Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

172. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her policy regarding community employment placements focusing on childcare; if she has a national policy of consolidating the provision of these placements under a reduced number of dedicated childcare sponsors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43536/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Department of Social Protection (DSP) is consolidating and improving the provision of training and work experience for CE participants who wish to pursue a career in child care.

For CE participants who work directly with children, a dedicated programme comprising formal learning and supervised work experience will become a mandatory part of participation. This formal learning programme will lead to a FETAC Level 5 Major Award in Early Childhood Care and Education. This is the minimum entry requirement for a Child care Practitioner. The duration of this programme will comprise of 2 years in which the Major Award will be completed and one year work practice leading to a maximum 3 year programme overall.

This programme involves defined standards of achievement, a career progression path, and a structure for CE participants in Early Years Services. These changes are designed to provide a more tailored and valuable support to the provision of community child care and to achieve greater coherence between participation on CE and the job market.

The objectives of this policy are:

- to ensure that all Community Employment schemes with child care places will, in the future, operate under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Framework and use the Síolta standards (the quality standards in child care) as a developmental tool;

- to provide CE participants on child care) places who work directly with children with quality work experience, training, a clear progression path and qualifications in the child care) sector; and

- to re-align the allocation of CE child care) places under dedicated child care) schemes with the standards outlined by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

There will be no reduction in the number of child care) places supported under CE.

All CE child care) places will be co-ordinated and managed by a dedicated CE Sponsored Child care Scheme. The above improvements have been informed by consultation with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, County Child care Committees and representatives of Scheme Sponsors and Supervisors.

Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

173. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the safeguards that are in place for community employment schemes in circumstances where a scheme's childcare places are redistributed to a different sponsor and this renders the original scheme non-viable due to a lack of numbers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43537/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Department of Social Protection (DSP) is improving the provision of training and work experience for CE participants who wish to pursue a career in child care) This involves defined standards of achievement, a career progression path, and a structure for CE participants in Early Years Services. These changes are designed to provide a more tailored and valuable support to the provision of community child care) and achieve greater coherence between participation on CE and the job market.

All CE child care) places will be under the management of dedicated child care) sponsoring schemes. In circumstances where this involves the transfer of child care) places from one scheme to another, the original scheme will be offered the option of proposing alternative work and training for the places foregone. In cases where the scheme does not avail of this, consideration will be given to joining with another scheme in order to ensure viability.