Roscommon County Childcare Committee CLG

03/09/2026

🟡 Early Years Hive Announcement
Dear Service Provider,
We are delighted to announce the latest of our rolling training, Journey Through the Early Years Hive. This training will benefit those wishing to refresh their Early Years Hive navigation skills and new Early Years Hive users.
Please note: this training will not include programme specific content. We kindly ask that questions asked on the day are kept to the topic of the Early Years Hive functionality and navigation.
Please find the registration links below:
Session 1: Wednesday 09 September at 10.30am 👇
https://events.teams.microsoft.com/.../67a60ab0-14c1-443d...
Session 2: Thursday 10 September at 10.30am 👇
https://events.teams.microsoft.com/.../3b5c8510-7025-4e6d...
As part of this training, we will explore:
🔹What is the Early Years Hive?
🔹Navigation overview (Menu tabs)
🔹Searching in the Early Years Hive
🔹Focus Areas: Service registration - Service calendar - User roles and access management - Child registration (NCS,ECCE, CCSP Saver)
🔹General Early Years Hive good practice
🔹Support tools & on-screen messages
🔹Poll and Feedback
🔹Questions and Answers
Future sessions will be announced on a rolling basis on the announcements section on the Early Years Hive. You are very welcome to extend the invitation to members of your team who would benefit from this training.
We look forward to having you attend this event.
Regards,
The Early Years Team

03/09/2026

03/09/2026

In-Person 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
Are you a childminder or parent?
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE) is inviting childminders and parents to share their experiences and perspectives on the implementation of the new childminding regulations.
Feedback gathered through these focus groups will help inform the ongoing review of the regulations and shape future developments in the childminding sector. This is an opportunity to discuss how the regulations are working in practice, the supports available to childminders, any challenges or barriers to registration and compliance, and suggestions for how the system could be improved to better meet the needs of childminders, children and families.
Focus groups are also being held online, to have your say and join a focus group, book your place now: https://www.gov.ie/.../consult.../lets-talk-childminding/...
National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028

02/09/2026

📣Early Years Hive Announcement📣
Dear Service Provider
The new NCS programme call 2026/2027 has commenced and NCS on-site inspections will continue. The compliance process will involve a series of standardised checks aimed at confirming adherence with programme rules, contract conditions and relevant legislation as set out by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE).
To ensure minimum disruption and expedite the compliance inspection, it is advised that services prepare for an unannounced NCS compliance inspection. We recommend that services collate relevant information for review (e.g. Parent Statements etc.) in a Compliance File which can be made readily available to the Visit Officer(s) on arrival. Access to child Attendance and Fee records must also be available on-site to enable the Visit Officer(s) to complete the compliance inspection in a reasonable timescale. In this regard we request that the person in charge on-site has access to the Compliance File / records in the event of an unannounced inspection. Please only maintain compliance related information in the Compliance File. NB: NCS inspections require 12 months of records available and accessible for review.
We also bring your attention to a number of important NCS related reminders previously published on Hive:
Guidance on Attendance record keeping was published on the Hive on 17/06/2024, included the following extract:
‘...it is advised that the format of the attendance records is not daily sheets, but rather that each page shows at least one week of attendance (i.e. weekly sheets/roll books). This will greatly support services when tracking attendance patterns of individual children, to assist in submitting weekly NCS Hive returns and keeping ECCE and CCSP Saver Programme registrations up to date.’
Guidance on registering children on NCS who are in education (i.e. in school or ECCE) was published on the Hive on 28/04/2025 which included the following:
"It is important to note that the child should only be registered on NCS for hours that they require and intend to be present in the service. In particular, NCS subsidised hours cannot be claimed for hours that the child is in education (i.e. ECCE or school)."
With the commencement of the NCS 2026/2027 inspection cycle, the Pobal Compliance team have updated the relevant NCS compliance support documents which are available on the Hive under the Resources section. These documents are listed below and can also be accessed through this link- 👇
https://earlyyearshive.ncs.gov.ie/.../compliance-documents/
NCS Compliance Checklist for Providers 2026/2027
NCS Compliance Provider Guide 2026/2027
NCS Post Inspection Rectification Actions for Providers 2026/2027
Accessing the NCS Compliance Report on Hive 2026/2027
Please note - these documents are only supports, intended to assist you. There is an onus on each Provider to familiarise themselves with their responsibilities under the NCS legislative and contractual conditions.
In addition, 3 webinars on the NCS Compliance process 2026/2027 are going to be scheduled for Providers on the 15 and 16 September 2026. Each webinar will cover the same content. We encourage you to take the opportunity to attend a webinar. Following the conclusion of the webinar sessions, a recording of a session will also be made available on the Hive with the Powerpoint slides.
A further announcement will be issued in advance of compliance inspections commencing on other programmes e.g. ECCE/CCSP/AIM.
We want to take this opportunity to thank services in advance for your continued co-operation with compliance checks.
Regards
Pobal & DCDE Compliance Teams

01/09/2026

Core Funding August Review and confirmed window closed on 31st & Core Funding Partner Service Agreement 2026
August Review and Confirm
The August Review and Confirm window closed 31 August 2026.
All details/programme rules related to the August Review and Confirm window were outlined in the previous announcement published on 26 August. Please see that announcement for this information.

Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement
Once a Partner Service has submitted their original Core Funding Application Module, they have a 21-day window to activate the Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement 2026.
Once 21 days have passed, the original Core Funding Application Module will be cancelled if the Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement has not been accepted, and a new original Core Funding Application Module will need to be submitted.
Important Note: Any service who does not accept their Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement 2026, on or before 6 September, will not receive the full 52 weeks of allocations, as Core Funding allocations will be representative of an entitlement from the first Monday for the first allocation week of the programme year, or the Monday of the week the Funding Agreement is accepted, whichever is later. This also applies to Service Providers who are also eligible for Equal Start Staffing Supports from the start of the 2026/2027 programme year.
Partner Services that are in Core Funding for less than a full programme year will be allocated the appropriate number of weekly payments.
Pending ERO for the Staff Funding Additional Contribution 2
As previously advised a new funding element, the Staff Funding Additional Contribution 2, will be introduced to centre-based services effective. This allocation will be released if and when new Employment Regulation Orders (ERO) are agreed.
Ahead of new EROs, Partner Services will now see the Staff Funding Additional Contribution 2 on Step 4 - Summary Page from the 1 September, with a €0.00 until the EROs have been agreed.
If your service requires support, additional resources are available on the Early Years Hive.
Roscommon County Childcare Committee also remain available to assist you in completing your Core Funding application record.
If you require any further assistance or clarification on any of the above, please contact the Early Years Provider Centre (EYPC) by raising a Service Request

01/09/2026

Dear Service Provider,

Equal Start Bia Blasta programme year 2026/2027 opened on the 24 August 2026 and will operate until the end of 2026/2027 ECCE programme year.

To receive payments under Equal Start Bia Blasta programme, a service must meet the following requirements:

Existing Bia Blasta service

Existing Bia Blasta services do not need to opt in again. However, they must:

Submit a Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement 2026/2027
Submit an ECCE contract 2026/2027 and have at least one child registered for ECCE
New Bia Blasta service invited to participate by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality

Opt in for programme year 2026/2027 as per the Department’s email invitation
Submit a Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement 2026/2027
Submit an ECCE contract 2026/2027 and have at least one child registered for ECCE
Bia Blasta allocations will commence from the latest of the following dates:

The first week of the ECCE Programme 2026/2027
The week you opt into Bia Blasta
The week in which you submitted your Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement 2026/2027
The week in which you submitted ECCE Funding Agreement 2026/2027 and have active ECCE registrations
Services must meet all eligible criteria before funding commences. Services that do not meet the eligibility criteria from the start of the ECCE calendar year 2026/2027 will only receive weekly payments from the date on which all eligible criteria have been met.

Please note that designation as an Equal Start Bia Blasta service does not indicate eligibility for funding under the Equal Start Staffing Supports Programme for the 2026/2027 programme year. Services will be notified of their designation if eligible.

To view Equal Start Bia Blasta allocations, please go the Funding tab on the Early Years Hive.

Further guidance and support are also available on the Early Years Hive in the Equal Start Bia Blasta section of Help and Support.
If you require any further assistance or clarification on the above, please contact the Early Years Provider Centre by raising a Service Request on the Early Years Hive.

Regards,
The Early Years Team

01/09/2026

National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028

Follow the National Action Plan for Childminding (NAPC) on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nationalactionplanforchildminding and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/napchildminding/
Check out our NEW ‘Let’s Talk Childminding’ website for more information: https://www.letstalkchildminding.ie/ See less

01/09/2026

National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028

The future of childminding

01/09/2026

Toddle In Childcare Centre are now hiring for an After School Room Leader.
Click on link for more information: - https://roscommonchildcare.ie/25980-2/

01/09/2026

·
𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
Are you a childminder or parent? Our online childminding focus groups will provide an opportunity for childminders and parents to share their views and experiences.
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE) is inviting childminders and parents to share their experiences and perspectives on the implementation of the new childminding regulations. Feedback gathered through these focus groups will help inform the ongoing review of the regulations and shape future developments in the childminding sector. This is an opportunity to discuss how the regulations are working in practice, the supports available to childminders, any challenges or barriers to registration and compliance, and suggestions for how the system could be improved to better meet the needs of childminders, children and families.
To have your say and join a focus group, book your place now, https://www.gov.ie/.../consult.../lets-talk-childminding/...
Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028