Childcare Provider Bulletin - March 2022!

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Childcare Provider Bulletin March 2022

Welcome to our March e-newsletter, designed to keep you regularly informed of latest news, information and developments relevant to the childcare sector.

We would appreciate your feedback on the e-newsletter and if there is anything you would like us to include or clarify then please let us know by emailing fis@caerphilly.gov.uk

Please note: You will receive this bulletin in Welsh in a separate email.

Childcare Offer

Childcare Offer summer term applications now open!

Applications for families with childcare born between 01/1/2019 and 31/03/2019 are now open.

Application forms are available on the council's website at www.caerphilly.gov.uk/childcareoffer

Please advise any parents you work with who have eligible children.

Review of the Childcare Offer for Wales hourly rate

Following a review of the hourly rate, the Welsh Government have announced an additional £6m in funding per year to support an 11% increase in the hourly rate, raising it from the current £4.50 per hour to £5 per hour from April. They will also be providing additional funding of £1.5m to support the continued alignment of the Foundation Phase nursery and childcare funding rates under the Childcare Offer and an additional £3.5m investment in Flying Start childcare.

This increase will help provide greater sustainability across the childcare sector in Wales, ensuring working parents can continue to benefit from the Childcare Offer. It will also enable the continued provision of high-quality care and education, giving children the very best start in life. To support this, they have also committed to review the rate at least every three years.

In addition to an increase in the hourly rate paid for childcare, the maximum amount settings can charge for food will also increase from £7.50 to £9 a day, reflecting the increase in both food prices and utility and energy prices.

Click here to read the statement from the Welsh Government.

Childcare Offer for Wales – Update on New National Digital Service

The timing of the rollout of the national digital service has changed. The service will now be rolled out from autumn 2022.

FAQs for providers are available on https://gov.wales/childcare-offer-wales-national-digital-service and will be updated as we have more information to share with you.

The Digital Communities Wales (DCW) training which is referred to within the flyer for information can be accessed via the below link.

The Digital Communities Wales (DCW) training which is referred to within the flyer for information can be accessed via the below link.

Essential Digital Skills for Childcare providers (gov.wales)


ComIT: Speech, Language and Communication (SLC) Training

SLC

Thursday 3 March 6.30 – 7.30pm or Wednesday 9 March 6.30 – 7.30pm. Online via MS Teams.

Request to join the ComIT EY SLC MS TEAM

If you have any queries, please contact your Early Years team or email ComIT@Torfaen.gov.uk


Monitoring Grant

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National Minimum Standards – changes to qualification requirements reminder

NMS

The Out of School Childcare Sector (this does not include Childminders) have until September 2022 to ensure 50% of their staff are qualified to at least level 2 in Playwork with 50% of those qualified holding a full level 3 Playwork qualification.

The letter that has been circulated widely can be found here: Extension to the deadline for achieving a required qualification to comply with the National Minimum Standards (gov.wales)

If you or your staff need to upskill, funded Playwork qualifications are available through Colleges, training providers and organisations such as Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids Clubs.


A Bright Start for Every Deaf Child

Baby ear

The National Deaf Children’s Society are running four live and free online sessions to give those working in the early years, information and ideas to support deaf children.  Whether you currently have deaf children in your setting or not, these sessions will help you reflect on your practise and equip you to be ready for deaf children now or in the future.

You will also receive two recorded webinars on sensory storytelling and using basic BSL if you attend one or more of the four.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-bright-start-for-every-deaf-child-tickets-213430776197


Have your say on this e-bulletin

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The aim of this monthly provider e-bulletin was to reduce the number of emails we send you by replacing them with this monthly e-bulletin containing the latest news, information and developments relevant to your business.

Facts and figures

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These figures have been very encouraging and want to take this opportunity to stress the important of reading this bulletin when it arrives in your inbox so that you are kept informed of the very latest information, regulations, grants, guidance, and services relevant to you. 

As the bulletin has been up and running for six months now, we would appreciate your views by completing this short survey.

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