Wicklow County Childcare

15/10/2026

15/10/2026

Mid-Term Reminder for Early Years Services

As the October Mid-Term approaches, please take a few minutes to review your programme records and calendars:

✅ Update your NCS Service Calendar with any changes to opening hours or planned closures
✅ Update NCS claims if children are attending additional hours during the break (with parent/guardian agreement)
✅ Remember to amend claims once children return to ECCE/school, as subsidies cannot be claimed for ECCE/school hours or when your service is closed
✅ If closing for an extended period, ensure claims are end-dated appropriately
✅ ECCE providers must have any calendar changes approved by their CCC and provide parents with 20 working days' written notice
✅ CCSP Saver providers should process a leaver and create a new registration when a child's service level changes (e.g. part-time to full-time)

Taking action now will help avoid payment delays, compliance issues, or subsidy recoupments later.

See the full announcement on the Hive for further details.

15/10/2026

15/10/2026

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15/10/2026

This October, the RSA’s Check it Fits service will be visiting Wicklow. Did you know it’s the law that all children under 150cms or 36kgs must use a child car seat appropriate to their weight and height. In Ireland as many as 54% of child car seats are incorrectly fitted which can lead to serious injury or even death in a collision. Since the start of the service, the RSA’s ‘Check it Fits’ Service has checked over 70,000 child car seats and restraints in Ireland.

The Check it Fits service is quick, it’s easy, it’s free. On the day their experts will advise on how to fix any problem, demonstrate how to fit the restraint correctly and answer any queries participants might have. Their experts aim to put parent’s, grandparent’s and guardian’s minds at ease that their child’s car seat is safely and securely fitted in their car.

13/10/2026

13/10/2026

Communication from the ELC and SAC Division

National Children's Art Competition - Growing Up in Ireland

Attention Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare providers

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Growing Up in Ireland study, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality is inviting children and young people aged 4-15 from across Ireland to take part in the Growing Up in Ireland National Children's Art Competition. The competition theme is "Ireland of the Future”. Young artists are encouraged to share their hopes, ideas and vision for the future through art.

Entries are welcome from children aged 4-15 years living in Ireland, with categories for ages 4-7, 8-11 and 12-15. An Additional Needs Award is also available within each age category.

There are some fantastic prizes on offer, including the opportunity for two overall winners to have their artwork permanently displayed in the Department's headquarters in Dublin. The category winners and highly commended awards in each age category will receive an art hamper packed full of supplies to inspire their next work.

The closing date for entries is 12 noon on Friday, 23 October 2026.

More information can be found on the Department's website.