Mr. Eugene Waters:

The CCCs act as an information hub for parents regarding current child care programmes. We publish a parent guide to child care programmes annually and there are regular updates on our websites and social media. We also provide one-to-one telephone support and, importantly, a physical presence throughout each city and county in the country. We provide hot desk supports to child care providers who do not have access to the Internet, reside in areas where broadband is poor or need IT support. CCCs have been increasingly dedicated to locally managing the administrative processes associated with the various schemes. CCCs have direct reach into all 4,500 child care services nationally, and, importantly, a county identity for parents.

The CCCs have remained focused on responding to local need but, equally, they have been very responsive to the implementation of a range national programmes on a consistent basis. Since the introduction of the programme implementation platform, PIP, the CCCs have supported over 4,500 early years services to access and administer their compliance requirements via this online system. This is often by way of one-to-one support on requirements such as fees policies, contract renewal and child registration. The new access and inclusion model, which was launched in June 2015, offered a multi-level, inter-agency approach to increasing access, inclusion and supports for children with disabilities to the government’s Early Childhood Care and Education, ECCE, scheme. During the development of the model, CCCs were involved in the development of all seven tiers of the model via representation by CCI on behalf of its membership. On commencement of the model, all CCCs have undertaken delivery of actions aimed primarily at levels 1 to 3 but also general information and support for parents throughout the counties. CCC staff members have received training of trainers in preparation for the roll-out of equality, diversity and inclusion training across the country, which is already under way.

CCCs have assumed responsibility from Tusla for the roll-out of the Always Children First child protection training programme for early years settings with a stated aim of ensuring staff from every service throughout the country receive accredited child protection training. The roll-out of this training is co-ordinated and delivered at city and county level by CCCs. More than 12,500 early years practitioners were trained by the end of December 2016.

We welcome the proposal that Pobal undertake the administration of the scheme in light of their existing and long-standing relationships with the city and county childcare committees and the child care providers nationally.

The value of a local delivery agent in the form of the child care committees, CCCs, working with the sector is an important building block for the sector and remains so. It is a cost effective model for the local delivery of national policy. For example, the recent introduction of the expanded ECCE programme was supported by CCCs, which are working closely with the Department and local providers to confirm there remains sufficient capacity to cater for eligible children.

This approach has been further strengthened through our national network, Childcare Committees Ireland, CCI, which provides a coherent structure for various bodies, in particular the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, to plan and implement its national policy brief. CCI, as the national network, works closely with a range of stakeholders to ensure we put in place strong, effective systems to support parents with our partners, Pobal, the national early years quality development service, the Departments of Children and Youth Affairs, Social Protection and Education and Skills and the voluntary child care organisations. We look forward to supporting the successful implementation of the new scheme.