Belfast City Hall today hosted an event celebrating 146 new childminders who have completed training through childminding academies, a joint initiative aimed at bolstering early learning and childcare provision in Northern Ireland.

Education Minister Paul Givan and Communities Minister Gordon Lyons attended to commend the programme's success.

The training was facilitated through the Department for Communities' Labour Market Partnerships (LMP), with significant funding of over £300,000 allocated by the Department of Education from Executive Early Learning and Childcare funds.

During the event, ministers heard first-hand accounts of the programme's benefits from participants, LMP representatives, and various practitioners within the childminding sector.

Education Minister Paul Givan highlighted the importance of the initiative: "Delivering accessible and high-quality early learning and childcare is one of the Executive's key priorities and an area where real progress has already been made. The 146 new childminders trained through this scheme will add capacity and diversity to this essential service." Minister Givan further praised the role of childminders: "Registered childminders provide professional care in a nurturing home-from-home experience. Today's event is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the contribution they make to the sector and to the lives of the children they care for. I have secured a further £55 million Executive funding for Early Learning and Childcare for 2025/26 to include funding to train additional childminders, demonstrating my ongoing commitment to providing affordable childcare."

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons underscored the collaborative effort behind the scheme. "My Department's involvement in delivering this important initiative through our Labour Market Partnerships demonstrates a truly collaborative approach," he said. "Funding from the Department of Education has enabled the expansion of the Childminding Academy model across Northern Ireland. Childminders make a valuable contribution to enabling parents and carers to move into or remain in work."

Training for the academies was delivered by the Northern Ireland Childminding Association (NICMA) and specifically targeted individuals not currently working in the sector, with the aim of attracting new childminders into the workforce. The LMP academies ensured participants acquired the necessary training and qualifications to become registered childminders and provided support for setting up new childminding businesses.

The celebration marked the successes of the LMP-led training, which included both mainstream childminding academies and culturally appropriate academies. These tailored programmes aimed to encourage participation from Irish medium, Ukrainian, Bengali, Polish, and Arabic traditions, promoting diverse and inclusive childcare options.