The staffing ratio rules to which the Deputy refers are the responsibility of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) and the HSE.
The Community Employment (CE) programme is a valuable resource in the provision of a range of services to communities, including childcare services. The Department introduced a new CE Childcare Strand at the beginning of 2013 under which there is a dedicated childcare educational programme at FETAC Level 5 for CE participants who work directly with children. This programme has led to the re-structuring of CE childcare provision which will improve the career path for participants who wish to pursue a career in childcare. These improvements provide a more tailored and valuable support to the provision of community childcare. The FETAC Major 5 Award is the entry level requirement to work as a basic practitioner in childcare.
From the Department’s perspective, the status of a CE participant attached to a community childcare centre is, in the first instance, that of a jobseeker seeking a qualification in early childhood education. CE participants are not deemed to be qualified staff but learners in childcare settings.
