Covid-19 Support Helpline for ELC and SAC – 1800 940341 available at the weekend.
Covid-19 Support Helpline for ELC and SAC – 1800 940341 available from 10am – 1pm & 1.30pm – 4pm at the weekend.
First5 Guidance – Updated Information for Parents
Children have rarely been the person who brought COVID-19 into a household when household spread has happened. Children seem more likely than adults to have no symptoms or to have mild disease. Symptoms in children include cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat, diarrhoea and vomiting. It is important for parents and for those who deliver early learning and care and school-age childcare to accept that no interpersonal activity is without risk of transmission of the virus. However public health advice is that reopening is appropriate.
- FAQs for Parents- 2nd Feb 2021 [Download Here]
- ELC and SAC setting advice for Parents, [Download here].
- If your child does not feel well.If your child has symptoms of viral respiratory disease, even if they are mild, they must not attend a childcare setting. Likewise parents who have respiratory symptoms must not take their child to a setting or pick them up. Parents must not take their child to a childcare setting if a parent or anyone else in your home is suspected of having or known to have Covid-19. If your child becomes ill while attending a childcare setting, you must collect them as quickly as possible, contact your GP straight away and follow HSE advice
- Parents may be asked to complete a declaration.Parents may be asked to make a verbal or written declaration on returning their child to a setting after an absence to confirm that they have no reason to believe the child has infectious disease and have followed all medical and public health advice they have received with respect to exclusion of the child from childcare services.Requiring assurances/certification from medical practitioners prior to attendance at childcare or prior to return to childcare after an absence is not appropriate as it places an unnecessary demand on the healthcare system and there is no reason to expect it to increase the safety of childcare services.
- Is it safe for children to return to childcare?
- hand-washing and ensuring that children learn good hand-washing techniques
- respiratory hygiene and ensuring that children learn good techniques
- ensuring good cleaning procedures in settings
- washing toys regularly
- spending more time outside with the children
- grouping children together in smaller groups with the same staff members (‘play-pods’)
- Parents should follow the drop off policy.
- What should I do to prepare my child in returning to crèche/preschool/childminder or starting for the first time?
- What is a Play Pod?
- Do not bring any toys from home.
- Masks/Social Distancing.
- Supporting your child’s transition to primary school
- Teaching new skills to children
- Guidance on supporting your child for their return to early learning and care (Barnardos).
- Working together with your child’s setting (DCEDIY).
- FAQs for Parents, (DCEDIY)
- City/County Childcare Committee (CCC)
- Short animated video on returning to childcare for children, (DCEDIY) [Watch here].
Click here to follow the link to the website : https://first5.gov.ie/guidance
First5 Pre school play at Home ideas over the Easter Holidays
This Pre-school at Home Hub provides a range of activities to support and encourage children’s interests and aims to keep them playing and learning at home.
Included here are a range of typical activities that happen at pre-school which have been adapted for children to do at home, at a time that suits them and their family.
Remember, when children are playing they are learning. When children are included in everyday household activities they are learning.
Early Learning and Care settings have been asked to connect with families to support the children in their setting during current restrictions. They may expand on the activities linked here based on the interests of their child, if families wish to engage.
Click the link below for more information
First5 Pre school play at Home ideas
DECDIY-Short video on Dealing with symptoms of Covid-19.
The DCEDIY launched a series of very short videos (the longest is 31 seconds) to help remind us all of the key messages around Covid-19.
Click in below for Dealing with Covid-19 symptoms short video
Dealing with Covid-19 symptoms
PIP announcement 1st April 2021: Important information on NCS, ECCE, CCSP Saver attendance rules
Important information on NCS, ECCE, CCSP Saver attendance rules
Attendance variation rule extension
In July 2020, the Department introduced added flexibility on attendance rules under NCS. This change allows for 2 hours variation in attendance against registration per week without triggering a report, for non-NCS a 30 minute variance tolerance per day per child is allowed, these temporary measures were introduced in response to the exceptional environment caused by COVID-19.
This measure has been further extended and will now last until 30 April 2021.
You can find links to Attendance Trackers to support your attendance keeping for NCS on the Attendance Rules page of the Early Years Hive. This page also contains the rules around child absence and under attendance under the scheme for your benefit.
NCS, ECCE, CCSP attendance rules
Following the full resumption, without restriction, of all Early Learning and Care (ELC), School-Age Childcare (SAC) services from 29 March, attendance rules will revert as per the NCS policy guidelines and the ECCE and CCSP Saver programme rules.
If you are required to close a play-pod on foot of public health advice, the attendance rules will be suspended for the children affected for the duration of the closure, it should be noted on the on-site attendance record that the play-pod is closed for the reason outlined.
Entire service closures will continue to be covered by Force Majeure rules.
Support Helpline Out of Hours
Please note: the Out of Hours Helpline will not be open on Good Friday however it will be open this Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday
Safe and Happy Easter wishes & CCCC Hours
Have a safe and happy Easter from all at Carlow County Childcare Committee .
Please note our office will be closed Friday 2nd April and will re-open Tuesday 6th April at 9am.
Early Years Hive Scheduled Maintenance tomorrow 5pm
The Early Years Hive and the National Childcare Scheme website will be unavailable tomorrow, 1 April at 5pm for a maximum of 2 hours due to scheduled maintenance.
After this time, you will need to refresh your web browser to access the portal again.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your cooperation.
Hive
The HSE has issued a revised version of the public health guidance for childcare services.
The HSE has issued a revised version of the public health guidance for childcare services.
The changes relate to:
Face coverings: A reminder that staff in ELC and SAC services must wear face coverings when it is not possible to keep a 2m distance from other adults. Staff are also advised to wear a face covering when in close proximity to children if doing so does not pose a barrier to early learning and care. The guidance specifically notes that it is expected that use of face coverings will generally be practical when attending to school-age children. This aligns with the approach in schools. (page 11)
Ventilation: The Guidance emphasises the importance of ventilation (see pages 10, 11, 14 and 16).
Other: The Guidance also includes the most up to date information on spread of the virus (p.4), sampling and testing (p.5), vaccine roll out (p.6), periods of self-isolation and restricted movements (p.18) and a reminder to staff to minimise contacts inside and outside of work (p.21).
The revised guidance can be found here: Link to Hpsc guidance
Covid-19 Support Helpline for ELC and SAC – 1800 940341 available from 10am – 1pm & 1.30pm – 4pm at the weekend.
Covid-19 Support Helpline for ELC and SAC – 1800 940341 available from 10am – 1pm & 1.30pm – 4pm at the weekend.