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Minister O’Gorman announces gradual lifting of restrictions on delivery of early learning and childcare services from 08 March
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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Since January, early learning and childcare services have been restricted to children of essential workers and vulnerable children only and the ECCE pre-school programme has been suspended.
As part of a careful and cautious reopening of priority sectors of society and the economy, early learning and childcare services will open for other groups of children throughout March on a phased basis.
From 08 March, there will be a return to normal funding arrangements under Department funding schemes. A Covid-19 Operating Support Payment (COSP) introduced in February will be extended until 26 March for eligible services. This will help to offset loss of parental fees for services which are highly reliant on private income.
Services continue to be eligible for the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) and are exempt from the turnover rule. The EWSS has been extended until end June.
Outlining the arrangements, Minister O’Gorman said:
“Since January, the early learning and childcare sector has continued to operate for priority groups. This has been a difficult period for everyone across the country, and I would like to pay tribute to staff, service providers, and parents for their efforts during this time.
“It is our intention that the ECCE pre-school programme will resume from 08 March. This Programme significantly contributes to children’s early learning and development experiences and is particularly beneficial to children who have additional needs or experience disadvantage. It is also an important foundational stage that will prepare children transitioning to primary education this September.
“Subject to public health advice, other restrictions on access to early learning and childcare will be lifted on 29 March so that all other children can return to services. This cautious and phased reopening schedule is essential as we work towards a safe resumption of all early learning and childcare services.
“Additional funding, based on the funding arrangements which were introduced from 01 February to 05 March, will continue until 26 March so that services can remain open, even at very low levels of occupancy. This will ensure services can continue to waive fees for parents not using a service at this time.”
We encourage any service that wishes to apply or who has an application in draft to complete and submit their application as soon as possible.
Application guidelines can be found below and are also under ‘ELC and SAC Capital Programme 2021’ on the Useful Links page of the Early Years Hive:
Should you have any queries in relation to the information outlined above please contact the Early Years Provider Centre by raising a Request on Hive and selecting the following category:
PLEASE NOTE: If you contact Pobal with an ICT issue within 48 hours of the closing date and time Pobal cannot guarantee that your ICT issue will be resolved in time for you to submit your application.
Exploring & Thinking is about children making sense of the things, places and people in their world. They do this by interacting with others, playing, investigating, questioning and forming, testing and refining ideas.
Playing at home – Baking & cooking together
Click on the link First5 Baking & Cooking together
ELC/Sac Providers please note there is a support helpline for Covid related queries for suspected and confirmed cases.
We would like to remind all services that the funding agreement for ELC/SAC funding measures covering the period 1 February – 5 March is currently available on the Early Years Hive until close of business on Friday, 26 February.
Please review the below important information in relation to the Covid-19 Operating Supports.
Application and funding agreement process
There are two steps services must successfully complete in this process. If your service has completed only one of the below steps, the process is incomplete and requires action.
See the Technical Guidelines for further assistance with completing the application process. This document is available under the Funding Measures heading on Useful Links.
Important: An application cannot be amended once it has been submitted. Please ensure that all information is correct before submitting.
Service Types
Service providers must ensure that they identify themselves under the correct service type on the application.
| EECE only | ECCE only services include services that provide ECCE only with no more 30 minutes of additional of childcare paid for by parents. |
| ECCE and other programmes | A childcare service that provides ECCE and one or more additional childcare programmes i.e. NCS, CCSP or children attending in a private capacity etc. |
| Other Programmes but no ECCE | A childcare service that provides other childcare programmes i.e. NCS, SAC or children attending in a private capacity but does not provide ECCE. |
For example, a full time service that is contracted under ECCE but also has fee-paying children would be service type: ECCE and other programmes.
Closures
Mid-term closures
Service providers should ensure that the mid-term closures correlate to the scheduled midterm week on their ECCE calendars. Pobal check these before approval. If a service indicates they are closed for mid-term but have indicated they will be open on the ECCE calendar, we will decline the week and payment will not issue for that week.
Force Majeure closures
If services have previously submitted a force majeure for one of the first weeks in February, and have now indicated that they are open on the COSP Emergency Measures application, the week will be declined and payment will not issue for that week. Pobal will check against previous submissions.
Force majeure closures due to no demand will only be approved up to this week, and then on a weekly basis thereafter. Services are still required to submit weekly applications through Hive for the weeks after they submit the form.
Voluntary closures
All closures with a reason ‘Closed voluntarily’ will appear as declined on the Hive.
COSP Reviews
The window to submit COSP review requests closed on Monday 15th February. Review requests submitted after this date will not be considered.
Service providers with an outstanding COSP review should not submit the application form until the query has been resolved.
Payment schedule
Services that contracted by Monday, 15 February, and who have confirmed that they will be open for all weeks in the period, will be paid on Friday, 19 February. Service Providers who have indicated closed weeks in the period, will require review and on approval will be paid in the subsequent weekly payment runs.
Payments will be issued on a weekly basis from 19 February onwards.
Help and support
Please see the Funding Measures heading on the Useful Links page on the early Years Hive for guidance.
Should you have any queries in relation to the Covid-19 Operating Supports outlined above please contact the Early Years Provider Centre by raising a Request on Hive and selecting the following categories:
Carlow CCC are happy to announce that the one year Level 7 Bachelor of Arts in Applied Early Childhood Education & Care will commence in IT Carlow in September 2021.
This programme will be part funded again in 2021/22 by Carlow Kilkenny Skillnet.
This is an excellent opportunity for those working in the Early Years sector in Co. Carlow to upskill to degree level.
Contact Carlow Kilkenny Skillnet via email admin@carlowkilkennyskillnet.ie
Closing date Friday 5th March 2021 **
Roderic O’Gorman, T.D., Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, today welcomed the re-appointment by the President of Dr. Niall Muldoon as Ombudsman for Children for a second six year term with effect from 17 February 2021.
The re-appointment follows the recent passing by both Houses of the Oireachtas of a motion, tabled by Minister O’ Gorman proposing that Dr. Muldoon be re-appointed.
In welcoming the re-appointment Minister O’ Gorman said that:
“since taking up the post of Ombudsman for Children six years ago, Dr. Muldoon has led the Office of the ombudsman for Children very effectively and has been a strong and necessary advocate for children.”
“Specifically, he has:
• ensured that children within the Direct Provision system can access the services of his Office after 17 years during which that was not the case.
• played a central role in developing and setting up the Barnahus One House Pilot in Galway, which offers a one stop shop for children affected by sexual abuse.
• brought the voices of seldom-heard children to the Oireachtas, through reports such as ‘No Place Like Home’, involving homeless children living in family hubs, and ‘Take My Hand’, involving in-patient children at adolescent psychiatric units.”
The Minister said that investigations carried out by the Office of the Ombudsman for Children, such as Molly’s case and Jack’s case, placed an important focus on care for disabled children. The Minister also welcomed the important systemic change such cases brought in areas such as Health, Education and Child Welfare.
The Minister concluded by saying that:
“I look forward to the Ombudsman for Children continuing to promote the welfare and rights of all children in Ireland during his second term of office.”
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Published on
Last updated on
Communicating is about all the opportunities in the day where we talk and listen to children. Your aim is always to give them opportunities to talk and expand their vocabulary.
A series of tipsheets under the banner Playing at Home have been designed to engage, inspire and support children and their families play and learn together.
Click on the below Link for more information
http://first5/pre-school-at-home/communicating
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth have extended the closing date for the Capital 2021 Fire Safety Grant.
The new Closing Date is Friday February the 26th at 6pm.
Pobal have been asked to highlight the following information for applicants:
Help and support
Should you have any queries in relation to the information outlined above please contact the Early Years Provider Centre by raising a Request on Hive and selecting the following category:
– ELC Capital Grant query
