STATUTORY REGULATIONS
On 19 September 2024, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth published the new regulations for childminders, which will come into effect on 30 September. Significant changes have been made to the regulations as a result of the public consultation that took place earlier in 2024. The regulations have been written to reflect the home and family setting in which childminders work and the unique features of childminding, while providing important safeguards for children and offering safety and quality assurance for parents.
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.
Below are links to the Regulations themselves, to Guidance on the Regulations, and to the Regulatory Impact Analysis. There are also links below to the independent report on the consultation on the draft regulations and to the Department’s response document, which sets out changes made to the regulations in response to the consultation 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.
Part of this registration process requires a Childminder to complete Pre-Registration Training. This training will be delivered by Carlow County Childcare Committee and is the first step in registering with Tusla. The training will take approximately 7 hours and initially will be delivered over three evenings. This training is free of charge. On completion of training, you may decide to proceed with the next step in becoming a registered Childminder or you may prefer more time to prepare for registration during the 3 year transitional period and this is completely up to you. Completing Pre-Registration Training does not mean you must proceed with registration but will cover what is required for registration and help you in making that decision. It will also help prepare you for registration. Registered Childminders will be able to offer NCS to the parents of the children they mind. Here is a link to the Childminding Section of the Tusla website which may answer any questions you may have in its Frequently Asked Questions section
https://www.tusla.ie/early-years-inspectorate/childminding-services/.
Carlow County Childcare Committee are available to support Childminding services in relation to statutory regulations, Contact eilish@carlowccc.ie or phone 059 9140244.