Parent & Toddler Group Initiative
Building on the success of the Parent & Toddler Group Initiative in 2007/2008, (a strategic partnership between the Office of the Minister for Children (OMC) and the Katharine Howard Foundation (KHF) under the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP) 2006-2010), grants were awarded to 837 groups throughout the country. The Initiative developed a support and information strategy, in collaboration with the City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs), to assist the promotion and expansion of Parent and Toddler Groups. The objective of the Initiative was to establish a framework by which grants to Parent & Toddler Groups would be administered locally by the CCCs.
This transition has now taken place and the 33 City/County Childcare Committees are working directly with Parent & Toddler Groups in the administration of the grants from 2009. In preparation for the handover KHF has provided each of the CCCs with its list of groups relevant to their area. We have also notified all groups on our database of the contact details for their relevant CCC. However, if you require funding in 2009 and do not know who to contact please see the links page on this website and you will see details of all the City and County Childcare Committees. It is essential for you to contact your local CCC if you require funding or other support.
The Office of the Minister for Children & Youth Affairs (OMCYA) and the 33 CCCs will be responsible for the grant scheme for Parent & Toddler Groups from 2009 and plan to operate this on a flexible basis to respond to the local needs of the groups, and in accordance with agreed national criteria and an approved assessment process. Funding will be available on an annual basis.
Why KHF undertook this work with Parent & Toddler Groups?
KHF specialises in small grants and is particularly interested in supporting groups in disadvantaged areas that encourage integration and the formation of a community spirit. This Initiative gave KHF the opportunity to provide strategic small grants while influencing child and family policy. The partnership with a Government Office ensured that these grants would be provided into the future and become part of child and family support policy. These grants recognise that Parent and Toddler Groups are providing informal support to parents, grandparents and childminders, as well as to young children. The groups are an important source of social contact especially for new parents and families new to an area.
KHF has really enjoyed the contact we have had with all the groups and CCCs under this scheme over the past number of years. We are very pleased with the growth of Parent and Toddler Groups throughout the country and wish all involved continued success in the future. (See below for details of work on the initiative 2008). KHF would also like to acknowledge the support and co-operation it received from staff at the OMCYA and Pobal and to thank all those involved for making the project so successful.
Update on the Initiative
The initiative was very busy in 2008, concentrating on the grants to Parent & Toddler Groups and working more closely with the CCCs toward handing over the grants process at year end. The work included more direct collaboration with 6 CCCs in Strand 2 (see below for further details) and a National Seminar with all the CCCs on Thursday, 23rd October 2008 in the Gresham Hotel in Dublin. The Guidelines for Parent & Toddler Groups, produced by the IPPA, were launched at this seminar by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Mr Barry Andrews. This is a very well produced booklet and provides an important document for Parent & Toddler Groups. The IPPA circulated the Guidelines to all Parent and Toddler Groups on the KHF database, all CCCs and National Voluntary Organisations.
Summary of other main achievements in 2008
Grants 2008:
- A total of €255,697 was allocated in grants in 2008
- 423 groups were supported through grants in 2008 with an average grant of €604
KHF Database:
- There are details of 828 Parent and Toddler Groups on the KHF database
- An average of 50% of groups applied for grants in 2007 and 2008
- KHF has data on the number of Parent and Toddler Groups in each CCC and the number of groups funded per CCC in 2007 and 2008. This information has been passed on to the relevant City & County Childcare Committees.
Advisory Group of the Parent and Toddler Group Initiative:
KHF formed an Advisory Group to oversee the Parent & Toddler Group Initiative. This proved to be a very committed and supportive group which met 5 times since November 2006. A final meeting of this group was held in February 2009. Membership included the following -
- Darragh Doherty Office of the Minister for Children*
- Jenny Eades Pobal**
- Rose Murphy Waterford County Childcare Committee
- Gráinne Burke Barnardos
- Irene Gunning IPPA***
- Breege Ward Parent representative
- Trish O’ Flynn Health Service Executive ****
- Noreen Kearney Katharine Howard Foundation
- Noelle Spring Katharine Howard Foundation
- Marguerite Hanratty Katharine Howard Foundation
* Alternating with Tony Monks
** This position was held by Ruth Shorthall until December 2007
*** Alternating with Marion Brennan
**** Replaced Alex MacLean, HSE in May 2007
Strand 2 – Selection of 6 CCCs:
As part of the development of the Parent and Toddler Group Initiative in 2008 it was agreed that 6 CCCs would be selected to engage more closely with KHF in the implementation of the Initiative. Through discussions between OMC, Pobal and KHF a number of selection criteria were agreed including ensuring the process is open and transparent and provides for:
- A broad representative sample of CCCs including rural/urban mix and large/small;
- A regional approach including the Border (1), Midlands (1), East (2), South(1) and West (1) regions.
The following 6 CCCs fitted the above criteria and agreed to take part in Strand 2 of the Parent and Toddler Group Initiative 2008:
- Donegal
- Carlow
- Fingal
- Offaly
- Waterford County
- Limerick City
Strand 2 was very successful and KHF is very grateful and appreciative of the co--operation it received from the 6 CCCs involved. The main elements of this work included:
- Tracking the learning – this included each of the 6 CCCs identifying its involvement with Parent & Toddler Groups to date and setting out a workplan for 2008. At the close of the year, each CCC reflected on the progress it had made and recorded its progression with Parent & Toddler Groups.
- Grant process – each of the 6 CCCs undertook to directly assist the groups in their city/county to apply and obtain a grant and set an assessment process in place and fed decisions back to KHF.
- Sharing the learning – having assisted KHF to adapt mechanisms for the 2009 process, they planned and directly took part in the National Seminar in October 2008.
Evaluation/Documenting of the Parent and Toddler Group Initiative:
- KHF plans to produce a community matters newsletter on the Parent and Toddler Group Initiative in early 2009. This will be available in hard copy and on our website when it is produced.
- KHF also intends to review all the information and documentation gathered on the Initiative with a view to deciding on the best approach to documenting the information and the learning from the Initiative.
If you require any further information on this Initiative, please contact us.