More than 70 per cent of parents of pre-school children who use childcare use a childminder.
Mary Giblin, co-ordinator of the Galway City & County Childcare Committee, says for these families in which both parents work outside the home childminders are the largest supply of formal and informal childcare.
She says National Childminders’ Week, which is currently taking place, pays homage to the important role childminders play in the local community.
Some €125,000 in start-up grants has been allocated to childminders in Galway since the development of the national childminding initiative. This provides supports for childminders and people interested in becoming childminders and is administered locally by the Childcare Committee. Further funding is still available to local childminders.
Sheila Garrity, childminder advisory officer with the Galway Childcare Committee, said her organisation has worked hard this year making contact with local childminders and assisting them with quality awareness and good practice.
“When childminders complete our quality awareness programme they can avail of a capital grant of up to €1,000 under the Childminder Development Grant Scheme. Since its inception more than 150 small start up grants totalling over €125,000 has been given to local childminders. With further funding still available we think that’s worth celebrating.”
The Galway City and County Childcare Committee assists the development of a wide range of integrated, high quality accessible and affordable childcare services for children in the city and county. Childminding is one such option for families. The childcare committee also offers a range of supports to childminders including training, networking opportunities, advice and support in setting up a new or operating an existing service.
To find out more about these events or to seek advice and information about setting up a childminding service contact the Childcare Committee at (091 ) 752039 or log onto galwaychildcare.com
