Kildare County Childcare Committee

08/09/2026

08/09/2026

Outreach Support for Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare Services

Need a fresh pair of eyes? Looking for support with quality improvement, compliance or team development?

KCCC offers an Outreach Support Service to Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare services across County Kildare.

Whether you are preparing for inspection, developing your Quality Improvement Plan, strengthening leadership, or simply looking for guidance, our Development Officers can provide tailored support that meets the needs of your service.

Outreach support may include:

🍃 Tusla regulatory compliance & CAPAs

🍃 Quality & Inclusive Practice Plan (QIPP)

🍃 Policies, procedures and documentation

🍃 Leadership and management support

🍃 Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI)

🍃 Practice mentoring and quality enhancement

🍃 Signposting to relevant training and resources

Support can be provided as a single consultation or through ongoing mentoring, depending on your service's needs.

To arrange an Outreach Support visit or discuss your service's needs, email Barbara to [email protected] or call 045861307.

07/09/2026

Dear Service Provider,

We are pleased to confirm that AIM Level 7 payments for the 2026/2027 programme call have been processed and should be in bank accounts by 7 September 2026. This marks an important milestone for the 2026/2027 programme year and the introduction of the new streamlined AIM Level 7 application and funding process.

Please note that AIM Level 7 payments for the 2026/2027 programme call will now be made one week in arrears, aligning with ECCE and/or NCS registration and claims.

AIM resources for service providers

A range of supports are available on the AIM Level 7 guidance page in Help & Support:

The how-to guide on understanding AIM Level 7 Capitations and Allocations is available here.
The AIM Level 7 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document is available here.
Contact us

For queries regarding the AIM programme, please contact the Early Years Provider Centre (EYPC) by raising a request on the Early Years Hive using the following categories:

Programme: Select the relevant AIM Level
Request Type: Application
Request Type Detail: How To
Kind regards,

The Early Years Team

07/09/2026

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

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Session 2: Thursday 10 September at 2.30pm

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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

07/09/2026

Introducing Irish in English-Speaking ELC Settings – Community of Professional Practice

🔗 Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/1993608477623?aff=oddtdtcreator

Think introducing Irish in your ELC setting sounds challenging? Why not make it fun? ☘️

Join us for this interactive two-part Community of Professional Practice, hosted by Naíonra Bhóín Dé, and discover how Irish can become a natural and enjoyable part of children's everyday experiences through routines, relationships, play, songs and stories.

You do not need to speak Irish to take part! Whether you're a complete beginner or already have some Irish, this is an opportunity to explore, experiment and learn alongside experienced Naíonra educators and fellow ELC professionals.

Together, we'll explore how introducing Irish can help children connect with our first language, culture and traditions, while also building confidence with language and supporting children's transition into primary school.

Come along, have a go, and discover how a little Irish can make a big difference! 💚☘️

06/09/2026

Children's Participation in Decision-Making – Hub na nÓg Training

How can we make children’s rights and voices a meaningful part of everyday practice? 💚

Join KCCC for this interactive two-part training exploring how rights-based practice, a key principle of the Updated Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, can be brought to life in ELC and SAC settings.

Grounded in children’s rights, this training will explore practical and inclusive ways to listen to children, create meaningful opportunities for participation, and ensure their views are not only heard but can influence what happens in their everyday lives.

The training can also contribute to your service's Quality Improvement Plan (QIPP), supporting your ongoing commitment to rights-based practice and the implementation of the Updated Aistear.

Training Schedule:

Two-part in-person training

📅 Session 1: Monday, 21 September | 5:30pm – 9:00pm
📅 Session 2: Monday, 28 September | 5:30pm – 9:00pm
📍 Kildare County Childcare Committee, Unit 21 Thompson Enterprise Centre, Clane Business Park, Clane, Co. Kildare, W91 E6NY

🔗 Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/1993602098543?aff=oddtdtcreator


💶 Free of charge

05/09/2026

🔔 Calling all SAC providers and coordinators to join the inaugural meeting of the Kildare SAC Network!

Join colleagues from across the county to build relationships, share ideas and strengthen quality practice in School Age Childcare. This new professional network is for SAC owners, managers, leaders and practitioners across County Kildare.

📆 Thursday 17th September 2026

🕖 7.00pm – 8.30pm

📍 Kildare County Childcare Committee Offices

Book your place here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/1993839138536?aff=oddtdtcreator

Why join?

Together we will:

● Connect with colleagues across the SAC sector

● Share practical ideas, experiences and resources

● Explore the National Quality Guidelines and SAC Regulations in practice

● Learn from one another through reflective professional dialogue

● Identify the topics that matter most to you

● Shape the future direction of the Kildare SAC Network



Our first meeting will focus on...

🤝 Getting to know one another

💬 Sharing current opportunities and challenges

📋 Identifying priority topics for future meetings

📅 Agreeing how the network will work moving forward—including meeting frequency, venues and opportunities for ongoing peer support.

04/09/2026

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.

To book your place go to 'Let's talk childminding: https://www.gov.ie/.../consultations/lets-talk-childminding/

03/09/2026

Always Children First – Foundation Training

Protecting children starts with informed, confident professionals. This interactive one-day training equips Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) educators with the knowledge and skills to recognise, respond to, and report child protection and welfare concerns. It also supports services in meeting Children First and Tusla safeguarding requirements.

Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1993597464683?aff=oddtdtcreator

Book your place today and strengthen your safeguarding practice.

❗ Limited places available.

03/09/2026

✨The National Action Plan for Childminding is a pathway that has been developed that sets out steps towards regulation, support and subsidies, for all paid, non-relative childminders.

The Action Plan will involve change and significant benefits for childminders, children and families using their services.

For more information visit:https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/national-action-plan-for-childminding-2021-2028.pdf