| Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2021/2022 survey is now available on the Early Years Hive Dear Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare provider, We are pleased to advise you that the Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2021/2022 survey is now available on the Early Years Hive. This year, the Sector Profile is more important than ever. Spring 2022 is a unique point in time for the sector with the end of pandemic measures and imminent introduction of a major new funding stream, Core Funding. This is an optimal time to capture essential information about the sector. Importantly, it also provides a baseline to assess the impact of Core Funding against. As always, the data collected in the Sector Profile provides vital insight to track and monitor trends and identify key issues in the sector. Given the importance of collecting this data at this point in time, completion of the Sector Profile is a necessary requirement in order to access Core Funding later this year. To avail of Core Funding, a service must have completed the Sector Profile. The opening of the Sector Profile at this point, earlier than in previous years, is to ensure that this step of the process can be complete in time to allow providers to take the next step of completing an application, finding out their Core Funding amount, signing the contract and for payments to start in August. Core Funding will offer providers a new type of partnership with the Department to deliver on the public good – quality for children; affordability for parents; better terms and conditions for staff; and stability and sustainability for providers. Core Funding will benefit providers of all sizes and types of provision. Core Funding will offer funding based on places available (capacity) rather than places filled (occupancy). Core Funding is allocated to services based on the key drivers of their operating costs –operating hours and weeks, age group of children services provided for and number of places. This year’s Sector Profile includes questions on services’ income and costs in order to establish the most up to date and accurate picture on providers financial circumstances. Many thanks in advance for sharing valuable information about your service so that this can be combined to generate an overall snapshot of the sector as a whole. City and County Childcare Committees are available to assist and support with completing the Sector Profile. In addition, a number of training sessions will also be held week commencing 4 April to further support services access and complete the survey on the Early Years Hive. The deadline for submission is Friday 22 April. ________________________________________ Pobal will be providing training to Service Providers on the following dates: Early Years Sector Profile Service Provider Event 1: Tuesday 5th April @10am https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8599510660861265675 Early Years Sector Profile Service Provider Event 2: Wednesday 6th April @10am https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1100209140242982924 Early Years Sector Profile Service Provider Event 3: Wednesday 6th April @6:30pm https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4531183497671493903 Early Years Sector Profile Service Provider Event 4: Thursday 7th April @10am https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3437288175290182925 Early Years Sector Profile Service Provider Event 5: Thursday 7th April @3pm https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1567077170559487756 Please find the Annual Early Years Sector Profile Guidelines here and the link to the survey here. |
