Rural funding to provide more childcareFebruary 22 2010
NICMA – the Childminding Association says it hopes to create a further 400 childcare places in rural communities, thanks to a grant from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD).
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‘Children Come First’ for Coleraine childminderFebruary 16 2010
A Coleraine childminder is celebrating the fact that she has received a special quality assurance award in recognition of the outstanding level of care she provides.
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Lurgan childminder puts ‘Quality First’February 02 2010
Local childminder receives quality assurance award.
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Insurance now mandatory for childminders January 21 2010
NICMA – the Childminding Association has welcomed the news that all registered childminders in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust area must be insured.
The Northern Trust had been the only health and social care trust in Northern Ireland which did not require registered childminders to have public liability insurance.
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Childcare workers worth more than bankersJanuary 20 2010
NICMA says report strengthens case for more support for
childcare
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LISBURN CHILDMINDER WINS COW & GATE CHILDMINDER OF THE YEAR November 25 2009
LISBURN childminder Irene Leonard has been selected by baby nutrition experts,
Cow & Gate, and the Northern Ireland Childminding Association (NICMA) as the winner of this year’s Childminder of the Year Award.
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Education Minister launches childminders’ toolkitOctober 16 2009
The Education Minister, Caitríona Ruane, is launching an innovative new toolkit which will enable childminders to enhance their care of younger children.
The resources pack, Touching Young Lives, will be unveiled at a special conference being held by NICMA – the Childminding Association in Antrim tomorrow [Saturday 17th October 2009] to celebrate its 25th Anniversary.
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COW & GATE SEARCHES FOR NICMA’s ANNIVERSARY-YEAR CHILDMINDERSeptember 22 2009
Cow & Gate has started the search for a very special Childminder of the Year in
this the Northern Ireland Childminding Association’s (NICMA) 25th anniversary
year.
In its anniversary year NICMA is highlighting the huge impact that childminders
have had over the years on the lives of children in Northern Ireland. By running
the Childminder of the Year Awards Cow & Gate help to highlight that impact and
the professionalism and high standards of the best childminders.
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NICMA hosts finger painting world record attempt.August 20 2009
Nearly 3,000 children and adults are expected to converge on Belfast Zoo
today [Thursday, 20th August] to try to beat the current Guinness World
Records® record for the world’s largest finger painting.
The event is being staged by NICMA – the Childminding Association which is aiming to break the
current record which was awarded in 2007 to a 2,000 square metre (21,800 square foot) painting
created in Austria.
The charity is undertaking the ambitious challenge as part of its 25th Anniversary celebrations.
Click on Additional Info below for the Key Facts on the record attempt.
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Finger painting world record unofficially broken August 20 2009
NICMA - the Childminding Association is celebrating the fact that it has unofficially broken the current Guinness World Record for the world's largest finger painting.
Its giant canvas, which it finished assembling at Belfast Zoo shortly before 5pm today, stands at 2,090 square metres. The current official Guinness World Records world record for the largest finger painting stands at 2,025 square metres.
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NI childminders gear up to beat finger painting world recordAugust 17 2009
Childminders and children across Northern Ireland are gearing up for a truly mammoth challenge later this week [on Thursday, 20th August] when they try to beat the current Guinness World Records® record for the world’s largest finger painting
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STAFF ACHIEVE ‘GREAT HEIGHTS’ TO CELEBRATE NICMA’S 25th ANNIVERSARYJune 01 2009
Well done to four energetic staff members from NICMA – the Childminding
Association who have managed to scale the ‘dizzy heights’ of Ben Nevis in support
of NICMA’s 25th Anniversary. The Challenge is a way of celebrating the
achievements of NICMA in supporting quality Childminding in the last 25 years and
to highlight how CHILDMINDING TOUCHES LIVES.
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MLAs help launch finger painting world record bidMay 28 2009
Politicians get painting as NICMA commences world record attempt - Post Event Release.
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Ben Nevis ChallengeApril 30 2009
Four energetic ladies from NICMA – the Childminding Association have been
out walking, hiking and exercising getting ready to celebrate NICMA’s 25th
Anniversary by scaling Ben Nevis on May 16th 2009. The Challenge is a way of
celebrating the achievements of NICMA in supporting quality Childminding in the
last 25 years and to highlight how CHILDMINDING TOUCHES LIVES.
Thousands of children have benefited from the warm, loving home environment
provided by Childminders which also supports parents in their work-life balance
responsibilities.
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Kids don't need costly Xmas toys says NICMADecember 09 2008
Children don’t need expensive toys at Christmas and are much better off
with basic playthings – that’s the cost-conscious message to parents from
NICMA – the Childminding Association.
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Childminder of the Year 2008November 20 2008
SHARON Mornin from Ballymoney won the Cow & Gate Childminder of the Year 2008 Award at the finals in Malone House.
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‘Choosing a Childminder’ guide launched - NICMA publishes childcare advice bookletAugust 06 2008
NICMA – the Childminding Association is today [Wednesday, 6th August] launching a new guide for parents in Northern Ireland who are trying to find and select a childminder.
The publication of the booklet, Choosing a Childminder, follows the findings of a recent local survey, commissioned by NICMA, which found that 30% of parents questioned who had recently looked for childcare had found their search difficult, with 17% describing their search as ‘very difficult’.
For the full release click on Download Release.
For Top Ten Tip's on Choosing a Childminder click on Download additional info. To view a pdf version of the guide click on website below.
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Families struggle to find childcare – surveyMay 19 2008
Many families seeking childcare in Northern Ireland are finding the search difficult, according to a major new survey on childcare commissioned by NICMA - the Childminding Association.
Click on Additional Info for a copy of the Childminding Matters Report.
Click on website for a one page summary on the Survey Findings.
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‘NICMA dismayed at start-up grant withdrawal’April 11 2008
Invest NI has confirmed to NICMA that it has withdrawn its £400 start-up grant
which many new childminders were using to help meet the costs involved in
setting up a childminding business.
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Bureaucratic delays ‘put children at risk’March 06 2008
Lengthy waits deter childminders from operating legally, says NICMA
Click on download additional info to see our Briefing Paper on Childminding Registration.
Click on website to view survey findings in brief.
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NI Executive Draft Programme for Government and Draft Budget 2008 – 2011 – Response from NICMADecember 19 2007
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Families struggle to access special needs daycare - reportDecember 10 2007
The childminding organisation, NICMA, is to set up a multi-agency
taskforce to improve daycare services for children with special needs, in
the light of a highly critical research report on the issue which is being
launched in Belfast today, Monday 10th December at the offices of the
Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People.
To view the full report click on Download Additional Info
To view the executive summery click on Website.
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Childminders play key role in promoting positive mental health among childrenOctober 20 2007
Childminders play key role in promoting positive mental health among children
The role childminders can play in promoting good physical and mental health among children is the focus of the Northern Ireland Childminding Association’s (NICMA) annual conference.
The conference, entitled Mind and body, is supported by the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA) and will be officially opened by the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, Patricia Lewsley.
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Childminder Shortage Stops Mums WorkingOctober 05 2007
When Rosie Campbell passes Arthur’s Coffee Shop in the County Antrim town of Cushendall, she can’t help thinking how much better her life could be.
41-year old Rosie, an unemployed single mother, was offered a waitressing job at the café.
She’s been unable to take up the offer because she can’t find a registered childminder to look after her two year old son, Daire.
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Childminders put Quality FirstAugust 23 2007
NICMA rolls out new quality assurance scheme for childminders.
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