The Childcare Bureau is one of five local childcare resource centres based in the city of Dubln. The Childcare Bureau is based in Coolock, a neighbourhood within the Dublin City Council's North Central Administrative Area.

The Childcare Bureau is a voluntary organisation with a Board of Directors which includes representatives from relevant state agencies including the Northern Area Health Board, FAS, Dublin City Council as well as the Northside Partnership, community development groups and childcare providers.

Founded in 1998 under the auspices of the Northside Partnership, the Childcare Bureau is funded from a variety of sources including the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Northern Area Health Board and the Dublin City Council.

The aim of the Childcare Bureau is the building of a childcare infrastructure that leads to an expansion in the number and type of childcare places available to parents and an improvement in the quality of childcare practice in the interests of children.

The Childcare Bureau provides training for childcare workers and assists both the community and private childcare sectors with a range of supports such organisational development, strategic planning, fundraising, and mentoring. Childcare workers are offered training in the implementation of the High/Scope Early Years Curriculum as well as in-service training on a wide range of topics identified through regular training needs analyses. An intensive development programme in High/Scope is underway with those childcare providers that want to achieve accreditation from the High/Scope InstituteTraining in High/Scope is also available for home based childminders and parents.

The Childcare Bureau has entered into a Service Agreement with the Dublin North East Drugs Task Force to provide childcare for parents participating in drug rehabilitation programmes throughout the catchment. Over the past three years 53 children have benefited from this partnership.

For further information click www.dublin.ie/childcarebureau