Looking for some spring time activities?

Read our garden fun with children blog. Gardening Fun with Children – We hope you enjoy the read.

Gardening Fun with Children

Spring is here! It is a very exciting time of year– the weather is becoming slightly warmer and drier, spring flowers are beginning to peak through the soil and buds are popping back on the trees. There is a real sense of new life and growth and is a great time of year to be out and about in the back garden especially with young children.

There is also lots of fun garden activities and projects that you can do together. Getting children in touch with nature has huge value to their emotional wellbeing and also their social and developmental growth. Nature is a fantastic way to understand the world around us, it is a creative outlet for children and a safe space to express themselves. Gardening is a great way to teach children about nurturing and caring for their environment. Here are some tips for making gardening with children easier.

Keep it simple! As adults we begin our projects with an overall finished vision in mind. For young children this is not always easy. Our ideas can become very grand however, granduar can take a lot of time. For children their concentration and patience can be very limited. By keeping it simple it is easier to keep them invested. You can then build on this. Often an immediate result will give a young child easy gratification allowing you to do more.

Let them choose. When planning your garden project why not get your child involved in deciding what you could do. Perhaps a trip to the local garden centre to look at all the lovely flowers or is there some particular vegetables that they like to eat that you could grow at home.

Encourage Independence. Promoting independence with children is so important. It helps to build their self-confidence and encourages their development. If possible, try and provide them with their own tools such as a little fork and trowel.

Patience and mess! Whenever we are doing a project with children it is important to show patience! Children are so excitable it can be difficult for them to take instruction and listen. This is what makes them so special – this innocence comes with seeing the world through their eyes. Allow for mess – this is fine children exploring in garden dirt is great for their immunity. Make sure everyone is wearing old clothes and appropriate shoes.

It is not all about flowers! Gardening is not for everyone but there are lots of other little project you can do with your little ones such as creating your own little fairy world, bird house, building a bug hotel or if you are feeling a little more confident how about growing some vegetables!

A fun Fairy Garden: There are lots of great ideas out on the internet for this. You can let your imagination go and create a wonderful fairy world with homemade furniture, decorative stones and a little fairy garden. Fairy gardens are created using lots of creative arts and craft ideas such as lollipop sticks. Some craft shops will have little fairy village accessories available to buy if you are not feeling brave enough to make.

A Bug Hotel is a fantastic way to teach children about the different bugs that live in our garden and the role they must play in our overall eco system. There are lots of easy and trickier options available when building your bug hotel. Here is an easy one from the National Geographic for Kids

Growing Fruit and Vegetables with children: A vegetable patch or container garden is a really nice treat for children. It is a great way for them to understand where our food comes from. There are some really easy fruit and vegetables out there to grow.  Sweet Peas and broad beans, carrots, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, strawberries and raspberries. The fun piece about this is they get to pick and eat what they have sown, nurtured and cared for. Most importantly they will be yummy to eat!

Having fun with your child no matter what the activity is simply really the most important part. No matter what the outcome of the project!

Why Handwriting Helps You Learn

Nowadays it’s less about putting pen to paper and more about turning on your laptop. But are we losing out by letting the art of penmanship die? Lots of evidence shows handwriting for kids stimulates the brain and offers benefits typing doesn’t. Our latest infographic looks at the benefits and more that come with learning the art of handwriting.

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<br /><br /><br /> <p><strong>Please include attribution to https://www.giraffe.ie/ with this graphic.</strong></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <p><a href=’https://www.giraffe.ie/blog/why-handwriting-helps-you-learn-_/’><img src=’https://www.giraffe.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/why-handwriting-helps-you-learn.jpg’ alt=’Why Handwriting Helps You Learn’ width=’540px’ border=’0′ /></a></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <p>

Giving back to our communities

Giving to charities are a fantastic way of showing children the art of giving. It helps them to appreciate that often there are people in our community and world that are less fortunate and may need a little extra help from the community around us. It is also a way of showing them what a community is and what it does.  Children benefit through giving as it helps them to understand empathy, kindness, and thoughtfulness. For some, these come naturally to children and for others it can take a little longer. It is through practice, guidance, time, and maturity it will develop. We can encourage children to take part and practice the art of giving through praise and acknowledgement.

At Giraffe Childcare we have built on this act of giving across all our centres. We encourage our teams to take part in events throughout the year, create opportunities for our children and their families to be involved and to support these special events. 

Our activities are very often developed and chosen around fun activities that the children will enjoy whilst creating an engaging atmosphere for both them and our team. We regularly take part in sponsored PJ parties, cake sales, also on awareness days such as Down Syndrome Ireland’s Odd Sock Day ASIAM’s awareness month for Autism, Special Olympics Ireland’s Superhero day and so many more.

In 2022, Our team, the children and their families raised a total of €12,000 on behalf of several Irish Charities throughout the year. Some of these charities include Feileacain, Ireland for Ukraine, Temple Street Hospital, Make a Wish Foundation through Adam’s Adventure books and the Laura Lynn Foundation.

During April 2022, our Celbridge team completed a 13km hike for Ukraine and raised over €2,000. Our wonderful team in Milltown hosted their annual cake sale on behalf of Feilecain. In 2022 our team, the children and their families raised over €2,000.  This special event has been hosted by Giraffe Milltown for the last three years on behalf of this wonderful charity and has raised a total of €7,500  

Christmas time is a fantastic time of year to give a little extra. There are so many different charities out there that are so deserving of support. On behalf of the children in our care we purchased Gifts of Play for those children who are cared for by the Laura Lynn Foundation.

Each of our centres also received a selection of Adam’s Adventures Books written by Benji Bennett on behalf of the Make a Wish Foundation. These were a special gift given to the Children of Giraffe to enjoy from the management and the Support Team at Giraffe Childcare’s Head Office for the Children to enjoy and immerse in the world of reading.

Charities play a significant role in Irish society and contribute hugely to those in our community.  We are delighted to be able to play our role in this by supporting those in need or require a little TLC.

We would like to thank our parents who always generously support our centre teams with these efforts. Your generosity and support are greatly appreciated.

For 2023, we look forward to continuing this trend and would be grateful for your continued support.

Animals that Stay Together Forever

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<p>Animals that Stay together Forever, An infographic by the team at <a href=”https://www.giraffe.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Animals-That-Stay-Together-Forever.jpg”>Giraffe.ie</a></p>

The A to Z of Getting Fit with Your Children

If you’re a parent, then you know it’s a constant challenge to balance keeping the kids both healthy and entertained at the same time! That’s why we at Giraffe Childcare have come up with a clever, informative and adorable infographic, titled The A-Z of Getting Fit with Your Children.

From Football to Yoga, Playgrounds to Retro Dancing, the infographic shows that it’s fun and easy to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle which includes your kids. The infographic also includes interesting facts on the benefits of exercise and fitness for both children and parents. (more…)

Christmas fun with the family

Christmas is a fun time of year for children and their families. It is about creating fun memories that last a lifetime.  Quite often, on the lead up to Christmas, parents and children are busy getting prepared for the Christmas season. Sometimes, it is just nice to pause and take stock of what is important and for young children it is time! They just adore it when the adults get down to their level and get involved in what they are doing. As adults, this can be often tricky to be in the right headspace for this. As we have hundreds of mental lists building in our heads of all the things that need to get done.  If you can set aside 30 minutes – it will be the best 30 minutes of your life! To see your little one smile, laugh and cherishing every moment will be the best gift you can ever receive.

Christmas time is great for this as there is some many fun little activities that you can do.

Christmas Role Playing

Us adults do not often understand the importance and value of play in a young child’s life. It assists a child to learn life skills and often social interactions. There is so much to do -pretending to make a family train using the dining chairs it opens the world. Discussing where you are going, what you will see along the way and where you can stop will create a magical new world for you both to experience along the way! Who knows you might even get to meet Santa Claus himself!

If taking the magical train is not up your street, why not try creating a Christmas tea party with dolly and all her little friends can often spark conversations about friendships and other little social interactions.  

A Christmas Singing and Dancing

Just having a boogie around the kitchen to all the Christmas songs that we as children once loved can be really good fun, it can tire everyone out and use up all the excess energy whilst creating little memories.

Christmas Arts and Crafts

There are hundreds of ideas online, but this is a really cute one from Sitters.co.uk.

Upcycle your Christmas Baubles
Try jazzing up some of your old Christmas baubles for your Christmas tree by creating some cute finger snowmen. It is easy and simple to do plus great fun!

1xChristmas tree Bauble
1x washable paint – White, brown and red paint
1x paint brush

• Using your child’s finger dip, it into a small amount of white paint.
• Then using the finger stick the paint on to the bauble – this will create the body of the snowman.
•  To create the snowman’s head using a smaller finger overlay another white spot overlapping at the top of the first paint spot.
• Then using fine paint brush and using the black/brown coloured paint – create a hat, arms and eyes.
• Do this all the way around the bauble until you have this complete. Let it dry and repeat on another if you wish.

Christmas Baking

For some the idea of baking with children can cause panic. The thoughts of flour going everywhere can cause fear! However, baking does not have to be in the traditional sense of baking. It could be to make some simple no-baking treats for all the family to enjoy with very little mess. Here is a real easy recipe from Tesco!

• 150g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 4 candy canes (or 16 lollipop sticks)
• 16 marshmallows
• 4 tbsp desiccated coconut, or 6 tbsp sprinkles, stars, or hundreds and thousands (or a mix)
• Melt the chocolate in the microwave or a bowl over simmering water, then pour into a smaller bowl or shallow cup where the marshmallows can be individually submerged easily (too shallow and they’re harder to dunk). Leave for a few mins to cool slightly.
• While the chocolate is cooling, break the candy canes into 4 equal pieces (a few pieces will be slightly hooked but that’s ok). Insert a piece of candy cane (or lollipop stick) into each marshmallow in the wider end. Line 2 boards or trays with baking paper and arrange a cooling rack over one of them. Put your coconut or sprinkles into small bowls.
• Dunk the marshmallows into the chocolate – use a spoon to drizzle over the top of them if you need to (the chocolate around the top will help to keep them stuck when set). Let any excess drip off back into the bowl, then transfer to the cooling rack. Repeat with all the marshmallows.

Once the chocolate has stopped dripping and is starting to set, hold the dippers over the coconut or sprinkle bowls and scatter pinches over them, spinning to coat all over (any falling off will go back into the bowl). Once coated, leave to set on the baking paper for at least 1 hr in a cool place. Keep in a cool place for 2 weeks if using lollipop sticks, 2-3 days if using candy canes

50 Amazing Facts About the Moon

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<p>50 Amazing Facts about the Moon [Infographic] An infographic by the team at <a href="https://www.giraffe.ie/blog/20-facts-about-headlice-infographic/">Giraffe.ie</a></p>
<p>

Giraffe Childcare is Featured in In Education Magazine

LYTW celebrations 2022

Thank you – We are nothing without you!

Wow! what a fabulous week we had at Giraffe Childcare last week celebrating our Love Your Team Week 2022.  We are delighted that our team received the recognition that they deserve as they do an amazing job providing a loving caring environment for each of the children in our care.

 The week was filled with lots of delicious treats and surprises.  The overall theme for the week was celebrating the meaning of team and reconnecting. To help signify this, each of our centre teams worked together to create a wonderful friendship wreath for their centres. 

We were delighted to share Thankful Tuesday with everyone! A yummy mug of hot chocolate was enjoyed by all, and everyone had a lovely chat. It was a great opportunity to get to know each other a little better. Thank you to O’Conniall in Cork for supplying our delicious chocolate spoons.

On Wednesday we celebrated with a “We are Muffin without you breakfast” from Sweet Cicley. and “You’re the icing on our cake” delicious cupcakes from the Cupcake Bloke on Thursday and stunning handmade lip balms from Donegal bog. Finally, we finished the week off with a beautiful team lunch on Friday and fruit baskets.

We want to thank our many Irish Suppliers who helped us make this a very special week with lots of delicious treats that they provided throughout the week. It was fantastic to be able to support Irish Artisan providers and work in partnership with them.

We also want to give an extra special shout out to our centre managers who helped to make all of this happen! #lyt2022

@sweetcicley; @cupcakebloke; @oconnaills; @donegalbog; @thefruitpeople

Have a spook-tastic weekend!

It is that wonderful time of year again where the witches and goblins are out on show and there are magnificent displays of pumpkins everywhere.  For some young children they love all the lights and the spooky witching wooing noises, the vibrant colours from the face-paints to dress-up.

For others this can be completely overwhelming to see all the scary facemasks, the loud noises from the fireworks that are been released throughout the month of October. This can often be supported with a little and often approach. Showing children that it is ok and been reassuring to their needs.

Young children love sensory play and Halloween is a fun time for this. The textures can be all squishy, sticky, slimy and wet. This sort of play is really beneficial and calming for any child but in particular young children really adore it. There are plenty off-the-shelf products out there. However, from a sustainability point of view it is very easy to achieve this using in the cupboard stables that you may have in your kitchen press.  

Sensory Activity -wriggly worms sensory play

1. Cook spaghetti according to packet instructions.
2. When it’s cooked immediately rinse it under cold water in a colander.
3. Separate the spaghetti into ziplock bags. {1 bag per colour}
4. In each bag add a few drops of food colouring and a cap full of vinegar.
5. Seal the bag and mix the colour around by lightly scrunching the bag.
6. Once the spaghetti is coloured, rinse it under cold water again to remove any excess food colouring.

A really simple activity to do. Using some cooled cooked spaghetti or pasta. Place this on a tray or into a Ziploc bag. You can try hiding some little plastic spiders, or some objects for your child to find. Your little one will love trying to remove these from the bag. It is a fun activity to do with your child. Watching their facial reactions is great fun!

Baking fun

Baking is also a good activity to do with your child. There are lots of great ideas out there. This non-baking activity is a nice one to share with your child as you can allow them the freedom to get creative with their decoration skills.

Oww gooie Marshmallow Pops

Marshmallows
300g’s chocolate to melt
assorted sprinkles
Lollipop sticks

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Insert a lollipop stick into each marshmallows.
Melt chocolate carefully.
Working with one marshmallow at a time, spoon the melted candy over the sides of a marshmallow and allow the excess to drip back into the bowl. Immediately coat with festive sprinkles. Place
marshmallow on prepared baking sheet until the chocolate coating is set.
Repeat with remaining marshmallows.

Pumpkin Carving

Over the last 10 years Pumpkin carving has become a popular Halloween activity in Ireland. Pumpkins are readily available in our local supermarkets. However, for some the tradition of going to a pumpkin farm to pick their pumpkin is now an annual Halloween tradition and a fun way to create family memories. Especially when the children are young.

The traditional scary faced pumpkin is almost a thing of the past. Today, we see lots of creative artworks out there. Here is a quick easy how to help you carve your pumpkin guide.

What you need

• Pumpkin
• Metal ice scoop
• Printed template
• Washable markers
• Pumpkin carving tool kit

Step-by-Step Directions

Pick Your Pumpkin
Plan your design in advance. If you are going to do a pumpkin with more detail try and get a pumpkin with a flatter surface, firm and have stems attached.

Cut and scrape
Rinse off your pumpkin, using a sharp knife cut an opening in the top or bottom of the pumpkin. Using your metal ice cream scoop or a large spoon scrape the flesh of the pumpkin out.

Draw your design
To create your design there are lots of templates out there available on the internet. You could select, one print, stick to your pumpkin and cut using the carving tools. Alternatively, if you want a authentic personalised designed pumpkin, using a washable marker or a white board marker – freehand draw your design. Then using the carving tools to carve your design.

The most important think is to have fun! The children will have great ideas and suggestions for the design so keeping it simple will go a long way!

Making Room for Me Time

There’s no denying the fact that raising young children is all-consuming. Particularly if you’re a full-time mum or taking a career break to raise your brood, it’s tremendously important to reserve at least a small part of the week that is just for you. Otherwise it’s all too easy to lose your very essence under the mountains of laundry, nappies and crusting-over cereal bowls.

Ho-hum, you might say suspiciously, so exactly how is this possible? Well, the answer is that it depends completely on the ages and stages of your child or children.

During pregnancy

You know those all-encompassing waves of tiredness that hit you at various points throughout pregnancy? Well, they’re there to teach you something. No matter what kind of superwoman you were before motherhood came along, there’s nothing like pregnancy to remind you that your body is a machine: it needs regular care and maintenance. So listen to it.

If you need a nap ג€“ sleep. If you suddenly can’t cope with the million or more questions flying round your head ג€“ make a date with a childfree mate and step away from the whole expectant she-bang for a fun day out. If your hormones are messing with your emotions ג€“ indulge them. Cheer yourself up with a rom-com, a long, indulgent bath or a trashy magazine.

The newborn stage

Once your baby actually arrives, the immediate perception is that much of the free time you enjoyed during pregnancy is gone. To a certain degree this is true, but you possibly haven’t taken into account the sheer amount of sleep a newborn needs. OK, so it can be unpredictable and not follow a normal adult pattern, but it does provide you with some necessary time alone. Use this time wisely. Don’t buzz round the house doing the housework ג€“ unless this actually makes you feel happy. Nobody is judging you at this early stage, so let the chores slip and do whatever you feel the need to, whether that’s sneaking a few zzz’s, zoning out in front of daytime TV, or catching up on the phone with a friend for a rejuvenating gossip.

Older babies, movers and groovers

Around the age of 4-6 months, babies become far more predictable in their sleeping and behaviour patterns and ג€“ gasp ג€“ may even begin to sleep through the night. As over the next year or so they grow into crawling, bum-shuffling, climbing and eventually toddling miniature humans, your body will respond by feeling a little more capable every day. Now is the time to plan around naptimes and introduce a friend, family member or babysitter to give you a little much needed time out and away from your household every once in a while.

One thing I found particularly helpful at this stage was to join a gym and make good use of the linked cr¨che facilities. This allowed many things: time apart, time spent exercising with friends (vital for both mental and physical health), my little ones made new friends and learned to deal with temporary separation from mum in a warm, caring atmosphere.

Nursery, pre-school and beyond

At last you will arrive at a childrearing stage where the schedule is not set by you, but by your local education authority. It can be very strange at first to have an empty house, and it takes a bit of getting used to, but embrace it if you can. This is your opportunity to catch up with all those friendships that fell slightly by the wayside during the blur of the baby years, your time to explore other avenues within your life (whether they be career-led or otherwise).

Above all else, try to maintain a healthy balance whereby you allocate enough time to yourself. Don’t spend your life matching tiny pairs of socks and meal-planning ג€“ these things are important, granted, but they’re only a minute element of all the amazing things that make you you. And if a little time spent walking in the open air, reading a book or popping over to your mum’s makes you happier and healthier, then your family will respond in kind.

Bryony Sutherland

20 Facts About Headlice

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10 Amazing Foster Moms In Nature

Brought to you by Giraffe Creches Dublin

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Mum’s and Tot’s: Yummy Yummy Dinner Time

We are delighted to share this month instalment of Mums and Tots with our parents. Giraffe Childcare is a regular contributor to this wonderful publication which offers supports to parents of young children. In this issue Dearbhala Cox-Giffin, discusses the trials and tribulations of meal times and includes some helpful tips which promotes young children to eat independently and try new foods!  Click here to read our Mums & Tots Article

Changes to the Government Childcare Funding!

With effect from 24 August 2020, all childcare subsidy schemes are being moved onto the National Childcare Scheme (NCS), except for the ECCE preschool scheme.

Depending on your child’s date of birth you will need to register your child for the following subsidy schemes :

Date of Birth of Child	Childcare Scheme	Link to Register
1 January 2016 to 31 December  2017	ECCE Scheme	Giraffe.ie/childcare-subsidy
On or before 1 January 2018	NCS Scheme	https://ncs.gov.ie/en/

 

ECCE Preschool Scheme

If your child was born in 2016 or 2017 (between 1^st Jan 2016 and 31 December 2017), your child will qualify for the ECCE preschool scheme from September 2020. This scheme provides for a subsidy of €2,451 per annum based on 5 days per week care (€64.50 over 38 weeks). Funding is pro rata for part time care. In order to register children for the scheme, Giraffe will require your child’s full name, pps number and date of birth. One registered, we will deduct the ECCE preschool grant off your fees.

To register for the ECCE preschool year please CLICK HERE

National Childcare Scheme (NCS)

All children born on or after 1 January 2018, will need to register for the NCS scheme in order to avail of childcare fee subsidies from 24 August 2020.

If your child started with Giraffe before 20 November 2019, he/she will be registered under other schemes (such as the CCSPU and/or ECCE preschool schemes) and in order to continue to avail of fee subsidies you will need to apply for the NCS before 24 August 2020. For most parents the level of funding will not change, the change is only in the way the scheme is administered.

How to apply:

The easiest and fastest way to apply is online at https://ncs.gov.ie/en/

You will need:

• A verified MyGovID account*
• Your children’s information such as date of birth and PPSN
• Your/your par employment and income related details for income assessed subsidy if the household net income is under €60,000. Otherwise you should apply for the Universal subsidy
• Your partner’s PPSN, employment and income related details (if you are a member of a couple)

*  To obtain this you need a basic MyGovID account and a Public Service Card with a verified mobile phone number.  For full instructions, please go to https://www.ncs.gov.ie/en/how-to-apply/

If you or your partner don’t already have a Public Services Card you will need to apply by post. To do so, please contact the Parent Support Centre on 01 906 8530, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. These applications will take longer to process and may affect the start date of the subsidy payment.

When your application has been approved, you will receive an NCS award for each child, containing their unique CHICK key (Childcare Identifier Code Key) and details of rate & number of eligible hours. You will need to share this with us so that we can register your child on the NCS portal (called HIVE) and enter the number of hours that your child attends.

After you receive your CHICK key please send this CHICK code in an email to accounts@giraffe.ie stating your child’s name , date of birth and the centre your child attends.

After Giraffe registers your child and the hours, you will receive a notification from the registration system asking you to confirm that the details entered are correct. Once you send your confirmation, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs will pay the subsidy to us on your behalf, and we will, in turn, subtract this amount from your monthly fee. If you do not validate our registration on the HIVE Portal we cannot deduct the subsidy from your fees.

If your child started with Giraffe after 20 November 2019, he/she may already be registered under NCS. As you are aware, all NCS Government subsidies were suspended during the COVID-19 closure so childcare providers have to re-activate or “extend” the registrations from our reopening date of 29 June.  You will receive a message on the HIVE portal requesting that you validate the extension of your child’s registration.

Please note that it is important that you do this – if you do not, we cannot deduct the subsidy from your fees from 24^th August 2020 onwards.

We Are Delighted To Welcome You Back!

 

Covid19 Frequently Asked Questions

We are getting ready to reopen our centres on the 29th June and are really looking forward to welcoming everyone back. The health and well-being of the children, their families and our staff is paramount. We understand that you may have many questions, so we have prepared some frequently asked questions to address some of the queries that you may have.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask your centre manager or send an e-mail to parents@giraffe.ie and we will include a response here. We thank you in advance for your support and cooperation during these unusual times and are looking forward to welcoming you all back soon.

What is a play pod?
Following Government advice, children are not required to social distance so our base rooms will now operate as Play Pods. along with the children’s key carers.  It will effectively remain the same as we operated pre-Covid except that there will no mixing of groups, staff or siblings whilst in the centre. The children will have separate garden time throughout the day as individual play pod groups. We are maximising garden time as possible with many planned fun activities.

Do I have to social distance during drop off and collection?
We ask all families to respect social distancing and queue at the allocated areas when arriving at the centre for drop off and collection, this is of particular importance when awaiting temperature taking. Within a childcare environment social distancing can present challenges with young children and we will do all that we can in each centre to support this by taking the following measures:

1. monitoring our occupancy carefully
2. avoiding the movement of children and staff between rooms or within communal spaces
3. using gardens as much as possible
4. spending time in key groups
5. each room working independently of other age groups
6. repurposing of spaces to provide additional space for staff breaks or amending break schedules to support smaller groups 4 of four
7. staff will be carefully deployed within the centre and will only work in one room, and as far as possible with their key children
8. staff members who provide cover will wear PPE

 Are there staggered entrance times at the centre?
There are marked queuing arrangements outside each centre to manage social distancing and we anticipate that queues will be short as we first re-open, however, we will review access to our centres in line with Tusla guidelines as required.  There may be staggered times as the number of children in the centre increases and the centre managers will advise parents if there are any changes.

Will I be allowed to take my buggy/trike/scooter/car seat to the centre?
To prevent cross contamination and to ensure we adhere to public health guidelines we are unable to store children’s buggies/trikes/scooters or car seats within the centres. These can be brought to the centre but must be taken home with parent after drop off.

At drop off, will I be able to go into the centre?
We want to make the return to creche as smooth as possible for the children and their families but have to follow public health guidance and Tusla requirements to minimise adult access to our centres. Parents are invited to enter our welcome zone which will be positioned at our reception area.  Here, we will take the temperatures of the children and a member of our care team will take your child to their care room/Play Pod where our handwashing protocol will take place.

Can my child have their comforter or soother?
Yes of course. If your child uses a soother, please supply at least two so a spare one can be kept on hand in a Milton style solution. The use of dummy straps is not permitted as these enable the dummy to be in contact with surfaces. If your child has a blanket or soft toy, please supply these and have them as clean as possible. Comforters will be available to children when they need them, when they are upset, tired, or going for their nap. At other times comforters will be in the child’s bag or box to prevent other children accessing these.Please refrain from bringing in other favoured toys such as a car, or dinosaur. We have plenty of exciting experiences and resources to access.

Will you comfort my child if they are upset?
Absolutely. Social distancing must be carefully balanced with ensuring the emotional wellbeing of each child. If a child becomes upset at any time with us, we will comfort them as they need, be this with a cuddle or a story time for example. No child will be left crying because of social distancing.

Will staff be wearing face masks or coverings?
The evidence to support the use of masks, or not, is limited. At Giraffe staff who are taking temperatures will wear a face mask or shield, which will be changed for each session of temperature taking. Staff within rooms with children be given the option to wear face masks or shields and will be required to wear them if travelling on public transport (consistent with Government guidance). This will ensure a more familiar environment for the children who can be reassured by familiar faces and friendly smiles, which will be very much needed at this time of continued uncertainty.

 What happens when my child presents with a high temperature on arrival?
To protect all the children, their families and our staff it is essential that we carry out a temperature check on all who are attending our centres. On arrival, your child’s temperature will be checked using an infrared thermometer. If your child presents with a high temperature of 38 degrees, we will ask you to care for your child at home. We would ask that you do not return to the centre for a minimum of 24 hours. This is to ensure that the welfare of all the children, their families and the staff is maintained in the centre.

What happens if my child develops a temperature or a cough during the day?
At any point throughout the day, if your child becomes unwell or presents with a temperature of 38 degrees, we will ensure that they are made comfortable. We will move them from their care room to an isolation area where they can be observed and cared for. We will make contact with their parent and request to kindly collect them within a 45-minute timeframe. Your child is unable to return for a minimum of 24 hours and the centre manager will contact you to check on their well-being.

How frequently will temperature checks occur during the day?
Temperatures checks will occur through out the centre twice daily. Once on arrival and again in the afternoon. However, if a child or a member of staff become unwell throughout the day, we will check their temperature and ensure of Health and Wellbeing Protocol is adhered to.

How frequently will hand washing occur?
Hand washing and cough etiquette are important skills that we have always encouraged the children to partake in. Children will wash their hands on arrival at the centre and regularly throughout the day – after toileting, before eating, after gardening and as required. We have lots of fun songs and activities to help the children understand its importance.

Have you increased your hygiene protocols?
At Giraffe we have robust hygiene protocols and procedures in place to ensure the health and wellbeing of the children, their families and our staff. To minimise the risk of the spread of Covid-19, we have enhanced our cleaning protocols and all our cleaning products contain antiviral cleaning properties. Frequent touch points such as door handles, light switches and toilets will be cleaned several times throughout the day.

How will your centres manage visitors?
We are doing our best to minimise the number of visitors to our centres. Only essential visitors will be allowed to enter the centres for essential tasks such as electrics, plumbing, deliveries etc.  All our visitors will be required to follow our safety procedures and agree to our visitors protocol.

What happens if there is a confirmed COVID-19 case in our centre? 
If there is a confirmed case within/connected to your centre, we will make contact with you, whilst maintaining the confidentiality of all involved. We will follow all regulatory procedures and guidance in line with public health requirements.

What will my child’s day look like?
Your child’s day will be the same as before with plenty of activities both indoor and outdoor. Our team are familiar with your child and will ensure they are settled, happy and engaged in play. If your child is unsettled or unwell, contact will be made to communicate this. Handovers will be provided but will be limited to facilitate drop/collection for all families without too much delay.

What happens if we have been out of the country?
If your child has been out of the country and attended a country on the “green list”, your child may return to creche as normal. However, if the visiting country is not a “green list” country, your child/family unit (who travelled) must self-isolate for 14 days in line with public health guidance before returning to creche.  If a parent only is out if the county and is self-isolating, your child may attend creche if they do not have contact with you, but we would ask that you refrain from drop and collect for the first 14 days. Check out the listing of Green Listing Countries here https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/8868e-view-the-covid-19-travel-advice-list/

How will my fees be charged for the month of July?
For families returning on 29^th June, there will be no fees charged for 29^th and 30^th June as these will be settling in days for your child. For those returning on 29^th June, fees will apply from 1^st For families returning at a later date in July, fees will apply from their return date. July fees will be processed by direct debit in the first week of July. Please notify your bank to reinstate direct debits if you have cancelled it.

Will I receive the Government fee subsidy?
We have been advised that the government grant schemes for parents will re-open for online registration in the week commencing 22nd June 2020 and we are required to re-register parents for their childcare schemes in advance of their return date. We will apply grants off all fees in respect of successful registrations, in advance of parent return dates.We will contact parents individually if we require any further information to process their grant registration.

Giraffe Re-opening 29 June, Parent Update

Dear Parent,

We are pleased to advise that Minister Zappone has expanded  the re-opening of childcare services on 29 June to include all parents who require full day childcare and who were registered with Giraffe prior to our closure in March.

We are working hard behind the scenes to plan and prepare the centre so that it will be as seamless as possible for all our returning children. As you will expect, there will be enhanced cleaning protocols within our centre and staff will need to observe social distancing measures. However our Government guidance is that children will not have to social distance within their own care rooms. Each care room, now classed as a play pod, will be maintained as before, along with the children’s key carers. Parents will be asked to drop their child at the entrance of the centre, as we are managing adult access to the centre.  As children will have been away from their centre for a number a weeks, we will be settling children back in on a staggered basis to support their transition back to creche.

We will contact you again shortly with a second parent survey in light of this new announcement and will also follow up with you when we have further detail and clarification for all our families.

We are looking forward to welcoming all our children and families back very soon.

Kind Regards

Giraffe Childcare

Inclusion is so important at all ages

Our children in Giraffe Stepaside have been very busy learning Lamh, sign language as part of our inclusion programme. As part of this learning the children learned to sign Perfect Love by Ed Sheeran. Watch the video and see what an amazing job they all did – we are so proud of them.