AQW 28486/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 10/06/2025
Answered On Date: 30/06/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail his assessment of the current governance support arrangements in place for community and voluntary childcare providers.

Answer:

The governance requirements for the early years sector, including community and voluntary childcare providers, are set out in the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 Volume 2 - Family Support, Child Minding and Day Care Centre alongside the guidance provided by the Minimum Standards for Childminding and Daycare (DoH). The regulation of these requirements in early years services is the responsibility of the Health and Social Care Trusts through registration and inspection processes.

Early years services can receive additional support to meet their governance requirements through membership organisations such as The Early Years Organisation, PlayBoard, NI Childminding Association and Altram. Membership organisations receive funding from my Department and/or the Department of Health to provide this support.

Community and voluntary providers delivering early learning and childcare programmes funded by my department, receive governance support from the delivery agents for each of the programmes.