Featured News

There are two helplines available to services who have a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19 in your service. 

The HSE have a helpline to advise service providers if they have been informed of a Covid-19 case in a child or a staff member. The number is 01 511 9777 It is open Monday – Friday 8.30 – 4.30 and 10 – 4.30 Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.

For those services who need support on engaging with the relevant authorities due to a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19, there is an out of hours helpline. The number is 1800 940 341. The service will be available Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays from 10.00 – 13.00 and 13.30 – 16.00.

​Dear Service Provider, 

We are aware that due to a system issue, an automated notification was issued to service providers today in error informing them that their Tax Clearance Certificate/ Tax Clearance Access Number (TCAN) had expired.

If you received this notification, please disregard it.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Early Years Team

Webinars on Programme Readiness will be held next week, on Thursday 5 August 2021.

These will cover NCS, ECCE, CCSP Savers Registrations and payments.

Please click on the relevant link and time to register your attendance.

**Note: Please only register for one webinar as there is maximum capacity of 500 per session.

A recording will be made available on the Early Years Hive once the live sessions have been completed.

The Playing Outside Grant 2021, which is open for online applications until 5pm Tuesday 31 August 2021,

can now be used to fund a CO2 monitor for your service.  

CO2 monitors can provide a useful indicator that areas or rooms may not be adequately ventilated.

They can be used to judge ventilation in a room, taking into account the impact of activities, outdoor weather and window openings.

If you have already applied for this grant, you can use the funding to purchase a CO2 monitor, or, if you have purchased a CO2 monitor in the eligible expenditure window (1 June- 30 November) this will now be counted as eligible expenditure under this grant.

You do not need to contact Pobal to communicate this change.

If you have not made an application under the Playing Outside Grant 2021 and intend to purchase a CO2 monitor with grant monies, please select VENTILATION from the list of eligible expenditure on the grant application.

Further information

For further information on the programme rules and how to apply for this grant please read the Applicant Guidelines.

For a step-by-step guide on how to complete the application on HIVE please read the Technical Guidelines.

Dear Service Provider, 

Under the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) Programme Rules, the wages of an employee may be supported through either the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) or AIM Level 7 capitation, but not both. It is open to a service provider to decide whether EWSS or AIM Level 7 funding is most advantageous to them.

While EWSS has been extended until 31 December 2021 and current arrangements apply unchanged until the end of Quarter 3, the arrangements for Quarter 4 will not be announced until September.

Service providers that have a child with a disability attending the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme during the year 2021/22 and choose to opt for EWSS funding (instead of AIM Level 7 funding) are encouraged to complete an application for AIM Level 7 also, so that their application can be assessed well in advance. Completing the application for AIM Level 7 funding mitigates the risk of a gap in funding for providers who opt for EWSS, but who are likely to lose EWSS at some point during the programme year 2021/22.

Applying for AIM support now will also allow such services to benefit from educational advice and support under AIM Level 4 while in receipt of EWSS. Once approved for AIM Level 7 funding for 2021/22 programme, the provider must advise Pobal they are opting for EWSS instead and the AIM Level 7 will be withdrawn until such time as EWSS support ends.

Service providers who have a child that is eligible for a second-year extension for 2021/22 and withdrew last year due to EWSS, can apply for their second-year extension support now. However, where a service opts to continue with EWSS funding, AIM Level 7 funding will be allocated from 1 January 2022 (or on the date EWSS ceases for that service.)

Help and support

Should you have any queries in relation to the AIM, please contact the Early Years Provider Centre by raising a Request on Hive.