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Featured News
Early Years Hive Scheduled Maintenance
Dear Service Provider,
The Early Years Hive and the National Childcare Scheme website will be unavailable today (20 January) at 5pm for up to 2.5 hours due to maintenance.
After this time, you will need to refresh your web browser to access the portal again.
We apologise for the inconvenience.
Thank you,
The Early Years Team
UPDATED 18.01.2022 - Covid Guidance & Advice Documents
GUIDES AVAILABLE HERE:
Click link to download - Isolation quick guide for parents and guardians of children older than 3months and up to 13 years of age
Click link to download - Isolation Quick Guide Adults and children from their 13th birthdayth birthday
Click link to download - FAQs for schools, early learning and childcare and school-age childcare managers or those hosting sports/social activities for children aged 3 months to less than 13 years, or in primary school
Click link to download - Quick Guide for Schools/Childcare Facilities - Management of cases and close contacts of COVID-19
Click link to download - Quick guide to Public Health advice for cases and contacts for non-variant of concern, including Omicron and Delta
For future reference all updated documents are linked on the First 5 website https://first5.gov.ie/guidance
Announcement - Grant Programme for Improved Ventilation and Outdoor Play 2021
The DCEDIY and Pobal wish to advise all Early Learning and Care and School Aged childcare services the Grant Programme for Improved Ventilation and Outdoor Play 2021 is being re-opened for applications. The application will open today, 18th January at 3pm, and will close on Monday 31st January at 5pm.
**Please note there has been a change to the eligible items that can be purchased under this grant, services can now purchase grade FFP2 face masks with this grant funding**
Services that have already submitted an application and/or have been paid can claim grade FFP2 face masks as eligible, as long as the items were purchased during the eligible spend window of this grant, between 13th December 2021 and 30th June 2022.
For more information on how to make an application and on what items are eligible to be purchased please see the applicant guidelines here.
It is important to note that if you wish to make an application under this grant, you should do so as soon as possible.
