Developing School Age Childcare - Department of Children and ...

1.2.3 The P2000 Expert Working Group decided that its ‘childcare’ remit related to theprovision of day care facilities and services for pre-school children and school-goingchildren out of school hours and further noted that it includes services offering care,education and socialisation opportunities for children to the benefit of children, parents,employers and the wider community. Thus the work of the P2000 Expert WorkingGroup related to pre-schools, naíonraí, day care services, crèches, play groups,childminding and after-school groups but excluded schools (primary, secondary orspecial) and residential centres for children.1.2.4 The P2000 Expert Working Group published a comprehensive report in which it laiddown a series of principles which should underpin the delivery of childcare services inIreland and a set of recommendations for the development and implementation of aseven year strategic plan for childcare.1.2.5 In relation to School Age Childcare, the P2000 Expert Working Group noted that“There is a growing need for locally based programmes which provide children withsocial, recreational and development activities outside school hours and during holidaytime. This need arises because of women’s increased labour force participation andbecause of the diminishing supply of part-time childcare places. Such provision could beprovided on school premises or in community buildings.The development of this sector also requires attention to the training needs of childcarepersonnel working with 6 - 12 year olds.”1.2.6 Although there have been some small moves, often locally driven, to expand theprovision of School Age Childcare to meet the needs of working parents, as this Reportwill show, there has been no concerted effort by any group to make available a broadrange of childcare services to meet the needs of working or studying parents whosechildren are attending education and whose school hours do not link with the hours ofemployment or education of the parents.1.3 Contexts - National Development Plan 2000 - 20061.3.1 The National Development Plan 2000 - 2006 (NDP) made available the financialresources to facilitate the development of childcare as a measure for social inclusion andthe advancement of labour force opportunities. The Equal Opportunities ChildcareProgramme 2000 - 2006 (EOCP) was incorporated as a key Sub-Measure of the SocialInclusion Measures in each of the Regional Operational Programmes within the NDP.The Programme offers the framework within which all supply aspects of childcare arebeing advanced in accordance with the recommendations of the P2000 Expert WorkingGroup.1.3.2 The NDP initially made available € 317.4 million for the development of Childcare overthe period 2000 - 2006. Following discussions with the social partners in October 2000,additional Exchequer funding of €50.79 million was announced for the furtherdevelopment of childcare of which €34 million was initially made available to theD/JELR. The balance of this new tranche of funding was provided to four otherGovernment Departments, including resources for the development of school agechildcare which were made to the Departments of Education and Science and the thenDepartment of Social, Community and Family Affairs. In March 2001, the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Social Inclusion transferred responsibility for this funding for school agechildcare (some €85 million) to the D/JELR.4