News Archives - Page 2 of 10 - Grovelands Childcare

Academic Calendar 2022/23

Our academic calendar for 2022/23 is available to all parents in our centres, via their ChildPaths account and here on our website on the link below.

Should you have any queries in relation to any of our closures days or holidays please do not hesitate to contact us.

Click her for our 2022/23 Calendar

Grovelands Childcare is now welcoming school age children that do not currently have a CHICK to apply for the National Childcare Scheme.

Under recent changes by the DCEDIY, the extension of NCS now means school age children can avail of a universal subsidy for the hours they attend our school age service. Up until now this was only available as an income assessed subsidy.

Under our contract obligations we must inform all SAC (school age childcare) families of the extension of the NCS and that this subsidy is now available to you. It is up to you whether you wish to apply for it. A mandatory form will be available on your ChildPaths account in the coming days to complete. We will issue a notification through ChildPaths as soon as it is available to you.

Before you apply there are some guidance notes to be very aware of if you already have another child on the NCS. Please see below.

Instructions on how to add a sibling to the NCS

You can apply online for your NCS subsidy here using your MyGovID. See the Application Guide for assistance on how to apply.

To make a paper application, please contact the NCS Parent Support Centre on 01 906 8530. The Parent Support Centre will then send you an application form by post.

We are delighted to welcome our ECCE classs back to service tomorrow. It is always an exciting and apprehensive time for both parents and children alike.

It’s perfectly normal for your child to be upset, nervous and/or overwhelmed. It can usually take a few days to a few weeks to settle depending on the child.

If you have any concerns around your child starting or returning to preschool please let us know.

Grovelands Childcare is a family run multi-award winning early education centre nurturing children from 3 months to preschool and afterschool.

With 30 years experience caring for thousands of children in Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar, we know what works when it comes to nurturing your child’s wellbeing, development and learning.

We have developed our very own ‘brand’ of quality childcare and early education, where every new learning experience a child enjoys builds on the previous one and where all our children’s individual needs are taken into account.

Our team are passionate about their work and love what they do, and we believe it shows in our award winning interactions and environments indoor and out.

We make it a priority to make sure each of our pre-school children are more than ready for Primary School. So, when your child leaves us to go to ‘big school’ you can rest assured they will be confident and competent in their abilities and comfortable in social settings which will allow them to shine in the classroom and beyond.

Our ECCE programme is filling fast for September 2022 and we are now taking pre-bookings for all age groups for 2023.

If your child will be aged 3 years on or before December 31^st 2022, you should enrol now to avail of an ECCE place for September 2022.
If your child is NOT
3 years on or before December 31^st 2022, you cannot enrol them for an ECCE place until September 2023.
But, under the National Childcare Scheme, you can avail of a subsidy for your child for full time care or sessional care.
Find out exactly what your childcare entitlements are at National Childcare Scheme

Choosing whom to entrust your child to in their formative years may be one of the most important decisions you make for your child. By trusting Grovelands Childcare you will discover how important a quality preschool can be in developing the person they will become in the future.

Tips for Preparing your Child for their place on the ECCE Scheme:

Arrange a visit to your preschool with your child to introduce them to their key worker.
Talk to your child positively about their transition to preschool.
Remember if you child is not toilet trained it is advised to start this process now as many services will not accept children that aren’t trained. It is important to start this process early so your child is not coping with a lot of changes at one time.
If your child has been minded at home or by a relative or friend up to now, it’s a good idea to slowly socialise them and introduce them to a larger group environment gradually. You can do this by enrolling them for at least 2-3 mornings per week before starting ECCE in September. You can avail of the subsidies offered by the NCS during these weeks. (Subject to Availability)

Being Part of The Team at Grovelands Childcare

We are always happy to welcome dedicated early years educators to join our team in Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar. You can apply for open positions within Grovelands Childcare at Grovelands Childcare jobs and careers | Indeed.com.

We truly believe that team work makes the dream work at Grovelands Childcare. It is our experienced and dedicated team that enables us to provide award winning early learning and care. We feel its important that we recognise our team and as such they can avail of the following benefits:

Pension Contributions

Employee Discounts

Training and Development

ECCE Holidays are due to start for all children next week. The last day of ECCE service for all children in Wednesday 28th of June. We wish all the children that graduated from Grovelands all the very best of luck in the next step in their educational journey. For those that are returning to Grovelands for their 2nd year of preschool we look forward to welcoming you back on the 31st of August.