This Weeks News & Information Bulletin
Click HERE for this week in Childcare Bulletin
Deadlines/Important Dates:
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14 August:
Closing date for AIM non-term application for 2025/26
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1 – 31 August:
Core Funding August Review and Confirm Window
NCS co-payment functionality training
The new NCS co-payment functionality is due to be available from today 31 July 2026. The recording and slides of the training webinar held on 23 July are available here. A repeat of this online training is scheduled for Thursday 27 August. A link to register your attendance will be available in the Announcement section of EY Hive in the coming weeks. Resources to support providers when submitting NCS claims using this new co-payment functionality will also be made available on the EY Hive in due course.
Aistear in Practice
Aistear in Practice is a series of online mentoring sessions developed by Better Start to support reflection on practice linked to Aistear, with a focus on quality inclusive experiences for all children. The series will take place throughout August and September and will include three sessions covering The Key Person Approach, Babies, Toddlers and Young Children’s Schemas and Emergent & Inquiry-Based Curriculum. Further information and link to register can be found here.
My Little Library 2026
Minister Foley has announced the launch of My Little Library 2026. The book bags are for children finishing pre-school and starting primary school in September and will be delivered to libraries.
The DCDE would appreciate if the invitations could be shared with parents. The links to are here in English and Irish, and QR codes.
Fee Increase Assessment/Sustainability Review 2026
The Department has announced a new Fee Increase Assessment (FIA) process, known as the Sustainability Review 2026/2027. Partner Services charging very low fees may apply for approval to increase up to an approved level. Applications will open during Autumn 2026 for a limited cohort of eligible services. The process has been designed to balance the need to protect affordability for parents with the need to support the financial sustainability of services charging the lowest fees in the sector.
Eligible Partner Services will be contacted by their local CCC. Click Here for full press release.
AIM Non-term Application for 2025/26
Services who have submitted an AIM L7 Standard Application for 25/26 and want to avail of non-term support for the summer period, are asked to submit any AIM non-term applications before Friday 14 August. Further information is available in the Announcement section of HIVE.
Folic Acid- Public Consultation
The Department of Health are examining the potential benefits of the addition of folic acid to flour, to help reduce the number of babies who are born with neural tube defects.
The Department is carrying out a public consultation to get views on this proposal. The results of this consultation will help inform Government future policy decisions. If you wish to contribute to the consultation, please click on this link.
Childminding Pre-Registration Training
This training will support understanding of the new childminding regulations and will provide information on what is required to register with Tusla. This is a FREE training course and takes approximately 7 hours to complete. For more information contact nessa@corkcitychildcare.ie
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Date: Tues 4, 11 & 18 Aug from 10am-12pm, Online
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Dates: Tues 1st, 8th, 15th Sept 7pm-9pm
Booking link: Childminding Pre-Registration Training Cork City Childcare Committee (Q1) – Fill out form
Core Funding August Review and Confirm Window
The August Review and Confirm window will open from 1 August to 31 August 2026. Partner Services who have submitted their 2026/2027 Core Funding application on or before 31 August must complete the August Review and Confirm to allow Core Funding payments to commence. If a Partner Service does not complete the Review and Confirm process within the required timeframe, Core Funding payments will be placed on hold until such a time as the process is completed. Failure to complete the Review and Confirm may result in a Core Funding application being declined. Partner Services who submit their original 2026/2027 Core Funding application on or before 31 August, will have their Base Rate capped at their approved August Review and Confirm Base Rate value.
AIM Level 7 Reviews
The review functionality for AIM Level 7 2026/27 applications is not yet available on the EY Hive. As a temporary measure until this functionality becomes available, reviews will be processed manually through the Requests page on the EY Hive. The AIM Level 7 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document is available here. An animation video which explains AIM Level Support Levels is also available for providers here.
Training Courses: Cork County Childcare Committee Training
Always Children First: Child Safeguarding Awareness Training for Organisations (Foundation)
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Vienna Woods Hotel, Glanmire -Saturday 5th September @ 9.30am - 4.30pm
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The Maritime Hotel, Bantry - Saturday 12th September @9:30am – 4:30pm
Designated Liaison Person Training
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Talbot Hotel, Midleton – Thursday 24th September @10am – 1:30pm
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Blarney Woollen Mills Hotel – Tuesday 6th October @10am – 1:30pm
This training is open to DLP/Deputy DLP in an ELC or SAC service
For further information and to book a place please contact the office on 022-23880 or email cptraining@corkchildcare.ie
Creative Spaces for Children
The children loved making the leaves and flower as we see them every day on our facility grounds and it depicts the children growing as do leaves and flowers
Their favourite place in our setting is the outdoor area
We love artwork and storytime..we also love the dinners cooked onsite
We do not like coming in sometimes in the early morning but we do not like going home in the evenings as we like to stay and play with our peers and the many resources in the room!
Our friends and Sharon Orla and Shell make this place fun for us everyday..also our pawpatrol figurines. We enjoy playing with sand, painting, playdough, Numberblocks and lego!
Our friends and our teacher are with us when we learn
We think if we had Roblox Minecraft and Peter Rabbit toys it would be magical!!!
The story of our group artwork is the flowers and leaves are growing when we water and take care of them just like we grow when we eat up all our dinners and we get hugs and love!!❤️
The pretty colours on the flower..they are the same colours as vanilla and strawberry ice-cream! We would you to write that we are the best boys and girls for making this artwork together and that we are good at teamwork like our storybook says!
The Bumblebee Room - Le Cheile FRC, Mallow aged from 3-4 years
This is me and my teachers. I like playing with the tuff tray and the kitchen.
Ciara – Age 5
Cottage Childcare, Killavullen
That’s the playhouse outside and that’s the sand tray. That’s my two teachers and my friend, Harry.
I made two soccer balls and I drawed the playdough. I like the zoo and the playdough.
My favourite is the new fruit chart and the sign-in board that we do.
That’s the tuff tray. I drawed the sand and playdough.
Joshua – Age 5
Cottage Childcare, Killavullen
This is the school and me and my teachers. That’s me playing playdough and that’s the balls. I like the tuff tray and I like playing with the chalk.
Méabh – Age 4
Cottage Childcare, Killavullen
I like my teachers putting out the toys. My favourite is the marble race.
I made a chocolate bar.
That’s outside and that right there is the gate. If you want to play soccer, you can play soccer!
That’s the door outside. I like water at the table. I like planting peas and guess what?... they’re almost getting bigger and bigger. Peas will start to grow and they will pop on!
Freddie – Age 4
Cottage Childcare, Killavullen
This is the school. That’s the zoo and that’s a Lego person at the zoo. I love playing with the zoo.
That’s my teachers.
I love pretend the motorbike is a real motorbike.
Before you letted us bring our journals home and we got to show our mums and dads what we made and we got to remember the stuff we putted in our journals.
If we had no teachers we’d get to do whatever we want and mess the school, but we’d tidy it up again!
Harry – Age 4
Cottage Childcare, Killavullen
I wanted to do the school, outside.
This is my teachers - I like the way you have skirts on.
That’s a triangle magnet and that’s a square magnet because that’s my favourite thing to play with.
I don’t play with the playdough that much coz it’s kinda hard to make stuff out of it. There’s loads of toys here that I can play with.
I like being able to put the things out and playing with the zoo together and I liked that you listened to our ideas.
Méabh – Age 5
Cottage Childcare, Killavullen
This is my preschool. It has a chimney. This is my teachers. My teachers always be nice. My favourite activity is the blocks.
Mia – Age 4
Cottage Childcare, Killavullen
The children in Bluebells room, Grà Childcare, Carrignavar expressed their creativity through art, sharing what Grá means to them—the special place where they spend at least three hours each day. Through their drawings and colours, they showed their feelings in the most heartfelt way. As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Amaia - Age 4
Grá Childcare
Sadie - Age 4
Grá Childcare
Daisy - Age 4
Grá Childcare
Rebekah - Age 4
Grá Childcare
Julian - Age 5
Grá Childcare
The Afterschool Club boys and girls (5ys -12yrs) of
School Around the Corner, Glanworth
Creative Artwork on "Where I learn and Play "
The artwork from some of the children at Blue Nest in Midleton. They were all so happy to take part in this initiative, which is lovely.
Art activity for National Conversation on Education Childrens Creative Spaces from Ray of Sunshine Canovee
Cork County Childcare Committee was formed in 2001 and is funded by the Department of Children, Disability, and Youth (DCEDIY) to improve the quality of childcare in Cork County.
In addition to supporting the administration of all Government funding programmes for childcare; City and County Childcare Committees work with early childhood services and childminders looking for support with quality development, HR, governance, financial sustainability and continuing professional development.
We also work with Parents to locate childcare best suited to their families needs, and advise on relevant government funded schemes etc.
