Strategic Plan
Introduction
Longford County Childcare Committee (LCCC), having committed itself to the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP), has undertaken the development of a Strategic Plan for the period 2007- 2010. This Plan reflects the shared commitment of LCCC members to increasing the provision of quality childcare services in the County based on the criteria of the NCIP and an analysis of local need.
Longford County Childcare Committee
Established in 2002, the LCCC is a partnership of the statutory, voluntary, community, and private sectors, including parents, working together for the enhancement of childcare in the County and is comprised of representatives of these sectors including:
- Parents
- Health Service Executive
- ICTU
- Department of Social & Family Affairs
- FAS
- County Longford VEC
- Longford County Council
- Longford Community Resources Ltd
- Farming Pillar
- National Voluntary Childcare Organisations
- Community Service Providers
- IBEC/Longford Chamber of Commerce
- Longford Community Fora
- Department of Education and Science
- Private Providers
- Longford County Enterprise Board
- Pobal
The current structure of the LCCC is :
- Longford County Childcare Committee
- Sub-committees
- Finance
- Training & Quality
- Childminding
- Equality & Diversity
- Service Development
- Staffing/ Management
- Appraisal/ PESC
Strategic Planning Process
The development of this Longford County Childcare Committee Strategic Plan 2007-2010 was undertaken in three key stages:
- Strategic Mapping Exercise
- Consultation and Strategic Planning with Stakeholders
- Development of Strategic Aims and Objectives
Strategic Mapping Exercise
The Strategic Mapping Exercise, undertaken in 2006 identified 35 pre- school childcare facilities and 22 voluntary notified childminders located in the County; providing approximately 1,000 childcare places to meet local needs. The Mapping Exercise, which audited these existing childcare services, highlights the following points:
- 33% of non-childminder pre-school services are privately owned
- Half of these services are located in or adjacent to Longford Town
- Only a third offer a full day childcare service
The Mapping Exercise's review of childcare services included an analysis of projected future growth of the County. From this review, gaps in the current provision of childcare services and areas of future childcare need in the County were able to be identified.
| Location | Existing Gap | Future Need |
|---|---|---|
| Edgeworthstown | Yes | Yes |
| Drumlish | Yes | Yes |
| Rathcline (Lanesborough) | Yes | Possibly Yes |
| Ardagh East or West | Yes | Yes |
| Ballinamuck East or West | Yes | Yes |
| Longford Rural | Yes | Yes |
| Coolamber | Yes | Yes |
| Cashel West | Yes | Yes |
| Cloondragh / Caldragh / Cloonee | No | Possibly Yes |
| Kilcommock | No | Possibly Yes |
| Granard Urban | No | Possibly Yes |
| Moyne | Yes | Yes |
| Killoe | Yes | Possibly Yes |
Strategic Planning
The Strategic Planning process commenced in late 2006 and was comprised of extensive one-to-one and group consultation with stakeholders in the childcare sector in County Longford.
Those consulted included representatives of the following sectors:
LCCC and sub-committee members, specifically representatives of agencies and groups represented on the LCCC, including, for example:
- HSE Dublin-Mid Leinster
- Longford County Enterprise Board
- Longford Community Resources Limited
- Longford Women's Centre
- Parent for Parent Support Group
- Parent Representative
- LCCC management team and staff members
- Community and voluntary childcare service providers
- Private childcare service providers .. Childminders
The purpose of consultation was to receive feedback from stakeholders in relation to the childcare sector in Longford, the effectiveness of the LCCC, and to identify areas for future development. A The results of this consultative process, and the Mapping Exercise, were reviewed and analysed by the members of the LCCC as part of the Strategic Planning process and from this the Committee was able to identify Strategic Aims and Objectives for the period 2007-2010.
Summary of Needs and Priorities
As a result of the Strategic Planning process, the LCCC has established Strategic Objectives for the period 2007-2010 that are in keeping with the aims and objectives of the NCIP.
These Strategic Objectives, which are detailed in the main body of this Plan, are in keeping with the LCCC's four Strategic Aims, as follows:
- Improve the Quality of Childcare
- Maintain and Increase Childcare Facilities and Places
- Support Families to Break to Cycle of Poverty
- Support a Co-ordinated Approach to Delivery of Childcare
Evaluation and Monitoring
To ensure success in delivering the Strategic Plan 2007-2010, the LCCC will continuously monitor and review its implementation in conjunction with partnering bodies and stakeholders. The LCCC will specifically link future actions directly to the objectives set forth in the Strategic Plan and ensure that the plans and strategies of its partners are also directly linked where childcare is highlighted. Finally, the LCCC will revise and update the Mapping Exercise and the Strategic Plan itself where needed to reflect any changes impacting upon either document, or the workings of the Committee.