EYES Update 4 June 2020

Despite COVID-19 (coronavirus), Early Childhood Ireland’s Early Years Employer Service (EYES) is here to support you and can be contacted Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, by phone on (01) 405 7103 or by email on eyes@earlychildhoodireland.ie. The EYES team is here to help with a range of issues related to the running of an early years and school aged service, including your questions on COVID-19 (coronavirus). If you can’t get us, please leave a message with your name and phone number and someone will call you back when they are available. 

Programme Support Payments 2019/2020

The DCYA has recently announced that Programme Support Payments (PSP) have opened for applications from 29 May until 12 June.

Members who had been due PSP funding will remember that the DCYA brought forward one-third of their PSP on 17 April to alleviate cash flow shortages during the COVID-19 closures. In order to receive the remaining two-thirds and retain the one third already paid to services, the PSP application form must be completed and submitted by 12 June 2020.

The payment will be calculated as equal to 7 days’ (1.4 weeks’) registrations for ECCE at Standard Capitation, and 14 days’ (2.8 weeks’) registrations for CCS(P) and TEC. The DCYA have also noted that payments for the PSP will be made after the application process closes. The application form for the PSP can be found on the PIP portal.

HSPC Guidance

The HSPC have released the ‘Infection Prevention and Control guidance for settings providing childcare during the COVID-19 Pandemic’. This document can be found here. The guidance sets out the current infection control guidelines for COVID-19 related to early learning and care and school aged childcare facilities.

Allowing Staff Into Settings: Updated Guidance

Members will have received this letter from the Secretary General of the DCYA, Fergal Lynch, which outlines updated guidance regarding providers and staff returning to settings. According to this guidance, and in line with guidance for schools and universities, providers and staff will be able to travel to childcare settings for the purposes of reopening on 29 June. Please be aware that social distancing guidelines should still be maintained, and providers should be mindful of this when assigning duties for staff related to reopening. The Return to Work Safely Protocol will assist in this regard, as well as updated advice from the HSE.

We would advise printing this letter from the DCYA and circulating it all staff who will be travelling to your setting, should they encounter any Gardai enforcing travel restrictions.

AIM Applications

The AIM 2020/2021 programme year is now open for new children starting in the service in September. There is further information available on PIP and the application is available there.

Tusla Letter Regarding Fit For Purpose Inspections

Providers will have recently received a communication from Tusla regarding the proposed resumption of ‘Fit For Purpose inspections’. With providers busy with works for the reopening of their childcare services on 29 June, Tusla are proposing to begin Fit For Purpose inspections for new services and services with pending change of circumstances immediately.

Tusla hope that this will allow more providers to reopen on 29 June and are focussing on areas where there are severe shortages in childcare places. This notice applies to Fit For Purpose inspections only, and Tusla have said that, in the interests of public health, they will aim to spend as little time on premises as possible.

Tusla have also noted that should you be unable to attend your scheduled Fit For Purpose inspection, you can nominate an alternate date by notifying your designated inspector.

Do you have a question for the Early Years Employer Service team?

Please submit your question below and see it featured in upcoming EYES updates in Early Times Weekly.
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