Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley visited a range of early learning, childcare and disability services across Cavan and Monaghan, meeting with staff, service providers, families and community organisations.
The visit highlights significant investment and service development taking place across both counties through the Building Blocks scheme, Core Funding, Equal Start and disability services funding.
Minister Foley began her visit at Krafty Kidz in Ballyconnell, then she visited Happy Days Childcare in Belturbet, which has grown significantly in recent years.
In Monaghan Town, Minister Foley called to Teach na Daoine Family Resource Centre which is part of the network of 134 family resource centres funded by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.
The Minister then went to Drumlin House in Cootehill, an adult day service and training centre funded by the HSE. In Shercock, the Minister called to the Shercock Child Resource Centre, which has been allocated €500,000 under the Building Blocks scheme. The project will deliver at least 34 additional full time places for children aged 1-3, complementing the service's existing full time, sessional and school age childcare provision.
The childcare portion of the visit concluded at Sunny Hollow in Ballymachugh, a rural childcare service that provides full day care, part time care, sessional places and school age childcare.
Minister Foley says she wanted to acknowledge the leadership and commitment being shown by staff across all of the services in Cavan and Monaghan that she met with today.
