There is nothing new about Childcare pods – Childminders having being doing it for years!
Childminders have been minding small groups of children in a home based setting for years. The same person minds the child throughout their childhood. Children are rooted in their local communities. Minding children of different ages means that they learn from each other. Siblings are minded together, supporting family connections. Childrens individuality has space and time to flourish.
Childminding is a natural part of the childcare solution in Ireland.
Childcare ‘Play pods’ are now part of a new COVID-19 vocabulary for the childcare sector. Minister Katherine Zappone has referred to them over the last number of weeks. The concept of a ‘play-pod’ is a small group of children cared for by the same adult while attending a childcare setting.
Childminding Ireland, the National Childminding Body believe that the nature of childminding means that childminders already use this model of childcare every day. Bernadette Orbinski Burke Chief Executive of Childminding Ireland explains ‘Childminding is a natural part of the childcare solution in Ireland’. Childminding Ireland has launched a new campaign to explain how the childminding model of childcare works and how it aligns closely with the childcare pod concept. Click here to see the video.
Further strands of the campaign will explore how parents, childminders and children all benefit from childminding. This is a social media campaign and will run on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Childminding Ireland are currently working on various supports for childminders as they return to work. These include Childminding During Covid-19 guidelines, Draft Covid-19 Contract for Parents and Infection Control updates. These supports will be available to all childminders in the coming weeks and can be received by emailing