Roscommon CCC Bulletin Week ending 15.05.2020
This is the bulletin for the week ending 15th May 2020.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION:
Temporary Childcare Scheme for Essential Health Workers
The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Katherine Zappone today announced, with regret, that the Temporary Childcare Scheme for Essential Health Workers will not proceed on the 18 May as planned. The scheme was launched last Thursday with a call to childcare services to volunteer to provide childcare for health workers in their homes.
To read the full article please click here: https://www.roscommonchildcare.ie/%e2%80%8bstatement-on-cancellation-of-temporary-childcare-scheme-for-essential-health-workers/
Always Children First Update
Under the Children First Act (2015) there are organisations listed that have statutory obligations. These are known as Relevant Services. Early Years services are named at Relevant Services.
Further to this, relevant services, under the Children First Act (2015) must appoint a relevant person to be the first point of contact in respect of the organisation’s Child Safeguarding Statement.
Early Years services should ensure that they are familiar with their obligations under the Children First Act. Please click here for more information: https://www.roscommonchildcare.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Info-Blast-Mandated-Person.pdf
AIM Update
The process for new applications for AIM Levels 4, 5 and 7 has not yet opened. A further announcement in relation to the above will be made soon.
The application process for AIM Level 7 2nd year extensions is currently open. Please note, 2nd year extensions should be submitted as early as possible to ensure that the relevant supports are in place for September .
Temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme Phase 2. Update: 15.05.2020.
Employee ID number– An important change has been made to the TWSCS application form. Services completing the form are now asked to provide a unique 3 digit number only for the employee ID number for each of their staff and are no longer required to include the DCYA reference.
Multi-service organisations – Pobal would like to advise when calculating the gross weekly payroll costs, multi-service organisations can either:
- Select a single service and enter the total payroll costs for the organisation, or
- Input the payroll costs for each service individually.
Guidance documents have also been updated to reflect this change.
Payments– Payments will be made to all services who have correctly submitted the application form by 1pm on Tuesday, 19th May. Those who have not submitted the application form will not receive payment.
Application guidance – We urge services yet to submit the application form to do so as soon as possible. Please read the updated TWSCS Phase 2 Application Form – Application Guidance Document for direction on what is required before doing so.
For further assistance, please contact the Early Years Provider Centre at eypc@pobal.ie or Roscommon CCC on 094 96 22540.
Childminders and Covid-19
We have been made aware of HSE advice on childminders working from their own homes. The HSE website states that childminding should only happen in the child’s home. The statement can be found at the end of this webpage: https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/protecting-your-child.html
Phased re-opening of childcare services
As you know the scheme for providing childcare to frontline healthcare workers is not going ahead, so the focus has now moved on to on Phase 3 of the roadmap from June 29 when ‘the opening of crèches, childminders and pre-schools for children of essential workers will take place in a phased manner.’ Further details of the phases can be found here
The DCYA are working on advice and guidance on the safe reopening of services guided by Public Health experts. Until that guidance is available, childcare providers should remain at home. Some services have contacted us regarding the phase 1 statement that ‘school and college buildings will be opened for access by teachers for organisation and distribution of remote learning’ – this does not apply to childcare providers. The 5 km travel restriction remains in place and non-essential journeys should not be undertaken.
REMINDER OF THE WEEK:
Contacting us
Just a reminder that we are all taking phone calls – the main landline number rings through to our mobile phones. If your call isn’t answered, it may be because we are having a short meeting. Please leave a voicemail and we will get back to you. Please see the attached photo on how our phone system works.
Our contact details are still 0949622540.
Dial 1 for Martina Towey, Administrator.
Dial 2 for Carmel Dunne, Childcare Development Officer.
Dial 3 for Sinead McQuaid, Childcare Development Officer.
Dial 4 for Áine Mannion, Childcare Development Officer.
Dial 5 for Irene Cafferky, Roscommon CCC Manager/Co-ordinator.
Alternatively you can email a staff member on the following email addresses:
Martina Towey admin@roscommonchildcare.ie
Carmel Dunne carmel.dunne@roscommonchildcare.ie
Sinead McQuaid cdo4@roscommonchildcare.ie
Áine Mannion cdo5@roscommonchildcare.ie
Irene Cafferky irene.cafferky@roscommonchildcare.ie
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