Voluntary Notification Scheme for Childminders

What is Voluntary Notification?

Voluntary Notification is a scheme allowing Childminders who are not legally obliged to notify the Health Service Executive (HSE) to notify their services on a voluntary basis. Childminders exempt from the Child Care (Pre School Services) Regulations 1996 & 2006 and not currently required to notify the Health Service Executive includes:

Childminders who mind three or fewer unrelated pre-school children at any time
Childminders involved in after school care,

Now these Childminders may notify voluntarily through the Childminders’ Advisory Service of Roscommon County Childcare Committee, which runs this Voluntary Notification and support scheme on behalf of the HSE.

Childminders who are not required to notify the Health Services Executive can voluntarily notify to Roscommon County Childcare Committee including:

Those who care for school-age children
Those who care for pre-school children of the same family and no other children from any other family (other than the minders own children).
Those who care for relatives.
Those who care for no more than 3 pre-school children of different families (other than the minders own children).

Definition of a Pre-School Child

A pre school child means ‘a child who is under 6 years of age and who is not attending a national school or a school providing education similar to a national school.’

Definition of a School Age Child

A child who is attending a school age service on a regular basis outside of normal school hours

Statutory Notification

A person minding more than 3 pre school children from different families is obliged to notify to the HSE.
Under the Child Care (Pre School Services) (No.2) Regulations 2006:

A Childminder should look after no more than 5 pre-school children, including his/her own pre-school children.
No more than 2 children should be less than 15 months old. Exceptions in relation to numbers under 15 months can be made for multiple births or siblings.
A Childminder should have a telephone and a second person must be available to cope with emergencies.
A child that has not attained the age of 6 years who is not attending a primary school or a school providing an educational programme similar to a primary school.

The benefits of voluntary notification are:

Access to training including first aid, child protection and a Quality Awareness Programme
Access to information & Childminding networks
Access to the Childminding Development Grant
It qualifies the Childminder to claim the Childminders’ Tax Exemption. (€15,000 tax-free in 2007)
It puts the Childminders’ service on a list for interested parents, if s/he so wishes.

The National Guidelines for Childminders outline the Voluntary Notification procedure. Copies of these guidelines are available from Roscommon County Childcare Committee and can be downloaded from www.omc.gov.ie

How do I apply?

Contact the RCCC office for a form.
Fill in all the requested details concerning your Childminding service.
Complete the Self Evaluation. (If you have any difficulties, your Childminder Advisory Officer will be happy to help you with it.)
Return the form to the RCCC office.
You have now notified the Childminders’ Advisory Officer of your service.

How will we respond?

The Childminders’ Advisory Officer will send you all the training and information leaflets relevant to your Childminding service.
She will contact you to arrange to arrange an advisory visit, in due course.
You will receive a Voluntary Notified Certificate once the process is complete.

How can my service get on the public list for interested parents?
If you want your service included on a list for parents looking for Childminding in your area, you simply ask to be added to the list once your Voluntary Notification is complete. Your service will not be added to the public list if you do not want it to be.

Renewal of Voluntary Notification

Voluntary Notification will be renewed on an annual basis. This means Childminder’s currently voluntary notified can renew their notification. This will also allow Childminder’s not currently notified to apply to Roscommon County Childcare Committee to become Voluntary Notified.

For further information please contact Childminding Advisory Officer cmao@roscommonchildcare.ie phone 094 9622540.