Northern Ireland Childminding Association

Northern Ireland Childminding Association
AbbreviationNICMA
Legal statuscharity and membership organisation
HeadquartersBelfast
Region served
Northern Ireland
Official language
English
Chief Executive
Patricia Lewsley-Mooney CBE
Staff26
Websitewww.nicma.org

The Northern Ireland Childminding Association (NICMA) is a charity and membership organisation, based in Belfast, that represents childminding in Northern Ireland. It promotes quality home-based childcare and learning for the benefit of children, families and communities in Northern Ireland and its services include a childminding information and vacancy helpline. NICMA's chair is Norma Shearer and as of 2024 its chief executive is Patricia Lewsley-Mooney CBE.

History

The Northern Ireland Childminding Association (NICMA) is a charity and membership organisation, based in Belfast, that represents childminding in Northern Ireland.[1] It was founded in 1984. It promotes quality home-based childcare and learning for the benefit of children, families and communities in Northern Ireland and its services include a childminding information and vacancy helpline.[2]

NICMA's chair is Norma Shearer and its chief executive is Patricia Lewsley-Mooney CBE.[3] In 2024 NICMA highlighted a halving of the number of registered childminders in Northern Ireland from 4,383 minders in 2005 to 2,000.[3]

NICMA has run a pilot scheme to address the shortage of childcare places in rural areas. This was funded by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's Rural Childcare Programme.[4]

Activities

NICMA was founded in 1984.[5] NICMA promotes quality home-based childcare and learning for the benefit of children, families and communities in Northern Ireland. Its services include a childminding information and vacancy helpline.[2] It also runs childminding groups, and networking activities for childminders, and helps members with professional development, equipment and emergency sickness cover. NICMA holds an annual conference, and employs a development officer to support childminders.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ "£12m boost for Northern Ireland childcare welcomed". BBC News. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  2. ^ a b c "NI Childminding Association | NICVA". Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  3. ^ a b "NI childcare: Childminder numbers halve in two decades". www.bbc.com. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  4. ^ Learner, Sue (16 March 2011). "No sign of NI strategy but Assembly gives it £12m". Nursery World. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Charity Details | The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland". www.charitycommissionni.org.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
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