Minister Ritchie announced a further year of emergency childcare funding - 18th February 2009

Today, Margaret Ritchie, MLA and DSD Minister announced a further year of emergency funding to support the childcare provision of 13 Women's Centres across Northern Ireland. Childcare provision in the women's centres is an essential service provided to women attending training and programmes in the centres. The announcement was made during a visit to one of the women's centre -The Learning Lodge in Magherafelt.

Dr Margaret Ward, WCRP Chair, said: "I congratulate the Minister and her officials for the strong support they continue to demonstrate towards women and children in disadvantaged areas. This funding will enable the childcare provision to continue for a further twelve months. We would ask the Executive to agree a coherent approach to childcare and we urge all Ministers to resolve this as a matter of urgency."

Childcare provision in the Women's Centres is affordable, flexible and of high standard and is offered to women returning to education. In 2007 - 2008, the Women's Centres provided 4,234 childcare places weekly to more than 1,000 children. The DSD emergency fund will guarantee more than half of those places for a further year.

The WCRP Childcare Subgroup Chair, Margaret Logue, added: "Lack of affordable and high quality childcare provision is often the major barrier to women returning to education and employment. Government Departments investing in childcare invest in the future of our communities."

The WCRP is urging all Government Departments to work towards a Childcare Strategy for Northern Ireland which will value the existing provision in the women's organisations and focus on the benefits that this service offers to local communities.  

(In the photo, Minister Margaret Ritchie, MLA with Councillor Kate McEldowney, Moira McLaughlin, Learning Lodge Magherafelt and WCRP Directors)