These
Regulations come into operation on 30 June 2016. The Minister for Children and
Youth Affairs, in the exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 58B
(inserted by section 92 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 (No. 40 of
2013)) of the Child Care Act 1991 (No.17 of 1991), after consultation with the
Minister for Education and Skills and the Minister for the Environment,
Community and Local Government.
This provides the legal framework within which
regulations can be drawn up for the supervision of pre-school services.
Pre-school child: a child under six years of age who is not
attending a national school or school providing an educational programme
similar to like a national school.
Pre-school
service: any pre-school, playgroup, day nursery,
crèche, daycare or other similar services which caters for pre-school
children. These include sessional, full
time and drop-in services.
The
main provisions of the Act which relate to pre-school services are the
following:
Ø Pre-school
providers are obliged to notify local Health Service Executive (HSE) that they
are operating or intend to operate a pre-school service.
Ø Pre-school
providers have a duty to take all reasonable measures to safeguard the health,
safety and welfare of children attending the service.
Ø HSE
regions are obliged to supervise and inspect pre-school services.
Ø HSE
regions are obliged to provide information on pre-school services.
Ø Regulations
drawn up under the Act must be complied with.
The
following services are excluded from the provisions of the Act:
Ø Where
children are looked after by relatives or their spouses.
Ø Where
siblings or not more than three children of different families are cared for in
the home of the carer, along with the carer’s own children
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