Tuesday, February 14th 2012

The DCYA has now confirmed that a total budget of €200,000 will be available for Childminder Development Grants in 2012. 

The process for the allocation of CMDGs will differ from previous years as the fund will be held centrally by Pobal and will be released in two tranches (€100k each tranche) on a request basis.

As in previous years, CCCs will continue to implement the process at county level (the criteria/conditions remains as per existing CMDG grants programme) – including promotion, appraisal, recommendation/approval, monitoring, contracting, reporting etc. 
Likewise, the current documentation in use by CCCs, up-dated locally and in line with the national guidelines, will be maintained.

******A brief outline of the 2012 process follows hereunder, full details will issue shortly ********

Application process (central/Pobal) 

1. Call for applications, via CCCs, twice in 2012 (end of March & July).
2. Funding will be released in two tranches (i.e. €100k at each application deadline March & July).
3. CCCs provide appraisal report/recommendation to Pobal.
4. Pobal reviews and signs-off on recommendations & provides list of approvals back to individual CCCs.
5. Pobal provides a spreadsheet of all approvals to DCYA for information.
6. Pobal will release CMDG monies as per approval lists to the individual CCCs.

Application process (local/CCC)

• CCCs will implement their own local application processes as normal - in 2012 alignment of local processes to the two national deadlines (March & July) will need to be considered.

Contract process (local/CCC)

• CCCs issue contract to beneficiary (as per existing CMDG grants programme).

Monitoring/Reporting process (local/CCC& central/Pobal)

• CCCs report to Pobal on CMDG spend twice in 2012 (aligned to usual reporting cycle - June & December) - all money must be spent and reported by 31st December 2012.
• Pobal will monitor spend over the two application cycles; ensuring reasonable balance of funding to all CCCs.

If you have any immediate queries, prior to the dissemination of the additional details, please contact either Jenny Eades (jeades@pobal.ie) or Aine Cleary (acleary@pobal.ie)