Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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353. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports available to grandparents that look after their grandchildren on a full-time basis; if she is planning additional supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8750/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department’s main funding schemes to directly support families with the cost of early learning and childcare are the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and the National Childcare Scheme (NCS). Only early learning and childcare services registered with Tusla can operate these funding schemes. This requirement to be registered with Tusla is a critical quality assurance measure associated with the provision of State funding for early learning and childcare supports. The National Action Plan for Childminding sets out a phased approach to bringing childminders within the scope of regulation and public supports over the period 2021-2028.

The Aistear curriculum framework, which was updated in December 2024, can be used by anyone who supports babies, toddlers and young children's learning and development. The updated Aistear notes that the lives of babies, toddlers and young children are enriched by those who nurture and care for them, which includes parents, foster parents, adoptive parents, step-parents, legal guardians, carers, extended family, educators and community members. My Department will soon be launching a new website for Continuous Professional Development supports for the early learning and childcare sector which will be accessible to all and which will include information on Aistear.

My Department provides funding for Parent and Toddler Groups that support parents, grandparents and childminders, as well as young children throughout the country. This year my Department will make €350,000 available to support Parent and Toddler Groups. This funding seeks to support current groups as well as the establishment and operation of new groups through financial assistance in areas such as training, purchase of equipment and/or contributions towards insurance, rent or minor refurbishment.

My Department funds a national network of City and County Childcare Committees who are responsible for the promotion, assessment and administration of the Parent and Toddler grants at a local level and provide information which promotes the provision of a quality service. They can also signpost participants to other useful agencies or organisations.

In April 2022, Supporting Parents a national model of parenting support was launched. This model defines parenting supports as the provision of information and services aimed at strengthening parents’ knowledge, confidence and skills to help achieve the best outcomes for children and families. Supporting Parents defines a parent as any person with a parenting role, which is any person with primary or major responsibility for the care of a child under the age of 18 years. The term parent is applied in the most inclusive manner as possible, and includes biological parents, adoptive parents, foster carers, step-parents, kinship carers, and guardians.

From this perspective there are a wide range of parenting support services at national, regional and local level provided through Tusla. For example, the Prevention, Partnership and Family Support Service, the Child and Family Support Networks, the Area Based Childhood Programme, the Tusla Education Support Service, and many other Tusla parenting support services are commissioned from providers in the community and voluntary sector providers, including a range of parenting support and home visiting programmes. In addition Family Resource Centres, Community and Voluntary Agencies, HSE and Educational Training Boards, may also offer supports from universal need through to specific and complex needs.