most important ways in which children learn. It underpins formal learning later in childhood, but also enables the individual child to develop their self-worth.

In fact, the right to play is deemed so fundamental to children’s wellbeing, that it is enshrined by the UN as a universal children’s right.

It strengthens powers of concentration, essential for a successful future in the classroom, and underpins everything from learning social interactions and norms, to the beginnings of scientific thinking.

Play is particularly important for the younger child. Preschool children, and those in Reception, learn through the EYFS National Curriculum, which is inherently play-based. It is the foundation of childhood development in terms of language, emotional intelligence and regulation, creativity, and intellectual reasoning.

According to the book ‘Einstein Never Used Flash Cards’ by Golinkoff, Hirsh-Pasek, and Eyer, play can be broken down in to five core elements:

  • Be fun and enjoyable
    • Have no set goals
    • Be spontaneous and voluntary
    • Involve active engagement
    • Involve an element of make-believe

Here, we explore our top 15 activities for helping children learn through play:

1. Sand

Sand play is a fantastic opportunity for the foundations of scientific learning and developing self-confidence and physical development. Scooping, digging, pouring and sifting teaches children how things work, whilst also building their muscles and coordination. Done alongside a little pal, and it becomes about teamwork, sharing, and social skills.

Keeping Lunch Boxes Safe

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https://www.safefood.net/food-safety/storing-food-safely/keeping-school-lunchboxes-safe

 

Help keep school lunches cool and safe by following these tips

Remember that sandwiches containing meat or other foods that require refrigeration should be kept as cold as possible until lunch.

  • An insulated box or bag can be used to help keep lunches cool.
  • It is important that lunches are not kept in a warm place such as near radiators or in direct sunlight
  • Throw away any perishable food that hasn’t been eaten at the end of the day
  • Wash and dry reusable water bottles, lids and lunchboxes every day in warm soapy water
  • To keep the cool air in, minimize the number of times your child needs to open the lunchbox, by packing other food items that don’t need to be kept cool separately
  • Cut back on single use plastics like cling-film and use reusable containers.
  • And last, always remember to wash your hands before eating lunch.

 

Reminder Learner Fund application is ending 1st of October

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The Learner Fund had two primary aims:

  1. To provide subsidy funding to support existing staff working directly with children in registered Early Years Services and registered childminders to meet the mandatory minimum qualification requirements which came into effect on December 31st 2016 i.e. Level 5 in Early Childhood Care and Education on the National Qualifications Framework (NFQ) (or equivalent)2.
  2. To provide subsidy funding to support existing Early Years practitioners who have an ECCE Major Award qualification at Level 5 on the NFQ (or equivalent), to attain a Level 6 qualification, in order to meet ECCE contractual requirements which also came into effect on 31st December 2016.

Since the Learner Fund was established over 5,000 early years practitioners have been supported through the Learner Fund to raise their qualification levels in Early Childhood Care and Education in line with the National Qualifications Framework.

As well as providing subsidies for Levels 5 and 6, as above, Learner Fund has also provided bursaries to Early Years Graduates who have completed qualifications Level 7, 8, 9 on the National Framework.

The 2021 Learner Fund Graduate and Childminder bursary is open to applications from August 16 to October 1, 2021.

Contact your local City/County Childcare Committee (CCCs) for further details. Their contact details are available at https://myccc.ie/