What is a Parent & Toddler Group?

A Parent & Toddler group is usually a group of adults and children, who get together to provide activities for children under the age of 5. They are usually run by parents so that parents, grandparents, guardians, childminders and carers can attend, together with their children for a small charge, which helps pay for the toys, insurance, craft activities and refreshments.

How old can my child be, before they can attend?

You can attend a Parent & Toddler Group with a new-born baby, a baby who has just learnt to sit, a toddler and a pre-schooler, or a combination of the above. The earlier you attend, the more likely you are to establish long-term friendships with other parents, you are able to share the expertise of other parents - if you feel you are on your own, struggling with your baby's demands or feel isolated, or just want to make friends who are interested and enthusiastic about your baby too - then Parent & Toddler Group is perhaps the place to find them.

What does it offer my child?

This really depends on what the group actually offers within the sessions, but it is sure to cover a range of the activities for pre-school age children, and provide some of the firm foundations that under three's need.

Local groups can offer:

• Group activities when the children all sit together - great social skills!
• Opportunity for children to run around, use large motor skills and try out a variety of ride on toys.
• Crafts - painting, college, chalk, colouring, sticking and more, sometimes related to themes, so you may actually get a card on Mothers Day!
• Opportunity for messy play - playdough, sand, exploring soil or water.
• Opportunity to recreate roles, dressing up or playing in the home corner.
• Stories and singing as a group, or even music and movement sessions.
• New experiences with special visitors - firemen, librarian, postman, gardai etc.
• Table top activities - puzzles, simple games, books to share.
• A carpeted area for the babies with activity frames, cushions and baby toys.
• Friendship and support to carers, and parents.

Benefits to Children  

• Children get to interact with other children, while their parents / carers are close by: this helps to build the child’s confidence and social skills.
• Parent & Toddler Groups are a great stepping stone in preparing children for playgroup / pre-school.
• They provide children with opportunities which may not be available at home such as messy play, creative play, songs and stories

Benefits to Parents

• Great way to meet other parents in the locality, to share experiences and glean support from others in similar circumstances.
• Social contact with other adults as Parent & Toddler Groups may be the only social contact for some parents / carers so these meetings help reduce and prevent isolation.
• Parent & Toddler Groups can be a great social network and can be especially helpful to parents who do not have family support close by.

Guidelines for setting up a Parent & Toddler Group

• Get support from wherever possible e.g. Offaly County Childcare Committee Ltd, HSE, IPPA etc.
• Form a committee and elect officers i.e. Chairperson, Treasurers, Secretary, Health & Safety Person and perhaps PRO.
• Decide on a suitable premises or location for the Parent & Toddler Group meeting and ask the local Fire Officer to check the building to advice on fire drills and fire safety issues.
• Organise insurance (IPPA operates a group insurance scheme for Parent & Toddler Groups).
• Open a Bank Account in the name of the group with three signatories (usually the two Treasurers and the Chairperson).
• Decide on and set down the operating rules of the Group which may act as the Group constitution.
• Decide on a draft action plan for three months (This can be expanded to an Annual Plan when the group is well established).
• Apply for funding

How are Parent & Toddler Groups run?

• Most Groups are run by a committee comprising of a Chairperson, Secretary, 2 Treasurers and PRO.
• All other members of the Group also form part of the Committee.
• Most groups will have a planning meeting before starting the Group. At this meeting the group will decide on their aims and objectives, activities for the near future and a daily routine for the Group
• Many members of the group will have hidden talents - some will be great organisers, some will be ideas people, some will be arty, some will love reading aloud, some will be able to sing and play musical instruments. Harness the talent within the group to ensure a communal effort.

Toys & Equipment

General

• Suitable chairs and tables for adults
• Tea-making equipment
• Cups and beakers
• Nappy-changing facilities in a separate area from the children.
• A secure gate / barrier to prevent the children leaving the building or accessing areas which could present a danger e.g. kitchen, stairs etc

For Babies

• A safe area with soft flooring
• Soft toys
• Rattles
• Coloured bricks
• Ball pool
• Activity centres

For Crawlers

• If space permits cordon off a separate area with roll along toys, stacking toys, coloured bricks, cars, dolls, cloth books etc

For Toddlers

• Dolls, teddies, prams and push chairs
• Sit and ride toys
• Garage and cars
• Jigsaws
• Building blocks
• Dress up clothes
• A toy kitchen
• Coloured hard back books
• Play dough
• Paint
• Arts & Crafts materials
• If space permits, sand and water play provides good development opportunities for toddlers but needs to be supervised closely

Day to Day Running of Group

• Block book premises
• Organise key for unlocking & lock up at end of session
• Set up premises
• Welcome parents / carers and get them to sign in
• Register new parents and record them in the register and accounts book
• Organise drinks and snacks in a separate area
• Supervise play activities
• Welcome guest speakers
• Advertise service
• Keep records of all the Group Activities, especially the financial transactions

Tip: A job bag – each job goes into a hat and as the adults register they pull out their task for the day – great for the task shirkers in a group!!!!!

For further information and support on setting up a Parent and Toddler Group in your area contact Sheena on 057 9135878 or email sheena@offalychildcare.com

To find a Parent & Toddler Group CLICK HERE

Insurance for Parent & Toddler Groups

Early Childhood Ireland run a Group Insurance Scheme for Parent and Toddler groups. For details, please contact Early Childhood Ireland on 01 405 7100 or log onto www.earlychildhoodireland.ie

 The CCSPlus Programme is now CLOSED for applications

Please see the National Childcare Scheme

The TEC Programme is no longer available.

   Please see the National Childcare Scheme for details on how to apply for subsidies  

Every child is different and therefore different childcare solutions may be required from one child to another. The most important thing in choosing good childcare is that the environment encourages your child to develop and learn, to explore, think, become more independent, make new friends and feel safe, secure and valued and that the environment is safe and healthy for your child.

Several research studies have found that high quality child care facilities have certain characteristics in common. These characteristics can help parents make better child care choices for their children because they indicate a much greater likelihood of high quality care. Quality indicators measure the conditions that generally foster a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment for children. Some of these are:

• Low child/childcare worker ratios
• Small group sizes
• Staff with high levels of staff qualifications and training & on-going training
• Low staff turnover
• Positive childcare worker/child interactions
• Age appropriate activities
• Good health & safety practices
• Professionally developed curriculum
• Monitoring and inspection

A good quality childcare facility will be happy to talk to parents about the service, the policies and procedures in place, the staff that will be providing care to the child and the activities that the child will be involved in, along with fees and other relevant information. Under the CHILD CARE ACT 1991 (EARLY YEARS SERVICES) REGULATIONS 2016 , part IV, it states that a person delivering a pre-school service shall provide a parent or guardian of a pre-school child proposing to attend the service with the information referred to in Regulation (16) (1) (a), (b), (d), (e), (f) and (g) of these Regulations as follows, in relation to the service:-

• the name, position, qualifications and experience of the person in charge and of every other employee, unpaid worker and contractor                  
• details of the class of service and the age profile of children for which the service is registered to provide services
• the type of care or programme provided in the service
• the facilities available
• the opening hours and fees
• the policies, procedures and statements the service is required to maintain in accordance with Regulation 10

Below you will find some tips from Tulsa and Barnardos on choosing an Early Years Service for your child:  

TULSA:  https://www.tusla.ie/services/preschool-services/tips-for-parents/

BARNARDOS:  https://shop.barnardos.ie/products/ebook-qualityearlyyearscareandeducation 

Staff
The staff should be warm, friendly, have training in childcare, first aid, child protection. They should be good at communicating with children as well as adults. The atmosphere should be warm, welcoming and relaxed and children should look comfortable and appear relaxed. There should be obvious positive interaction between staff and children.

Check if a key worker will be assigned to your child. This means that one childcare worker has primary responsibility for gathering in-depth knowledge of your child, based on observations and interactions. The Key Worker will foster close bonds with a small number of children in a way that large groups cannot easily do. These groups allow the key person to better “tune into” children’s play and their conversations, to really get to know the children in their group well. Children feel settled and happy and are more confident to explore and as a result become more capable learners. Parents should be given the opportunity to have brief discussions about their child’s development with the key worker and have the opportunity to talk through the child’s records. The transition from home to service can be a big step for children of all ages but that transition is made that much easier with the help of a key worker.

There should be a sufficient number of adults for the number of children in the care setting. There are regulations in place as regards adult-child ratios. Check how many children will be in the room at any one time and how many adults will be in the room with the children. The staff should provide a daily and weekly routine that is child centred and this routine should be explained to parents. The routine should be flexible and incorporate choice for the children. Check how the service deals with negative interactions and whether or not there is a positive behaviour policy in place.

Premises
The premises in which the childcare is provided should be bright, welcoming, and clean, in good repair with enough space indoors and outdoors for children to play freely and safely. There should be4 a designated sleep area, which is well ventilated. Sleep rooms should be monitored. There should be safe, secure and clean nappy changing areas.

Equipment
Equipment and toys used should be in good condition and there should be a range available to stimulate all ages and stages of the child’s development. All materials especially art materials should be non-toxic. Resources should be accessible to the children and at child level.

Safety
There should be locks on cupboards that contain items not suitable for children; all toxic materials should be stored out of reach. There should be adequate fire safety and first aid equipment and a security system in place to prevent visitors from entering freely and without permission. Windows and doors should be secure. If food is prepared on the premises it should be clean and hygienic.

Curriculum & Activities
Services must provide an appropriate educational programme for the children in pre-school. There are two national frameworks which services should have incorporated into their programmes – Síolta and Aistear.

Síolta is designed to support practitioners to develop high quality services for children aged from birth to 6 years of age and is relevant to all settings where children spend time out of the out-of-home environment. Aistear supports practitioners in planning for and providing enriching, challenging and enjoyable learning opportunities for children from birth to 6 years.

The aim of both frameworks is to help each child to grow and develop as competent and confident learners within loving, nurturing relationships with adults and peers. There should be plenty of activities going on and for the children to choose from. The room should be divided into different play areas.

Policies & Procedures
The types of policies and procedures in place depend on the type of service you are visiting. All services will have a registration form. Some may have a parents handbook and a service contract to avoid any misunderstanding. Full day-care facilities require more policies than a sessional or childminding service. Ask the service what policies or procedures are in place and if you can view these or have a copy.

Some of the more commonplace policies are as follows:-

• HR Policies on Recruitment, Training, Garda Vetting, Confidentiality, Reference Checking
• Health & Safety Policies such as Child Protection, Accident Prevention, Fire Safety, Administration of Medication, First Aid, Immunisation, Toileting & Nappy Changing, Hygiene, Cleaning and Checking of Premises and Equipment, Head Lice, Illness
• Administration policies on Admissions, Fees, Payment, Collection of Children, Record Keeping, Social Media, Complaints, Communication and contact with parents, Settling In Periods
• Curriculum and Early Years Education policies on Positive Behaviour Management, Equal Opportunities, Curriculum and Activities, Language, Bullying

Fees
Before enrolling your child in a childcare service you need to find out the following in relation to fees:-

• When are fees paid – in advance or in arrears?
• How often are fees paid – weekly, fortnightly, monthly?
• Do you pay for days when child is not in the service?
• What days/weeks does the service close in the year?
• Is the service closed during school holidays?
• Is there a reduction / discount if there is more than one child from the same family?
• Are there any additional costs for food, photocopying, trips and so on and if so how much are they and when are these paid for?
• What childcare funding programmes does the facility participate in – ECCE, CCS Plus, NCS

Food
Most services provide a snack to children. Some services provide food whilst in others the parents provide food. Check with the service what their policy is as regards food is and what their daily menu consists of. The majority of services now have a healthy eating policy.

Offaly County Childcare Committee compiled a publication called 'A Parent's Guide to Choosing Childcare'. Choosing a childcare service for your child can be a very anxious time for parents. As a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure that your child is safe and  in a childcare environment that is fun, educational and nurturing. This booklet was prepared by Offaly County Childcare Committee to help parents to identify the types of childcare options that are available and to assist parents in making an informed choice that suits you and your child or children. To obtain a copy of this booklet, please contact the office on 057-9135878.  

There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing childcare in your area. Services tend to be either based in a childcare facility run by either Community or Private Providers or based in the home (either the child’s own home or in the home of a Child-minder). The option you choose depends on the services in your area and the needs of you and your child.

It can help to become familiar with some of the terms involved.

• Child-minding Ireland website www.childminding.ie
• Choosing a Chidminder, A Guide for Parents:  file:///Y:/Website/childminders/Choosing%20a%20Childminder%20-%20A%20Guide%20for%20Parents.pdf
  

Some of the services offered by childcare facilities are as follows:-

Crèche / Day Care: (Full Day Care)
Full Day-Care services normally open for between 8 and 10 hours per day and for approximately 50 weeks of the year. Full Day-Care caters for children from approximately 6 months to 6 years, but because many full day-care services incorporate other sessional services such as Pre-School, After School and Breakfast Clubs, they can also cater for children up to 10 - 12 years. Full day care services normally offer children a hot meal and a snack during the day. Full Day Care services come under the Pre-School Regulations and are subject to inspections by the Pre-School Inspection Team.

Pre-School / Playgroup: (Sessional Service)
Pre-School / Playgroup is a service offering a planned programme of activities to pre-school children for a total of not more than 3.5 hours per session. Since the introduction of the ECCE scheme (free pre-school year), the majority of pre-school sessional services are operational for 3 hours a day, in line with the ECCE hours. All sessional services use the approach of learning through play and while curriculum and/or delivery methods may vary, all sessional services offer a programme of activities and must use the National Quality Frameworks (Aistear & Síolta), if they are in contract for the ECCE. Pre-school sessional services must notify the HSE that they are operational and are subject to inspections by the Pre-School Inspection Team.

After School Service: (Sessional Service)
After School Care is an out of school service catering for children of school-going age. Typically, after school services operate for a minimum of 3 hours per day and up to 5 hours per day depending on the need in the area. Many services in Offaly operate from 2pm to 6pm but it can vary from service to service. Usually after school services will offer children a snack, supervised homework and an extra-curricular activity. After School services in Ireland are not currently regulated and therefore are not subject to inspections.

Breakfast Club: (Sessional Service)
Breakfast Clubs normally open for between 1.5 and 2 hours daily, depending on the need of parents in the locality. The majority of services open from 8.00am to 9.30am to facilitate working parents who need to start work earlier than their children start school. Many breakfast clubs offer children a drink and toast.

Naíonra 
A Naíonra is a playgroup or pre-school for children, which operates through the medium of Irish. The child is given the opportunity to acquire Irish naturally through the medium of play. The Naíonra are usually attached to a Gaelscoil. Attendance supports and prepares children of pre-school age in making the transition from home to school and in learning the language and may be of benefit when it comes to entry into the Gaelscoil.

Drop-In Service 
Drop-in services are generally offered by establishments such as hotels, leisure centres and gyms, shopping centres to allow parents to avail of other services, to attend an event or activity for a limited timeframe, whilst their children are cared for.

Parent and Toddler Groups 
Parent and Toddler Groups usually meet once or twice a week for 2-3 hours. Parents/minders/guardians remain with the children during the session and are responsible for the care and supervision of the child at all times. Groups give children under three the opportunity to play and socialise with other young children, to access a range of play equipment and provides a stepping stone for children who are preparing for pre-school. This promotes independence whilst still providing security for the child knowing the parent is close by for reassurance. This can be a great help in building a child’s confidence. Anecdotally, parents report that the friends made in parent and toddler group often continue into pre-school and onto primary school.

Parent & Toddler Groups have the added advantage of giving parents an opportunity to meet other parents in the locality, building a support network where parental issues can be discussed, advice and ideas shared in a friendly, informal environment. It is also a way of meeting other parents in similar circumstances or at a similar stage and it can be reassuring to realise that there are other people going through the same experiences. These groups can provide a great support network and also provide the basis for lifelong friendships, which is especially helpful to parents who do not have family support close by.