Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth of Ireland

05/04/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/04/2024 20:25

Minister O'Gorman launches call for proposals from early learning and childcare support organisations for 2025 funding programme

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O'Gorman, today (5 April 2024) launched a call for proposals under the Programme for Support Organisations to Early Learning and Care, School Age Childcare and Childminding Sector 2025.

The purpose of the Programme is to enable organisations that support the early learning and childcare sector to submit a funding proposal for work that they will undertake to directly facilitate and support, or compliment, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) early learning and childcare policy objectives in 2025.

€2.54 million is available through this Programme, with applications considered under the following overarching themes in 2025:

• Support national practice programmes;

• Research;

• Resource Development;

• Continuous Professional Development (CPD) content development;

• CPD training delivery on behalf of the Department;

• Irish language supports;

• Practice innovation;

• Childminding (Childminding work must support the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021 - 2028 ).

Minister O'Gorman said:

"The process will be open to non-governmental organisations or not-for-profit organisations with special interests and expertise in the early learning and childcare, school-age childcare and childminding sector.

"My Department is looking for innovative solutions or supports and applications may be submitted by individual support organisations or by a consortium."

The process for allocating funding under this Programme in 2025 will change from previous years. For the 2025 Programme, there will be a two-phase application process.

Phase 1 is a call for outline proposals. Applications under this Phase must be submitted by 19 April 2024, with the outcome of this Phase communicated on 10 May 2024.

Successful applicants in Phase 1 will be requested to submit a full proposal by 31 May 2024.

The programme application guidelines and application forms are available on the Pobal website: www.pobal.ie

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) has designated eight overarching themes for 2025. The table below provides information on these themes and some examples of potential proposal content/focus.

Theme Overarching Themes Theme - Examples of Work
1 Support National Practice Programmes National Síolta Aistear Initiative (NSAI) implementation, such as :

• curriculum development planning & self-assessment practice

• implementation of Aistear Siolta Practice Guide

• how Aistear/Síolta can be applied to childminders

2 Research Research practice in areas such as:

• outdoor learning and development

• Science Technology Engineering Maths (STEM),

• the Arts,

• relationships/partnership with parents,

• Inclusion,

• Play,

• digital learning,

• literacy,

• play in the home setting,

• practice with mixed age groups in the home setting

Research, in line with actions in Nurturing Skills, such as:

• good practice in effective induction processes,

• leadership and management skills specific to ELC and SAC

3 Resource Development Digital practice exemplars through guidelines, manuals, vignettes linking to one of the overarching themes
4 CPD content development CPD content development in areas such as:

• School-Aged Childcare,

• Creative Arts,

• Science Technology Engineering Maths (STEM),

• Outdoor Learning and Play,

• Literacy,

• Digital literacy,

• Plurilingualism,

• Childminding,

• Education for sustainable development

• Basic introduction to NSAI for childminders

5 CPD training delivery on behalf of DCEDIY Irish language CPD & Linked to development of resources or Department policy
6 Irish Language Supports Resource development to support Irish-medium ELC and SAC provision on a whole-country basis across both Gaeltacht and non-Gaeltacht areas, in line with the Comprehensive Plan for Irish Language Provision in the Early Years Sector currently being developed
7 Practice innovation Practice innovation in areas, such as:

• English as a second language,

• outdoor learning and development,

• the Arts, Children's participation,

• Pedagogical ethos support,

• relationships/partnership with parents;

• quality practice in a childminding setting,

• education for sustainable development,

• minority languages including Irish,

• school-age childcare

8 Childminding Childminding in areas, such as:

• regulatory supports,

• practice support,

• pedagogy development,

• practice with the under 3s,

• sustainable business model development,

• quality supports