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Offaly County Childcare Committee is located at St Joseph's Community Centre in Kilcormac, Co Offaly.
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All school age services must be on the school age register to operate. If you are operating an ELC service as well as a school age service, you have to register both services.
If you require support from OCCC, please contact Sylvia – 085 178 3399
Tusla Guidance Document: https://www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/School_Age_and_Re-Registration_Guidance.pdf
First 5 Ireland updated Information
7th April 2021
9th April 2021
Providers
Regulatory Guidance
Health Guidance
Link to ALL updated information: https://first5.gov.ie/guidance
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte TD, has today, World Autism Awareness Day, announced her intention to establish a Working Group to develop an Autism Innovation Strategy.
Minister Rabbitte made the announcement at AsIAm’s ‘What autism acceptance means to me’ online event on Friday (2nd April 2021).
Minister Rabbitte commented:
“I am very proud to mark World Autism Awareness Day by announcing that it is my intention to develop an Autism Innovation Strategy. The focus of the strategy in the short term will be to deliver real and tangible solutions to the challenges, needs and experiences of people with autism.
“This targeted approach will pinpoint priorities in a number of key areas that I, as Minister, will aim to address in the next three or four years. A clear pathway of supports need to be developed and I hope this can be achieved through the Autism Innovation Strategy.
“The Autism Innovation Strategy will inevitably be cross departmental in nature as autism is not just an issue that needs to be addressed with health supports but there needs to be a more holistic approach taken. There is an amazing opportunity for Ireland to become a leader across the EU and indeed the world on how to achieve a more autism-friendly country."
Minister Rabbitte concluded:
“It is my intention to set up an Autism Innovation Strategy Working Group, which will seek to develop this Strategy. I am committed to championing this in government and will chair this Working Group once established. I look forward to engaging with stakeholders in the months ahead."
Attendance variation rule extension
In July 2020, the Department introduced added flexibility on attendance rules under NCS. This change allows for 2 hours variation in attendance against registration per week without triggering a report, for non-NCS a 30 minute variance tolerance per day per child is allowed, these temporary measures were introduced in response to the exceptional environment caused by COVID-19.
This measure has been further extended and will now last until 30 April 2021.
You can find links to Attendance Trackers to support your attendance keeping for NCS on the Attendance Rules page of the Early Years Hive. This page also contains the rules around child absence and under attendance under the scheme for your benefit.
NCS, ECCE, CCSP attendance rules
Following the full resumption, without restriction, of all Early Learning and Care (ELC), School-Age Childcare (SAC) services from 29 March, attendance rules will revert as per the NCS policy guidelines and the ECCE and CCSP Saver programme rules.
If you are required to close a play-pod on foot of public health advice, the attendance rules will be suspended for the children affected for the duration of the closure, it should be noted on the on-site attendance record that the play-pod is closed for the reason outlined.
Entire service closures will continue to be covered by Force Majeure rules.
Dear Service Provider,
The Early Years Hive and the National Childcare Scheme website will be unavailable tomorrow, 1 April at 5pm for a maximum of 2 hours due to scheduled maintenance.
After this time, you will need to refresh your web browser to access the portal again.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your cooperation.
Thank you,
Early Years Team
Offaly County Childcare Committee support the development of quality, affordable, inclusive, accessible childcare and family friendly services for all children in every part of the county.
Offaly County Childcare Committee has been meeting since May 2001 and is made up of representatives from the statutory sector, social partners, community groups, voluntary groups, the Community and Voluntary Forum, National Voluntary Children's Organisations, providers of childcare, and parents - all of whom have a vested interest in childcare provision in the county.
