A far-reaching initiative to improve childcare in Ireland got under way yesterday.
A new umbrella group,The National Voluntary Childcare Organisation, launched a collaborative plan which is the result of five years' work.
The new group, launched at a conference in Dublin, is composed of Barnardos, Childminding Ireland, Children in Hospital Ireland, Forbairt Naonraí Teo, the Irish Pre-School Playgroups Association, The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the National Children's Nurseries Association, St Nicholas Montessori Society and the Steiner Waldorf Association.
It will help the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in its plans to formulate the Quality Childcare Initiative in order to build support for those working in the childcare sector and to provide assistance to families who use the services of the sector.
The launch is the result of work over five years to develop a structured and cohesive childcare body in Ireland.
Nearly €5 million was made available to the programme under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme, an EU funded initiative and the National Development Plan.