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Title: COW & GATE AWARD GIVES RECOGNITION TO PROFESSIONAL CHILDMINDERS
Date: 1st September 2007
News Details:
ISSUED ON BEHALF OF COW & GATE
September 2007
COW & GATE AWARD GIVES RECOGNITION TO PROFESSIONAL CHILDMINDERS
The launch of the 2007 Cow & Gate Childminder of the Year Award has taken place at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Holywood
The Cow & Gate Award, which promotes prestige childcare and supports the work of the Northern Ireland Childminding Association (NICMA), gives recognition to the profession of Childminder and rewards the best practitioners.
Parents all over Northern Ireland are invited to nominate their registered childminder (who must be a member of NICMA) for the award which carries a first prize of £500 along with the Childminder of the Year trophy. As well as the main prize, there will be five runners-up prizes of £50 each along with a trophy, and the nominator of the winner will receive a £100 thank-you from Cow & Gate.
Nomination forms are available from clicking the Read Report link below from NICMA, tel 028 9181 1015 or from Duffy Rafferty Communications, tel 028 9073 0880 or by emailing Naomi@duffyrafferty.com. The closing date for receipt of the completed forms is Friday October 19 2007 and the finals of the award will take place in November.
Currently in Northern Ireland 3,600 registered childminders provide daily care for more than 17,000 children aged up to twelve years of age. Registered NICMA Childminders provide the children with a safe, stimulating, loving and caring environment. They provide play, learning activities and experiences to support and stimulate the children’s development, give priority to the children’s well-being and stretch to meet parents’ needs.
Much of the work of this caring profession goes unheralded and the Cow & Gate Award aims to rectify that by acknowledging the work of NICMA-registered professionals who have made quality childminding their business.
Speaking at the launch of the awards, Alison Hanna, Cow & Gate Territory Manager, said, “Registered childminders are worth their weight in gold to parents. They become an extension of the family, caring for parents’ most precious possessions during the vital stages of early life.
“NICMA’s registered childminders provide quality childcare to families all over Northern Ireland, making it possible for many parents to go to work each day, happy in the knowledge that their children are being looked after in a loving and caring atmosphere. Cow & Gate is proud to support the work of NICMA and its members through the annual Childminder of the Year Award,” she said.
Bridget Nodder, Director of NICMA, said, “Over the past 23 years NICMA has worked vigorously to promote quality home-based childcare as a professional daycare service that supports a child’s learning and development. NICMA helps and encourages members to attain the highest standards and we are delighted that Cow & Gate support us in our work through this award.”
“Childminding is the most affordable and most popular full-time daycare option for working families in Northern Ireland but unfortunately there is a serious shortage of
registered childminders here. The lack of access to affordable, quality childcare is preventing a large proportion of parents in Northern Ireland from seeking work and the problem is getting worse”, she added. “The service we supply is vital to families who, without the support of a childminder, would find it difficult to manage both their work and home responsibilities.”
Last year’s winner was Karen Brown from Ballymoney. This year it could be your childminder who lifts the winner’s trophy and cheque for £500.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES: For further information please contact Kay Tombe or Sharon Whittaker, Duffy Rafferty Communications, tel 028 90 730880.
For an Entry Form Please Click on Read Report Below.
|  | Contact Name: Kay Tombe or Sharon Whittaker
Contact Number: 028 90 730880
Read Report
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