The Childcare Partnership directs resources from a number of funding streams to the areas identified as being most in need of assistance. As a result of not only Peace and Reconciliation Funding from the European Union, New Opportunities Funding and Early Years Development Funding, this has meant that many groups have been able to concentrate their time and energy into providing a quality program for the children who use their services. The Western Area Childcare Partnership have a designated strategic funding panel, this panel assess and allocate a number of streams of funding.

Department for Social Development Modernisation Fund

The Department for Social Development (DSD) is holding information sessions for organisations interested in applying for the £15 million Modernisation Fund.

The Fund was announced by Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie to help the voluntary & community sector to modernise and prepare itself for the future. The grants available will range from £20,000 to £1.5 million and are designed to provide equipment and improve facilities. Sessions will take place as follows:

Tuesday, 31st July (9:40 am) NICVA Headquarters, Belfast

Tuesday, 31st July (2:15 pm) ECOS Centre, Ballymena

Wednesday, 1st August (12:00 pm) Clinton Centre, Enniskillen

Friday, 3rd August (10:00 am) Armagh City Hotel

Tuesday, 7th August (12:00 pm) Calgach Centre, Derry

Thursday, 9th August (12:00 pm) Omagh Community Centre

For further information contact DSD Voluntary and Community Unit on tel: 028 9082 9440 or email: colette.mccluskey@dsdni.gov.uk

 Early Years Development Fund

This is an annual fund made available by the DHSS&PS to support the Partnership in taking forward the Partnership's childcare plan. The funding is directed toward staff costs but from time to time the Partnership runs small grants schemes one of which was advertised in the local press. The partnership has recently allocated £65K to support early years groups from their Early Years Development Fund.

 Peace II - Childhood Fund

The role of the Childhood Fund is to support peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland through developing childcare and family support. Specifically, the activities that would be eligible for consideration for funding are:

¨ Sustaining provision supported under the Social Inclusion Sub-Programme of PEACE I;
¨ Creating new provision, where gaps exist with special emphasis on children with special needs and those from the ethnic minority community;
¨ Projects aimed at younger children and their families i.e. 0 to 3's;
¨ Training, assessment and accreditation facilities related to early years services;
¨ Supporting innovative regional infrastructure;
¨ Education counselling and support projects for parents with young children;
¨ Support projects that take an integrated approach to childcare;
¨ Capacity building for parents involved in the management of childcare provision;

In total, the Western Area Childcare Partnership has £1.27 million available to support 28 projects. Six projects have received funding toward the creation of new projects in areas with identified gaps. January 2003 saw the call for applications under the 2.5 Investing in Childcare and the 2.8 Accompanying Infrastructure and Equipment Support. The Childcare Partnership has just received a further £500K and this will support a number of groups for a further year. For details including further information please contact Patricia Kelly (Childhood Fund Development Officer) at Tel: 028 7131 3004

 New Opportunities Fund

The New Opportunities Fund (NOF) distributes lottery money to education, social support and healthcare projects across the UK. The fund works with regional and local partners from the public, private and voluntary sectors to fund initiatives, with particular focus on the needs of those who are more disadvantaged. The Western Area Childcare Partnership has an allocation of £2 million. This money supports After School clubs. Clubs were able to apply for funding for one year and up to three years depending on the level of deprivation in their area. This money also provides funding for Out of School clubs, Breakfast clubs, Play clubs and Holiday clubs. For any further details regarding NOF contact Joan McGrath (New Opportunities Fund Development Officer) at Tel: 028 9080 3380. Contact details: www.nof.org.uk

 Pre-School Education Expansion (PEAG)

This is part of the Government's commit to ensure 95% of children in the year immediately prior to their commencement of compulsory education can receive childcare provision in Nursery schools or Playgroups. To this end the programme has been established in each Education and Library Board Area to target funds to secure free places particularly, in areas of deprivation, to help address this. There are a total of 3,896 PEAG type places in the Western Board 1,200 are provided to the voluntary and private sector. For further information regarding PEAG's issue contact Ms. Siobhan O'Hanlon, Western Education and Library Board, 1 Hospital Board, Omagh. Contact Tele: 028 8241 1335.

 Local Strategic Partnerships

The Local Strategic Partnerships (LSP) distributes other Peace II monies that can be targeted at developing local services including childcare. There is a LSP for each of the five district councils in the Western Area and they can be contacted via the local District/Borough Council office for further details.

Department of Employment and Learning

The Department for Employment and Learning will provide funding to support full and part-time childcare workers already working in the private and voluntary sectors to increase their level of qualifications. For further information, contact DEL Adelaide House DEL HQ at Tel: 028 9025 7777.

 Social Services - Early Years Teams

Grant aid for Community and Voluntary constituted groups have been made available through Early Years Teams. Please contact your local Early Years Senior Social Worker if you want advice regarding information available.

Contact Details:

Early Years Services Clooney Hall Centre Clooney Terrace Londonderry BT47 6AR Tel: 02871 320950

Early Years Team Community Services Building Tyrone & Fermanagh Hospital Omagh Tel 82835020

Early Years Team Community Services Coleshill Enniskillen Tel No: 66344000

 Health and Social Services Trusts

Both Foyle and Sperrin Lakeland Trusts provide grant aid to Playgroups. This grant aid is limited and has not been increased over the last number of years. It is targeted to groups, which do not receive PEAG funding.

For further details, contact

Mr. John Meehan, Foyle Trust at Tel: 028 71266111
Mr. Derek Ballard, Sperrin Lakeland Trust at Tel: 028 8283 5020.

 Community Fund

The national lottery charity board has changed its name to the Community Fund and offers grants to childcare provision.

 BBC Children In Need

BBC Children in Need has provided significant funding to childcare sectors since its inception.

 Londonderry Regeneration Initiative (LRI)

LRI funding for the childcare sector is allocated through the Western Health and Social Services Board. An application for funding can be made directly to the Director of Social Care, Western Health and Social Services Board. It only provides funding within the Derry City Council area.

 The Children's Fund

The Children Fund was launched by the Assembly in 2002 and provides funding for both statutory and voluntary sector for the creation of services for children. The Children Fund allocations were announced in May 2003