Roscommon County Childcare Committee CLG ‘On the Shoulders of Giants’ Quality Practice Seminar a great success.

Roscommon County Childcare Committee CLG ‘On the Shoulders of Giants’ Quality Practice Seminar a great success. Over €33 million in funding allocated through National Childcare Schemes to County Roscommon Early Learning & Care & School Aged Childcare services since 2014/15

Roscommon Couty Childcare Committee CLG (CCC) held their ‘On the Shoulders of Giants’ Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Quality Practice Seminar and celebration of 20 years + of the County Childcare Committee on Thursday 24th of November in The Abbey Hotel, Roscommon.

Roscommon CCC welcomed representatives from existing and new Early Learning & Care & School Aged Childcare services and childminders that operate throughout County Roscommon, local and national partner agencies and elected representative to what was an opportunity to network again.

To support participation & inclusion of all children attending services, a photo college was shared on the night of children’s work and activities sent to Roscommon CCC by their ELC/SAC service.

A Raffle of prizes took place during the seminar

1^st Prize: Mosaic Educator Package Sponsored by Mosaic –St. Johns Preschool

2^nd Prize:  5 Free CPD Programmes from the MOSAIC CPD Platform sponsored by Mosaic – Cam Community Preschool

3^rd Prize: Children’s Arts & Crafts Pack sponsored by Roscommon CCC – Right Start Montessori

Keynote Speaker was Dr Rita Melia, Lecturer Atlantic Technological University. Rita was a past board member of Roscommon CCC and discussed how childcare has evolved since the CCC was introduced in 2000. Rita also looked at Quantity to Quality, the value of early childhood education and care provision national and international perspectives and gave the audience some thought-provoking insights when considering the importance of quality provision for children, families, educators and society.

The first part of the seminar included workshops on Aistear Siolta delivered by Roscommon CCC, a presentation from a services managers perspective from Amy Dowd, Cuan Bhride Childcare Manager and an interactive mindfulness workshop from Lorraine Mc Hugh,  Blathanna Kids  Mindfullness. A stay & Play session was held before the event and local Ukrainian families were invited to attend via accommodation centres and social media. The second part of the seminar was opened by Roscommon CCC Chairperson, Sean Crehan where he welcomed all the providers, local and national partner agencies to the seminar. Sean thanked the voluntary board members both past and present and staff team for their contribution over the years. Sean also acknowledged Roscommon CCCs milestone of supporting services at local county level for over 20yrs+ while ensuring our CCC kept the local focus at the heart of our CCCs work while implementing national policy at local county level. Sean also noted that County Roscommon were the first county to have 100% of services signed up to the new core funding model and thanked the CCC staff team for support to services in this regard.

Irene Cafferky County Childcare Coordinator/Manager then gave a presentation on how the local County Roscommon Early Learning and School Age Childcare Sector has evolved over the years, stating that over €33 Millon in childcare funding entered the county by way of the national childcare programmes including the Early Childhood Care & Education programme, National Childcare Scheme and other legacy schemes since 2014/15. There were 1,385 children supported to attend services under the national childcare scheme since 2019 and 245 children were supported throughout the county under the access and inclusion model between 2016-2022. Irene also noted the importance of the sectors jobs to the local economy and that there were approximately 391 staff employed throughout the county in the 2021/22 programme year (source: Pobal). Other work outlined included the support to refugee children and families, play & stay sessions and information clinics for the Ukrainian response, County Playday and a pilot Transitions project supporting transition from preschool to primary school as well as supporting the implementation of the National Childminding Action Plan. As the local agent for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), Roscommon CCC will continue to liaise with department officials and Pobal as the sector continues to evolve. We have learned a lot and with the establishment of a new childcare agency under the DCEDIY we will continue on that learning journey to influence positive outcomes for children and families’.

Irene concluded by stating ‘I want to acknowledge all those giants here this evening, those giants that are all our early years educators that work day in day out supporting and educating our children, our own CCC staff and board that support the educators/owners/managers and voluntary management committees of our ELC/SAC services, our local childminders and parent & toddler groups and our local and national partner agencies and collaborators that continue to engage with us in advocating for children’s rights, Thank you all for your dedication to making our county a better place for young children. To those people we have met over the past 20yrs+ who have mentored/supported and given us that drive so that the children of County Roscommon and beyond can have positive meaningful outcomes with us as adults scaffolding their learning and development thank you’.

Michelle Moran, Tusla Roscommon together with Sinead Mc Quaid and Aine Mannion from Roscommon CCC launched the Childcare & Me app which is a one stop multi-lingual information hub created to support families/users in accessing and locating local Early Learning & School Age Childcare services, Tusla Family Support services and local authorities on a location basis throughout Ireland through their own smart devices e.g., Phone/Tablet.

Fiona Ni Quinn, Roscommon County Council, discussed the importance of the CCC at local level while launching Roscommon CCC strategic plan 2022-2025. Fiona outlined the collaborative working relationship with Roscommon CCC over the past 20+ years and highlighted some areas such as the annual county play day, planning for childcare facilities and business supports for providers with Roscommon County Enterprise Board.

Clare Kerrane, T.D Roscommon/Galway congratulated Roscommon CCC on over 20+ years of work in the county in her address to participants. The importance of a local support agency being on the ground to support childcare providers and parents and how that localised support can harness the buy in from other local and national agencies when gaps in provision are identified were noted by Claire and how the local CCC liaise with local elected representatives.

Stephen Spittles from Spectrum gave a presentation on their Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) which Roscommon CCC have made available to their own employees and families. Steven spoke on how Spectrum have partnered with Roscommon CCC to offer the EAP out at a reduced rate for local providers in County Roscommon under a partnership programme with Roscommon CCC.

Carmel Dunne, Roscommon CCC concluded the seminar with a poem she had compiled to mark the occasion entitled ‘On the Shoulders of Giants’.

Roscommon CCC Board, Management, Staff Team and Guests launching Roscommon CCC Strategic Plan 2022 -2025.

Raffle prize winners presented by Irene Cafferky Roscommon CCC Coordinator/Manager to:

1^st Prize Mosaic Educator Package Sponsored by Mosaic to Deirdre Leonard, St. Johns Preschool

2^nd Prize 5 Free CPD Programmes from the MOSAIC CPD Platform sponsored by Mosaic to Mary Anderson and Mary Blackweir, Cam Community Preschool

3^rd prize of a child’s activity pack sponsored by Roscommon CCC to Marion Mulkearn- Colgon, Right Start Montessori

Roscommon CCC board members, Sean Crehan, Chairperson, Michelle Moran Tusla, Kate Walshe, Margaret Hannon Brothers of Charity, Lynne Keery, Galway Roscommon Education & Training Board, and Irene Cafferky, Roscommon CCC Coordinator/Manager launching Roscommon CCC Strategic Plan 2022-2025

Click here to view a selection of photos from the night.