WCD Childcare Services hosted midterm Halloween camps for children attending the After Schools in the Athlone and Mullingar area with over 50 children attending.

The camps activities provided plenty of entertainment in the form of fun and games and gave the children the opportunity to participate in Halloween themed activities which included pumpkin carving, mask making, trick or treat bags as well as baking which include spooky décor, other arts and crafts along with outdoor sports activities.

WCD is committed to providing a quality Childcare Services, and the After School services encourages the positive growth and development of children, by providing opportunities to explore and learn, in a safe and secure environment. We also operate pre-school services in Brawny and Lissywoollen in Athlone. The Pre-School service ensures that all children receive quality education that is appropriate to their age, under the Early Childhood Curriculum framework, ‘Aistear & Siolta’, while also promoting parental partnership to encourage children to reach their full potential.

Our Childcare Services are funded through Department of Children and Youth Affairs, under the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme (ECCE), better known as the free preschool year, and the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS), along with funding from the Department of Social Protection and the Local and Community Development Programme and supported through Westmeath County Childcare Committee.

For further information of these services go to www.westcd.ie or contact Sinead Casey, Childcare Services Manager on 090 6494555 or email scasey@westcd.ie 

Westmeath Community Development has hours available for a qualified primary school teacher in our After School project, based in Mullingar Educate Together National School.

The position is on Mondays and Tuesday from 4pm to 5.30 pm, and will run parallel will the school calendar. The rate of pay for the post is €23 gross per hour.

Our After-schools projects are funded through the National Childcare Investment Programme, under the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS), via POBAL and the Dept of Children and Youth Affairs. The projects are also funded and supported by the Dept. of Social Protection, and by Westmeath County Childcare Committee.

Our After-School services run from the start of the school year until July, and includes camps at Halloween, Easter and in July, when the schools are closed. Services are available 4 hours a day, Monday-Friday during the school year, and includes a hot snack, homework supports, art and cultural activities, sports, fun and games.

The role of the teacher will be to provide homework support to the children attending the service. There are 30 children registered with the After School in Mullingar.

If you are interested in being considered for this position please submit a CV and letter to Frank Murtagh, Deputy CEO, Westmeath Community Development, Mullingar Enterprise and Technology Park, Clonmore Industrial Estate, Mullingar by Monday, October 7^th. For further information contact us on 044 9348571 or email fmurtagh@westcd.ie.

Westmeath Community Development Afterschool Services, ended our year with lots of fun, with 72 children from our After School Services in Athlone and Mullingar participated in this 2 week camp.

 During the first week of the Summer Camp, children and staff went to Galway Aquatic Centre andLough Key Forest Park where they had a guided tour of The Experience and hours of fun in the park. In the second week, children and staff went to Dublin Zoo and The Kingfisher Club in Ballinasloe.

 Other activities during the camp included a sports day, Arts and Crafts, Nature Walks, and lots more.

 The WCD Afterschool Services are now closed for the summer.

 We have some places available for September in both our Pre-school and After School Services. If you would like avail of any of our service please contact Sinead Casey, Childcare Services Manager on Ph: 090 64 16121/ 0877729172 or email scasey@westcd.ie.

 The WCD childcare services are funded under the ECCE and CCSS schemes, through Pobal and the Dept of Children and Youth Affairs.

Children attending the 3Pre-School Services, located in Brawny Square, Blackberry Lane and Paisti Beaga in Athlone have graduated in style this year, after a fun filled year of preparing them for main stream education through the Aistear and Siolta Curriculum.

At the graduations events in each of the venues in late June the children performed for their parents, reciting poems and songs, and displaying their art work and other work done during the year. One parent noted ‘that the work Staff do with their Children should be praised, my child has learned a lot and can sound out her letters, knows all her colours and can count to ten, the work is fantastic’.

Along with the 3 preschools WCD operates 8 After Schools, 7 in Athlone and one in Educate Together National School based in Mullingar, funded through the National Childcare Investment Programme under the Early Childhood Care and Education scheme – better known as the “Free Preschool Year” and Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS). The projects are also funded and supported by the Dept. of Social Protection, and by Westmeath County Childcare Committee. Over 200 children attend our childcare services.

Children attending WCD service are guaranteed plenty of fun based activities as well as being providedwith a healthy nutritious snack, while also ensuring that home-work is complete daily with a fully qualified teachers in each centre.

The afterschool's also provide a service to children outside of school terms, with camps during Halloween, Easter, and Summer. This Summer Children attending have 2 full weeks ofhigh energy activities to keep them busy including, sports days, baking, arts & crafts along with day trips to Lough Key forest park and Dublin Zoo!

The Preschools service are closed now for the summer and will reopen again in September. The After Schools will finish in mid July and reopen in September also. For information on the WCD Childcare Services, or to enrol a child for September 2013 for either service please contact Sinead Casey, Childcare Services Manager on Ph: 090 64 16121 or email scasey@westcd.ie .