Please click here for information on Free Talk – Social Media Information Session being held on 20^th February 2020 in City Hotel Derry.

Employers For Childcare’s Northern Ireland Childcare Survey 2020 for parents and childcare providers is now open! With Government at Stormont back up and running, and childcare a key priority, policy-makers need to hear your views on what is needed in terms of better support for childcare here and the provision of an affordable, accessible childcare infrastructure.

There are two surveys, one for parents and one for childcare providers. Each takes less than ten minutes to complete and your time is very much appreciated.

Parents: you’ll be in with a chance to win an overnight stay at the luxury Galgorm Resort & Spa in a two bedroom cottage, with breakfast and access to the Thermal Spa Village!

Click here to complete the Parent survey

Childcare providers: you’ll be in with a chance to win a £100 Boots voucher!

Click here to complete the Childcare provider survey

Now in its 11^th year, the Northern Ireland Childcare Survey is a vital source of information for policy makers, so ensure your voice is heard in the campaign to ensure Northern Ireland has an accessible, high quality and affordable childcare infrastructure that meets the needs of children, parents and childcare providers.

Find out more at www.employersforchildcare.org

The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) is carrying out a stakeholder engagement process to develop the PEACE PLUS programme for 2021-2027 period.

The SEUPB would like to invite you to share your views on what PEACE PLUS should be focusing on. For this SEUPB would encourage you to respond our Stakeholder Engagement Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PEACEPLUS

As stated in Stakeholder Engagement Survey, please be aware that for responses to be considered it is required to complete the name and address of the individual OR organisation responding.

“This survey requires you to provide your name and postal address. This is for verification purposes only and to prevent multiple responses from the same person or organisation. No anonymous responses will be considered.”

If you have already submitted a response, but you did not provide the name and address information, please re-submit your answer so that it can be considered and your views taken into account. Also, despite not needing to answer all questions, please ensure that you click the Submit button on page 11, as the SEUPB can only consider submitted responses.

For any queries regarding the survey please contact: PEACEPLUS@seupb.eu<mailto:PEACEPLUS@seupb.eu

Please click here for information and booking form for the Belfast Childcare Partnership Event – Hear Our Voice: Improving Access and Inclusion for Children With Additional Needs.

 If you are interested in attending please complete the booking form and return it to clover.gabbidon-lyttle@hscni.net by 28^th February 2020.

Parenting NI are offering all schools, organisations and community groups etc. the opportunity to avail of the special offer for the “Children’s Emotional Health” two hour workshop for £250 to buy in for their parents.  Please click here for more information and contact details.

If you have any questions about the workshop, please contact Maria Rogan on 02890 310891 or maria@parentingni.org.

Work is progressing on the development of an Executive Childcare Strategy for Northern Ireland. To ensure we have a better understanding of both the opportunities and challenges for childcare provision, PlayBoard is undertaking a State of the Sector survey. This survey offers an opportunity to gather a range of information about practice and provision, the characteristics of the workforce and importantly your views on the challenges facing the sector now and in the future. The results of this survey will help inform and facilitate policy discussions.

The effectiveness of the survey relies on YOUR participation in completing the questionnaire. ALL School Age Childcare Providers, regardless of sector and no matter how large or small are encouraged to help inform PlayBoard’s 2020 State of the Sector Report by completing this survey.

Help shape the future of School Age Childcare Services here in Northern Ireland. Please complete the questionnaire by 27 January 2020.

Go to https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SchoolAgeChildcareSurvey2020

The Pathway Fund 2020/2021 is now open for applications.  Please click here to download the information leaflet for details.

For further information, please visit Early Years website www.early-years.org/pathway-fund.  Alternatively, call The Pathway Fund office on (028) 9066 2825 (option 2) or email thepathwayfund@early-years.org 

**Content relates to the Pathway Fund arrangements for 2020/21.  Arrangements beyond 2020/21 will be determined at a later date**

The Pathway Fund in 2020/21 is subject to the availability of Department of Education (DE) funding.

Please click here for information on a workshop in the Western CCP area ‘Supporting Pre-School Children’s Development in Early Years Settings: Exploring the HighScope Approaches to Learning Content Area. 

Please click here to view the BBC’s Tiny Happy People December Newsletter

Singing with Santa

On 9^th December all 9 Belfast Sure Start programs came together for the first ever performance by the Sure Start Parent and Staff Choir.  The Singing with Santa Event at St Anne’s Cathedral event was attended by parents and children under 4 from across the city, bringing festive cheer and a clear message that singing is good for you!

The Social Care and Children’s Directorate in the Health and Social Care Board is funded by the Department of Education to manage and administer the 38 Sure Start Projects across Northern Ireland. Together with the Childcare Partnerships they are delighted to share news of this joyful event.

Directed by Julie Allen of Everyday Harmony, the 50 strong choir performed pop classics and Christmas numbers – all with a feel good factor and enthusiastic audience participation. Santa and Elf on the Shelf also made an appearance.

This is the first time that all 9 Sure Start Programs in Belfast have come together and Lead Speech and Language Therapist for Sure Start Anne McKee said “Singing together makes us feel good. When we feel good that has a positive impact on those around us – our children, our families, our colleagues. For parents in particular, when they feel positive they have more head space to engage with their children in an attuned and responsive way.  These attuned and responsive interactions make a big difference to a child’s developing brain, to how they learn to talk, to think, to play and make friends.”

The “Singing with Santa event was supported by the PHA and organised in partnership with the Belfast Trust Arts in Health Programme, led by Paula McHugh, who said “Evidence is growing in support of arts in health both within healthcare setting and the community. This event is part of a wider Singing for Health strategy in Sure Start.  The focus of the strategy is on the mental and physical health benefits of singing to parents and therefore, in turn, to their children.”

Sure Start Projects support families with children under 4 years old, living in disadvantaged areas.  They provide a range of programmes to enable parents to give their children the best start in life. Programmes aim to support a child’s language and learning skills, health and well-being, social and emotional development.

• Click here to view media coverage.

• Click here to view photos from the event.

• Click here for Radio link (time for Singing with Santa is featured at 1:26:24)

Sure Start Background Info

Sure Start is a Programme targeted at parents and children under the age of four living in the most disadvantaged areas. There are 38 Sure Start projects across Northern Ireland. It brings together health, family support and early education services which are designed to support children’s learning skills, health and well-being, and social and emotional development. Services are offered both in the home and in group based settings.  Each Sure Start Project has a Speech and Language Therapist to support the development of every child’s speech, language and communication.

http://childcarepartnerships.hscni.net/sure-starts/

Everyday Harmony (formerly Northern Ireland Music Therapy Trust)

Every Day Harmony is passionate about, and committed to supporting, people who find communication and interaction difficult. This may be for a defined period in someone’s life or as the result of a lifelong condition. We believe that because music is a fundamental part of being human, it crosses all barriers.

http://www.everydayharmony.org/about-us/

BHSCT Arts in Health

Belfast Trust’s Arts in Health Programme aims to offer better health and wellbeing through access to the arts for all who come into contact with Belfast Trust. For further information contact Paula McHugh, Arts in Health Manager paula.mchugh@belfastrust.hscni.net