WELCOME TO
CORK COUNTY CHILDCARE COMMITTEE

DEADLINES / IMPORTANT DATES:

16th December 2024

Quality Inclusive Practice Plan (QIPP) to be submitted

20th January 2025

Deadline for Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme

Childminding Registration

Tusla have continued to expand the resources and support documentation available on their Childminding webpages //tusla.ie/early-years-inspectorate/childminding-services.

To contact Tusla’s childminding helpline ring (061) 440600 (option 9) or email cm.registration@tusla.ie or view their Frequently Asked Questions section on the website.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

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Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme

Applicant Guidelines and Application Forms for the scheme as well as a provider training session on the scheme will be available shortly.  The closing date for applications is  12 noon, 20th January 2025. 

For further information please see updated document sent with this week’s bulletin.

Updated Aistear. Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework

An updated version of Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework has been prepared by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and was published this week. You can access the framework here, The website is available in English and Irish.

Updates include:

• Aistear retains the similar structure of the original Framework.

• The Principles of early learning and development have been reduced from 12 to nine.

• The Themes of Wellbeing, Identity and Belonging, Communicating and Exploring and Thinking have been retained and updated.

• The number of Learning Goals within each Aim of the Themes has been reduced. They remain broad, but observable statements that support babies, toddlers and young children’s learning and development.

• Those using the Framework, including parents, childminders and early years educators are referred to as ‘educators’.

• There is an acknowledgement of Irish cultural and linguistic history and story. Irish words, phrases and proverbs have been embedded throughout the Framework.