Provider Resources
Childcare Funding Programmes
National Childcare Scheme NCS
Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE)
Access & Inclusion Model (AIM)
Child Protection & Welfare
The National Child Safeguarding team launched a new website in October 2020 with the most up to date information and resources for Early and Care and School Aged Childcare Providers with respect to safeguarding Children. This website has plentiful information for Parents, Early Years Practitioners, training information, quality assurance in terms of practice and so forth. The website can be accessed here.
Useful Links for Child Protection & Welfare
- Irish Government
- Tusla, Child & Family Agency
- Tusla, Child & Family Agency Child Protection Publications
- Recognising Abuse and Neglect
- Dealing with a Child Protection Disclosure
- Information on developing a Child-Safeguarding Statement and your Child Protection policies can be found here
- If you want to discuss any Child Protection Concerns informally or you want to make a formal report, contact the Social Work Department, Blackpool (North Lee) OR Social Work Department, St. Finbarrs (South Lee)
- Mandated Persons Out of Hours Helpline: If you are a mandated reporter and wish to report a case of child harm to Tusla, you can contact their out-of-hours social work service on 0818 776 315 between 6pm and 6am every night and between 9am-5pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Are you a childminder or thinking of becoming a childminder in your own home?
Recruitment
If you would like to advertise a position for your ELC/SAC we can upload it to our dedicated Facebook Childcare Jobs Page here.
Please send us an email: info@corkcitychildcare.ie along with full details of your service, contact numbers and the position that you are advertising for (i.e. qualifications, skills, experience etc.), if you have a poster for the advertisement that would be preferrable.
Other useful websites and platforms for advertising Childcare Jobs or for sourcing employment in the sector are:
- Activelink: www.activelink.ie
- Childcare Jobs: www.childcare.ie/montessori-childcare-jobs
- Early Childhood Ireland: www.earlychildhoodireland.ie/jobs
- ie: www.jobs.ie
- Indeed: indeed.com
- Irish jobs: irishjobs.ie
- Linked In: ie.linkedin.com
- Your own services Social Media Accounts
- Local Newspapers
*This is not an exhaustive list*
Recruitment and Selection Process:
Please contact Cork City Childcare and we can discuss and support your recruitment process from beginning to end to suit your service’s individual needs.
Pobal have an excellent best practice Recruitment Guide that can be accessed here:
www.pobal.ie/app/uploads/2018/06/Managing-Better-volume-3-Human-Resources.pdf
Below, are some further links and publications that will support the recruitment and selection process for the ELC/SAC Service Provider.
Website links
AIM
This is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Its goal is to empower service providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme and reap the benefits of quality early years care and education. It also provides continuous professional development opportunities such as Hanen and Lámh.
AistearSíolta
The purpose of the Practice Guide is designed to support practitioners in using Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (2009a) and Síolta, The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education (2006) together to develop the quality of their curriculum and in doing so, to better support children’s learning and development. The Practice Guide can also be used for on-going review, development and improvement by individual practitioners.
Association Montessori Internationale
AMI’s global network empowers teachers and communities through the holistic approach of Maria Montessori, helping all children become truly capable and productive individuals by focusing on their moral, behavioral, emotional, and intellectual development.
Allied Childhood Professionals (ACP)
The professional body representing practitioners in early years & school age care and education.
Barnardos
Barnardos mission is to deliver services and work with families, communities, and their partners to transform the lives of vulnerable children who are affected by adverse childhood experiences.
Blathú Steiner Early Childhood Association
Blathú are informed by the methods of Rudolf Steiner, deep insight into child development, and observing and working with nature. They support those who create an environment that nurtures this vision, and we ensure these practitioners have access to ongoing development, training and advocacy.
Childminding Ireland
At Childminding Ireland, we offer support to childminders so that they can provide best quality childcare in a home-from-home setting for the benefit of children, their families and their communities.
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is the professional body for HR and people development – responsible for championing better work and working lives. We set the gold standard for people management and development and influence policy and practice in the world of work.
Charities Regulator
Their key functions are to establish and maintain a public register of charitable organisations operating in Ireland and ensure their compliance with the Charities Acts.
Citizens Information
The Citizens Information Board is the statutory body which supports the provision of information, advice and advocacy on a broad range of public and social services.
Comhar Naíoraí na Gaeltachta
Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta is the nationally recognised Early Years Service Provider throughout the Gaeltacht. Over 100 services are provided by CNNG with offices located in all Gaeltacht areas. CNNG provide administration, support and training services for early childhood education and care services which includes Naíonraí, crèches, breakfast clubs, afterschool services and parent and toddler groups in the Gaeltacht areas.
City and County Childcare Committees
City/County Childcare Committees are a Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth-funded support, established in 2001, to support and assist families and childcare providers with childcare matters at local county level.
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY)
Here you will find information about services for children, young people and families.
Department of Education and Skills
The Department of Education and Skills is a department of the Irish state with responsibility for education and training. The mission of the Department is to facilitate individuals through learning, to achieve their full potential and contribute to Ireland’s social, cultural and economic development.
Early Childhood Ireland
Early Childhood Ireland website includes quality enhancement, publications, advocacy, training, business support & information for a sector that employs 25,000 people today.
Food Safety Authority
The principal function of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland is to protect consumers and raise compliance through partnership, science and food law enforcement.
Froebel College, Ireland
Froebel College, Ireland has innovative initiatives and research programmes. Dedicated Froebel educators on a small island have a vision of child centered education which includes families and the creative arts.
First 5 Irish Government Website
The First 5 Website provides guidance for parents and service providers on the reopening, operating and use of early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services. It provides resources on continued professional development for practitioners. It also gives up to date information as per the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
Gaeloideachas
Gaeloideachas provides advice and support to those who wish to set up a new Naíonra, including both private and community Naíonraí outside of designated Gaeltacht areas.
Gaelscoileanna
Gaeloideachas was founded as Gaelscoileanna Teo. in 1973; a national, voluntary organisation supporting the development of Irish-medium schools at primary and at post-primary level. Gaeloideachas provides advice, assistance and support to people who wish to have their children educated through the medium of Irish, as well as support services and advocacy for those working in the sector.
Health and Safety Authority
The national statutory body with responsibility for ensuring that over 2 million workers (employed and self-employed) and those affected by work activity are protected from work related injury and ill-health.
HighScope
They believe that every child deserves a high-quality, equitable early childhood education. This conviction for equity is the center of their early childhood research and what they practice in the classroom. They care deeply about the people they serve. That’s why they are dedicated to providing an early childhood education that supports every child and every community.
Healthy Ireland
The website shows the Government Framework to improve the health and wellbeing of our population.
HSE
Learn about the type of skills developed in the first 5 years and what to do if you are worried about your child’s development.
IBEC For Irish Business
IBEC help build a better, sustainable future by influencing, supporting and delivering for business success. IBEC provide a wide range of professional services and management training to members on all aspects of human resource management, occupational health and safety, employee relations and employment law.
ISPCC
The ISPCC provides a range of services directly to children and families and advocates for change to enhance the lives of children in Ireland.
Healthy Ireland
The Leadership for INClusion in the Early Years programme, LINC, is a Level 6 Special Purpose Award (Higher Education), that is designed to support the inclusion of children with additional needs in the early years.
Local Public Health Offices
Your Local Health Office is your entry point to community health and personal social services. The wide range of services that are provided through Local Health Offices and from Health Centres include general practitioner services, public health nursing, child health services, community welfare, chiropody, ophthalmic, speech therapy, social work, addiction counselling and treatment, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychiatric services and home help.
Let’s Grow Together! Infant & Childhood Partnerships CLG
From January 2021, Young Knocknaheeny Area Based Childhood Programme (YK) has been incorporated within a new organisation called Let’s Grow Together! Infant & Childhood Partnerships CLG.
The existing team from YK and new members soon to join, continue to work across the community, delivering programmes and supports in the same way as before: area-based prevention and early intervention to support children’s earliest development, their relationships, and environments.
View Website
National Parents Council
National Parents Council Primary (NPC) is the only representative organisation for parents of children in primary or early education. NPC supports parents to support their children throughout their early and primary school years. NPC strongly believes that children should also have their say in issues that affect their educational lives.
National Employment Rights Authority
NERA (National Employment Rights Authority) is the statutory body appointed to ensure employers compliance with employment legislation in Ireland. It carries out regular inspections to fulfil its obligations and ensure compliance by employers.
National Síolta and Aistear Initiative
The National Síolta Aistear Initiative (NSAI) was established in 2016 to support the coordinated rollout of Síolta, The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework.
National Childhood Network
NCN exists to support the achievement of national quality standards in all areas of service delivery, including areas covering governance, management and holistic play based learning that enhances children’s health, well-being, learning, and development.
NCCA
Aistear is the early childhood curriculum framework for all children from birth to 6 years in Ireland. The framework uses four interconnected themes to describe children’s learning and development: Wellbeing, Identity and Belonging, Communicating, and Exploring and Thinking.
Nicolas Montessori
Their vision is to bring excellence in Montessori education to the broader education landscape so that all young people are placed at the heart of their own educational experience and empowered to be independent, confident and creative lifelong learners.
Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE)
The Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) is to improve the compliance environment for corporate activity in the Irish economy by encouraging adherence to the requirements of the Companies Acts, and bringing to account those who disregard the law.
Public Health Department
There are eight Departments of Public Health covering the Republic of Ireland, each providing Public Health expertise and services locally and nationally.
Social Work Department, Blackpool (North Lee)
Social Work Department, St. Finbarr’s (South Lee)
The Social Work Team in the Local Health Office is responsible for providing support to children and families in the community. This involves Family Support Services. In cases where children are at risk of harm through abuse, Child Protection Social Workers have an important role in providing care, assessment and follow up to those children and their families, through the Fostering and Child Protection Teams.
Tusla
The Child and Family Agency is now the dedicated State agency responsible for improving wellbeing and outcomes for children. It represents the most comprehensive reform of child protection, early intervention and family support services ever undertaken in Ireland.
The Wheel
They are Ireland’s national association of community and voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises. We are a registered charity in Ireland and are unique in our role as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for anything related to the charity and nonprofit sector.
Workplace Relations Commission
The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) provides information on industrial relations & rights and obligations under Irish employment and equality legislation. The Commission’s also conducts inspections to determine the level of compliance with relevant employment law.
Better Start
This is a national initiative established by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) to bring an integrated national approach to developing quality in Early Learning and Care (ELC) for children aged from birth to six years in Ireland. It also provides continuous professional development opportunities such as Aistear and Play.
National Childcare Scheme
The National Childcare Scheme is the first ever statutory entitlement to financial support for childcare. It establishes an equitable and progressive system of universal and income-related subsidies for children up to the age of 15. It also provides an innovative and user-friendly online application process to access those subsidies.
