Sod turned on Navan childcare project
The sod was turned on the Navan Community Childcare Centre at Beechmount last Wednesday morning by Cllr Joe Reilly. The facility is the latest addition to the Crann Childcare Group which also includes facilities in Ballivor, Trim, Laytown and Simonstown. The idea behind the Crann Group is to pool resources and know-how among the various centres in the group. Manager Marie Daly said Cllr Reilly had put tremendous work into the whole driving of the project. The sod-turning was also attended by Mayor Padraig Fitzsimons, Cllr Shane Cassells, Cllr Tommy Reilly, the design team of Fergal McGirl, Pat Shanley, and Kieran Deegan of Roankabin, Kevin Martin representing the chairperson of the Crann Group and representatives of the County Childcare Committee. When operational, the centre will cater for approximately 80 children on a daily basis, aged from three months to 14 years. Services will include sessional and full day care. Work on the childcare centre is well underway and it is expected that it will open in September. The building will be a modular building similar to other facilities in the group, such as Coisceimeanna in Trim. Ms Daly explained that they will be running a competition to select a name for the centre. 'Work has been ongoing on this project for seven years but in the last year, it has really grown legs and run,' said Ms Daly. She thanked Barbara Bolger of the HSE and Paddy Reilly who was the manager of the Social Inclusion Partnership for all their hard work. Cllr Joe Reilly, who turned the sod, said: 'This is the first community childcare centre in the town. I have been working on it for eight years. Many people have contributed to the outcome and I am delighted it is going to be open in September. Hopefully, it will prove very beneficial to the working parents and the children of the town for years to come.' He added he hoped the community around Navan would come and see the centre when it opens in September and said parents can be assured the facility will be top-class. Cllr Reilly said everybody played a part in the project: Meath County Council, Navan Town Council and the local community groups to ensure its success. Meanwhile, the Irish Preschool Play Association (IPPA) is hosting a workshop for childcare practitioners in the Newgrange Hotel, Navan, tomorrow (Thursday) 12th March at 7.30pm. The workshop will focus on the standards required to meet the childcare regulations and, in particular, Article 5 of the Preschool Regulations 2006 covering curriculum documentation. As well as providing practical steps for meeting the regulations, they provide an opportunity for practitioners to network and share information and experiences with others. The workshop is free to IPPA members and non-members are very welcome at a cost of €20.