From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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• Regulations provide important safeguards for children and quality assurance for parents.
• First official recognition of childminders as part of the early years sector.
• Regulations pave the way for childminders to come into the National Childcare Scheme.
Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, today announced the publication of the new Childminding Regulations, which will come into effect on 30 September. This is the first time that childminders will be able to register with Tusla under new regulations that reflect the home and family setting in which childminders work and that take into account the unique features of childminding.
The introduction of the Childminding Regulations follows through on a commitment in the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028.
From 30 September, it will be possible for childminders to start applying to Tusla to go through the registration process. Once registered by Tusla, childminders can then also apply to take part in the National Childcare Scheme.
An extensive consultation process on the Draft Regulations took place in the first half of the year with childminders, parents and other stakeholders. As a result of the consultation process, a number of significant changes have been made in the regulations that are now being published.
The Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Childminding Services) Regulations 2024 are due to be commenced on 30 September. Relevant sections of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024 will be commenced on the same day and, in line with the Act, there will be a transition period of three years following the commencement of the Regulations. During this 3-year transition period, childminders will be able to register with Tusla, but they will not be required to do so.
Minister O’Gorman said
“I am delighted to announce the publication of Childminding-specific Regulations. Childminders play a hugely important role in caring for children in every community in this country, both rural and urban. This is a historic day for childminders and for the many families who use childminders every day.
Since coming into office, I have been committed to the extension of regulation and supports to all paid, non-relative childminders, which in turn will open up the National Childcare Scheme to parents who use childminders. A priority for me has been to ensure that these new regulations are proportionate and appropriate to the home and family setting in which childminders work, whilst ensuring the necessary safeguards for the protection of children.”
Kate Duggan CEO Tusla said
“Tusla welcomes the new childminding-specific regulations. Childminders across Ireland play an important role in supporting children and families. The regulations have been developed in close cooperation with childminders, ensuring they are mindful of the home setting. We will provide a supportive compliance approach by working with childminders to help them achieve registration.”
Tusla’s Early Years Inspectorate are responsible for implementing the regulations and will commence registration for child minders on 30 September. The regulations will support child safeguarding and quality assurance in the care of children, and recognise the essential services provided to parents by childminders.”
For further information about the regulations see www.gov.ie/childminding and www.tusla.ie/early-years-inspectorate/childminding-services. Childminders can also get more information from the Childminding Development Officer in their local City / County Childcare Committee (contact details at www.myccc.ie. )
In addition to the Childminding Regulations, Minister O’Gorman announced the publication of the independent report on the public consultation on the Draft Regulations. This report is accompanied by the Department’s response document that sets out in detail the ways in which the regulations were amended in response to the public consultation.
A Regulatory Impact Analysis is also published.
ENDS
1. Regulations
The Childminding Services Regulations can be viewed here: www.gov.ie/childminding.
2. Childcare subsidies for parents:
The main route through which parents are subsidised for their early learning and childcare costs is the National Childcare Scheme. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the National Childcare Scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered providers are eligible to participate in the Scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes to Tusla-registered childcare providers helps to ensure that public funding is provided where there is assurance of the quality of provision. Therefore, only childminders who are registered with Tusla will be able to offer the National Childcare Scheme to the families that avail of their services.
3. Changes in response to the public consultation:
Public consultation on the Draft Regulations took place over a 12-week period from February to May 2024. Research Matters, an independent team of researchers, were commissioned to analyse the findings of the consultation on the draft regulations. Their analysis is presented in the consultation report available here. In addition, further consultation with childminders and Childminding Ireland took place through to July 2024.
There were over 1,000 inputs into the consultation process. The online survey had 664 responses, including 243 childminders and 327 parents. In addition, 52 focus groups were held to allow more in-depth discussion, with at least one in every county, and 216 childminders took part in the focus groups. There were 90 written submissions, with 79 from childminders. And there were 35 participants from 28 organisations in a national stakeholder organisation event.
While the consultation showed continuing support for the principle of regulation of childminding, and support for many specific aspects of the proposed regulations, a range of suggestions were made for amendments to the draft regulations.
In response to the consultation findings, a number of significant changes have been made to the draft regulations. The revisions focus strongly on reflecting the home and family setting in which childminding takes place, while ensuring the appropriate safeguards for children and offering assurance to parents of the safety and quality of the childminding setting.
Changes made to the regulations in response to the public consultation are set out in the Department’s response document here , along with explanations of proposals made in the consultation process that did not result in changes or that are being addressed in ways other than through Regulations.