Childminding

View our Childminding Newsletter

Childminders Network Meeting

A Childminder is a person who provides a childminding service as defined in the Regulations.
This service refers to pre-school children looked after in the childminder's home. This service is offered for the full working day or for different periods during the day.

Childminders
Childminders offer family-based childcare, which is personal, unique, adaptable, and family friendly. The important role Childminders play is obvious: between 70%-80% of all childcare in Ireland is carried out by Childminders. They are valued, recognised and respected by parents and childcare organisations alike.


Support for Childminders
SCCC supports Childminders through the work of its Childminding Advisory Officer, whose role is to support and advise Childminders minding children in their own homes.
Noreen McNamara is Childminding Advisory Officer with SCCC and Noreen can be contacted by phone 071 9148860 email: noreen@sligochildcare.ie

Childminding Awareness Programme

The Childminding Advisory Officer supports Childminders through

• Information
• Training
• Networking
• Home Visits
• Voluntary Notification
• NCIP Childminding Development Grant

Information: The Starter Pack for childminders and potential childminders includes information on the National Guidelines for Childminders, the National Childcare Strategy, Best practice guidelines for childminders, the Childminding Development Grant 2008 – 2010, and Voluntary Notification. This pack is available on request.

Training: SCCC provides a variety of training courses for Childminders and those thinking of Childminding. These include the Quality Awareness Programme, Paediatric First Aid and Children First training in Child Protection. FETAC level 5 childminding practice module. (This to be put together on one line) Manual Handling and Business Training

Networking: Network meetings provide a great opportunity for Childminders to meet with other Childminders and exchange ideas and relate experiences. Network meetings are structured to suit the needs of the Childminders, and their participation and engagement will help shape the development of future programs and supports.

Home Visits: The Childminding Advisory Officer is available on request to visit the Childminder in their own home. The role of the childminding advisory officer is to support the childminder with issues and concerns they may have, relating to the delivery of their service and best practice.

Voluntary Notification: Voluntary Notification allows childminders to voluntary notify their services with the CCC. In addition to support from Childminding Advisors, Voluntary Notification qualifies the Childminder to claim the Childminders' Tax Relief (€15,000 tax-free in 2007), and to apply for the Childminders' Development Grant.

Childminders Development Grant

THE O.M.C.Y.A. ANNOUNCES €1,000 CHILDMINDERS DEVELOPMENT GRANT

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Barry Andrews TD, announced the official launch of the new Childminders Development Grant on the 5th June 2008 under the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010. 

The new grant scheme contains a number of significant improvements, including a major increase in the maximum grant from €630 to €1,000 for Childminders These improvements follow a review of the previous grant scheme under the EU co-funded Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP), which ran from 2004 until the end of December 2007.

The Childminders Development Grant is designed to assist Childminders, already providing a Childminding Service in their own homes to enhance safety/quality in the service through the purchase of small capital items, equipment, toys and minor adaptation costs. It may also give financial assistance to new or prospective Childminders with their initial set up costs.

The maximum grant available to a Childminder, who fully meets the criteria of the scheme, is 90% of total receipted eligible childcare expenditure, subject to a maximum grant of €1,000 The City and County Childcare Committees have been allocated €1.41 million for the Scheme.

The Minister urges Childminders to contact their local Childminding Advisory Officer in their local Childcare Committee and avail of the new grant.

For further information please contact Noreen McNamara Childminding Advisory Officer with Sligo County Childcare Committee on 071 9148860 or email noreen@sligochildcare.ie

Men in Childcare (MIC)

Why have Men in Childcare?
The benefits of having men participating in childcare have been well explored over the last number of years however, the Childcare sector in Ireland has the lowest representation of male workers in Europe, less than 1%.

Children benefit because men bring new ideas and ways of working into childcare

Fathers benefit because they have someone to relate to and may feel more at home

Staff benefit because a more gender balanced staff team gives different ways of looking at issues while facilitating different approaches

Having men working in childcare shows children that manliness can include caring.
Parents Info (PDF)

More information (PDF)

Email: meninchildcare@vodafone.ie

Childminding Ireland: This is the National Association of Childminders in Ireland and is a valuable source of information and support for Childminders.

Email: info@childminding.ie
Website: www.childminding.ie

Postal Address:
Childminding Ireland
9 Bulford Business Campus,
Kilcoole,
Tel: 01 2878466
Fax: 01 2878465