School-Age Childcare Matters: MLA Engagement (Belfast)

Girdwood Community Hub, 10 Girdwood Avenue, Belfast BT14 6EG

Have your voice heard. Inform the decisions that will shape the future of School-Age Childcare.

School-Age Childcare Matters: Meet Your MLA / Meet Your Constituents

As the Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Strategy continues to develop, this is a critical moment to ensure it reflects the real experiences of children, families and services on the ground.

PlayBoard is hosting a series of informal “Meet and Greet” sessions, bringing together School-Age Childcare (SAC) providers and local MLAs to support open, constructive and solution-focused dialogue.

Why This Matters

School-Age Childcare plays a vital role in:

• Supporting children’s development and well-being
• Enabling parental employment
• Sustaining local communities

Yet, there are growing concerns that the needs of children aged 4–11, and the services that support them, are not fully reflected within the draft ELC Strategy.

The decisions made now will shape the sector for the next decade.

What This Session Offers

• A short overview from PlayBoard on the current policy context
• Direct engagement between SAC providers and local MLAs
• Informal roundtable discussions to share experiences and insights
• Opportunity to explore challenges, solutions and future direction

For Providers

This is your opportunity to:

• Share your experience of delivering SAC
• Highlight the challenges facing your setting
• Raise the profile of SAC within your constituency
• Influence policy and decision-making

For MLAs

This is your opportunity to:

• Hear directly from providers in your constituency
• Understand the pressures facing the sector
• Explore the impact on local families
• Inform your role in shaping future childcare policy

Your Voice Matters

Without meaningful engagement between providers and decision-makers, there is a real risk that School-Age Childcare, and the children and families it supports, will continue to be overlooked.