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AIM Level 1 – Inclusion Co-ordinator (LINC) Application Process Open for 20/21 

The application process for the increased ECCE capitation, funded by DCYA, in recognition of the leadership and mentoring role that will be delivered by the Inclusion Co-ordinator, during the 2020/2021 pre-school year is now open for existing graduates. New graduates i.e. graduating in October 2020 can apply when final exam results have been notified by Mary Immaculate College (expected late Sept).

To apply, a service provider must be or employ a graduate from the Leadership for Inclusion (LINC) in Early Years Programme who has agreed to take on the role and responsibilities of an Inclusion Co-ordinator in their pre-school setting. Applicant guidelines can be found here.

Applications must be submitted electronically via the Early Years Hive system. Prior to applying for AIM Level 1, service providers must ensure that they have completed the ECCE programme readiness process.

Any application received by 31st October 2020 will be provided the additional capitation to the beginning of the programme year. Applicants are encouraged to apply early as any applications received after this date will not be backdated.

If you require any additional information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Dear Providers, 

As you know, the funding agreements (or contracts) and programme rules for the 2020/21 programme year were made available to providers on 27 July 2020. This was later than Pobal and the Department had hoped to issue the funding agreements, but we were waiting for the July stimulus programme to be approved.

Under the terms of the programme rules, providers need to submit their fees lists and calendars to Pobal two weeks before they intend to open so that Pobal can process the funding agreement.

The CCSP savers programme begins on 17 August, which would mean that providers would need to submit their fees lists and calendars by 3 August. The Department accepts that this does not give providers sufficient time to submit their fees and calendars so we have agreed with Pobal to extending the deadline for submission to 7 August.

Services opening on or after 24 August will need to submit fees lists and calendars two weeks in advance of opening.

DCYA

Dear Service Provider,

With effect from 20th July 2020, the parental AIM consent form has been updated. Please remove any previous AIM consent forms you may hold on your desktop. Older consent forms will not be accepted after 1st September.

Link to the new consent form below:

https://pip.pobal.ie/Shared%20Documents/AIM%20Informed%20Consent%202018.pdf

Early Years Team

Minister O’Gorman announces the publication of a ‘Focused Policy Assessment’ of the ECCE Higher Capitation Payment
From Department of Children and Youth Affairs

The Minister for Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, Roderic O’Gorman T.D., today published a ‘Focused Policy Assessment’ of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) ‘Higher Capitation’ payment.

The report shows that the introduction of the Higher Capitation payment, which provides increased funding for services with a graduate workforce, has contributed to a rise in the number of practitioners with a degree level qualification. A quarter of early learning and care practitioners now have a degree in a relevant subject.

The payment, which has been offered to services since 2010, provides an additional €11.25 per child per week to ECCE-registered services who provide graduate-led programme sessions.

The report shows that ‘Higher Capitation’ payments have increased to €23.7 million during the 2018/19 preschool year. Meanwhile, the proportion of ECCE services availing of the ‘Higher Capitation’ payment rose from 20% of services in 2013 to 53% in 2019. The proportion of graduates at NFQ Levels 7 (or above) has risen from 13% at the end of 2013 to almost 25% by May 2019. Announcing the publication of the report, Minister O’Gorman said:

‘Since its introduction in 2010, the higher capitation payment, as part of the ECCE programme, has been an important incentive, leading to a significant increase in the number of early learning and care practitioners holding degree-level qualifications.’

The payment is a key policy lever that encourages services providing the ECCE Programme to hire experienced graduates as Room Leaders, and aims, thereby, to raise the quality of provision in the early learning and childcare sector. The report points to the importance of incentivising more early learning and care graduates to join, and remain in, the sector. This is an important finding as the Government implements the ‘First 5’ Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families (2019-2028) and finalises the ‘Workforce Development Plan for the Early Learning and Care and School-aged childcare sector’.

In terms of wider future policy direction, a key goal of First 5 is to build a graduate-led workforce over the coming decade. As part of this, the DCYA aims for 30% of practitioners to hold a relevant degree by 2021, and 50% by 2028. To achieve this, a Workforce Development Plan was initiated in May 2019, led by a Steering Group and supported by a Stakeholder Group with representatives from across the sector.

The Workforce Development Plan will set out plans to raise the profile of careers in the sector, establish role profiles, career pathways, qualifications requirements, and associated policy mechanisms along with leadership development opportunities, and work towards a more gender-balanced and diverse workforce.

As part of this process, both the Steering Group and the Stakeholder Group will consider policy tools - including building on the learning from this FPA on the Higher Capitation payment – to achieve a graduate-led workforce. Additionally, as part of the Workforce Development Plan, a consultation process will take place this autumn to ensure that everyone in the sector can have their voice heard as the future of the workforce is shaped.

	Focused Policy Assessment of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Higher Capitation Payment Report  DOWNLOAD
	Focused Policy Assessment of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Higher Capitation Payment Summary Report DOWNLOAD

PRACTICE SUPPORTS - UPDATES

The Practice support section on the First 5 website has been updated,  click on the link below to access the website.

https://first5.gov.ie/practitioners/reopening