Menu Plan for Early Learning and Care Services

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From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

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The Menu plan for Early Learning and Care Services has been published by the Healthy Eating and Active Living division in the HSE and Safe food. This menu plan aims to provide a practical guide to implementing the ‘Nutrition Standards for Early Learning and Care Services’. This menu plan’s recipes have been designed for use by all regulated early years providers including children’s centres, nurseries and childminders.
Menu Plan for Early Learning and Care Services

Healthy Lunchbox Leaflet for Preschool

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From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

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We all want to improve our children’s wellbeing and help them enjoy learning. One of the best ways to do this is through a healthy lunch. Preschools can provide good guidance on preparing lunch for your child.

This leaflet will give parents some ideas for your child’s lunchbox. A balanced lunchbox will help ensure children have the energy they need to learn and play.

Healthy Lunchboxes for pre-schoolers

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/69d86-healthy-lunchbox-leaflet-for-preschool

Minister O’Gorman welcomes record €837m investment from Budget 2025

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Link to Press Release

From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

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• Overall Budget allocation focused on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth of €8 billion

• 24% increase (€265.8m) in investment in Early Learning and Childcare to €1.37bn

• Increased funding for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, of almost €145m

• Minister Rabbitte has secured an additional €335.8m for disability services, with budget surpassing €3bn for the first time

• Additional €6.95m (9% increase) secured to support and expand youth services.

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, has secured a Budget 2025 package which will deliver on services for children and people in greatest need.

The Minister announced today an overall increase of 11% which is an additional €837m for the Vote group and the highest ever year-on-year increase in funding for the Department. This brings the overall funding allocated to the Department in Budget 2025 to over €8bn.

Minister O’Gorman said:

“The increase in funding reflects the level of demand and funding required to provide assistance to children, young people and some of the most vulnerable people in our country. It is essential in enabling us to advance our vision of a fair, equal, and inclusive society, where rights are respected and where everyone – from childhood onwards – is supported to achieve their potential.”

The funding builds on the substantial investment in 2024 in Early Learning and Childcare, with total funding in 2025 of over €1.37 billion, an increase of 24% or almost €266m. This supports the full year costs of the significant National Childcare Scheme subsidy increases for parents introduced this September 2024.

It also ensures the continued expansion of the numbers of children supported under the National Childcare Scheme, ECCE and AIM. Added to that, it ensures the continued roll-out and expansion of Core Funding and Equal Start, with new funding to support improved pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners. It will also deliver an additional nutrition programme to early learning and childcare settings operating in the context of concentrated disadvantage.

Further funding of €145m or 14% is being put into child welfare and family support services delivered by Tusla. This funding will deliver:

• Further investment and support towards children in foster care, including funding for extra support to foster families during the initial placement of a new foster child, and additional mileage support for foster carers bringing children to appointments.

• Maintain and support Family Support Services and early intervention and preventative programmes across Ireland including an expansion to the network of Family Resource Centres, and

• Increased Special Care and Residential Care provision.

• Increased funding to meet growing numbers of separated children seeking international protection.

Additional funding of almost €336m (a 12% increase over 2024) is being provided to HSE disability services, bringing the overall budget to €3.2bn. This increased funding will deliver:

• In the region of 70 additional residential places, as well as supporting the transition of people from congregated settings and under-65s from nursing homes to more appropriate housing in the community.

• Continued support for respite services, particularly alternative respite such as weekend clubs, equine therapy respite, afterschool clubs and tea-time respite.

• Development of new Autism Innovation Fund for local community groups supporting autistic children and adults.

• Progressive alignment of the PA hourly rate and the Home Support rate in line with Older Persons Services.

Minister Rabbitte said:

“This year’s allocation demonstrates the Government’s strong commitment to building capacity in disability services. This funding will provide greater investment in a range of service areas such as residential, respite, children’s services, day services, PA, Home Support and neurological community services.

“I will continue in 2025 to do the very best I can for people with disabilities and their families, to provide intervention and care when it is needed and to progressively deliver tangible improvements to the lives of people with disabilities.”

Minister O’Gorman concluded:

“Across my Department, we are entrusted with responsibility for children and some of the most vulnerable people in our country – children in care, refugees, survivors, people with disabilities, people who may be facing disadvantage and discrimination. This investment will support us to deliver for each of these groups.

We continue to build on previous budgets in driving down costs for all parents, improving quality and expanding access to early learning and childcare for all families. This includes targeted measures for children with disabilities and children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We continue to increase investment in disability services, child protection and family support services and youth services. All of this is with a view to supporting those in need to feel safe, respected and empowered to reach their full potential”.

ENDS

Notes to the Editor

Early Learning and Childcare

The 2025 allocation of €1.37bn will allow the Department to consolidate and build on recent progress. This includes continuing the implementation of:

• The National Childcare Scheme (NCS), with more than 216,000 individual children set to benefit from the Scheme in 2025. This is by far the largest number of children ever to benefit from NCS.

• The universal Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, which will benefit over 107,000 children in 2025, and the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) to enable c7,800 children with a disability to access and meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme.

• Continue the implementation of Year 3 of Core Funding, with enhancements in Year 4 of the Scheme. Importantly, these include new ring-fenced funding to support employers in meeting further increases in minimum rates of pay for those working in the sector, arising from future negotiated Employment Regulation Orders by the independent Early Years Services Joint Labour Committee.

• Advance implementation of Year 1 of Equal Start, with enhancements in Year 2. These include a new measure of an Additional Nutrition Programme in Equal Start Priority Settings, as well as supports for the development and rollout of Parent Community Coordinator training, and Diversity, Equality and Inclusion training.

• Deliver new early learning and childcare places for children under 3 under the Building Blocks Extension Scheme.

Child Protection and Wellbeing

• Budget 2024 sees an increase of almost 14% in funding for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.

• Budget 2025 also includes an allocation of €0.3m which will be used to provide a bonus payment at the start of each initial placement. This will aim to alleviate the substantial out-of-pocket expenses during the initial placement period, which can deter potential foster carers from coming forward and can strain the resources of those already fostering.

• Tusla are facing an unprecedented increase in demand for services from children, who are separated from their families, who have come to Ireland. This Budget provides significant additional resources to the teams in Tusla who are dedicated to helping these children.

Youth Services

• For youth services, €84.9m is being allocated in Budget 2025 to current expenditure to youth services, an increase across current and capital funding of €7 million, or 9%, on the 2024 budget.

• This additional funding will expand youth work service capacity and enable 10 new targeted youth services to be opened. It will also fund a new pilot initiative to address holiday hunger among young people attending youth work services.

• It will allow for the implementation of a new national strategy for youth work and related services and support the expansion of initiatives to enable children and young people to participate in decision making within the framework of the Participation of Children and Young People in Decision-Making Action Plan 2023-2028.

Disability

• Minister O’Gorman and Minister Rabbitte have secured €3.2 billion of current funding for Specialist Community Based Disability Services next year. This amounts to an 11.6% increase in funding on last year and represents an overall increase of €1.2bn since 2020.

• This significant level of funding recognises the challenges facing the sector including the increased cost of service provision, pay cost pressures and service provider sustainability.

• It will mean that 2025 will see some further expansion, including in relation to Children’s Services, Day Services, Residential Services, and Personal Assistance Hours. This expansion will further assist people to continue living independently in their own homes.

• This allocation will support the continued implementation of the Action Plan for Disability Services and the roll out of the Roadmap for Service Improvement for Disability Services.

• €27m will be invested in a range of infrastructure developments supporting areas such as Respite, Residential, and day services.

Equality

• Increased funding has been secured for equality to drive forward new national strategies – on Travellers and Roma, LGBTI+ inclusion and on women and girls. This funding will strengthen the Government to address key equality issues and to improve opportunities for diverse groups at risk of discrimination.

• A 62% increase in LGBTI funding has been agreed which provides crucial resources towards strengthening the LGBTI+ infrastructure and will enable a much larger number of LGBTI projects to be funded.

• As part of the Department’s commitment to enabling Ireland to meet its international human rights monitoring obligations, the budget of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has been increased by €1.021m (a 12% increase).

Ukraine response

• Budget 2025 includes funding which will enable the Department continue to meet Ireland’s responsibilities in relation to the provision of access to, or the means to access, temporary emergency accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) fleeing the war in Ukraine.

• This funding allows for continued support for people currently living in DCEDIY-supported accommodation and pledged accommodation as they continue to make their way towards independent living in 2025.

International Protection

• Additional funding has been secured to work towards meeting Ireland’s legal obligation to receive and accommodate International Protection Applicants and for increased Community Engagement and communications, to assist with engagement with local communities and stakeholders on the opening of new accommodation centres.

• €8.4m has been secured for child supports. This will fund the International Protection Child Payment being rolled out in 2025, benefitting an average of 5,000 eligible children per month. This is a crucial part of improving integration and reducing child poverty.

Mother & Baby Institutions Payment Scheme

• Budget 2025 has ensured funding of almost €125m to continue the Government’s response to the legacy of Mother and Baby Institutions, including implementation of the Payment Scheme, the intervention at Tuam, the Special Advocate for Survivors, and the National Centre for Research and Remembrance.

Minister Rabbitte announces next funding call under the €3.5m Disability and Participation Awareness Fund 2024

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Link to Press Release

From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

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Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte, has launched the next call for applications to the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund.

The primary aim of this Fund is to support the participation and inclusion of people with disabilities in their local communities around Ireland. A total of €3.5 million has been allocated to the Fund this year. Applications are being invited under four thematic strands. Applications are particularly encouraged from organisations led by people with disabilities. In addition to cash grants, non-financial support will also be provided, which will be tailored to each project/organisation, and will be aimed at building its capacity and increasing its impact.

Strand 1

Supporting community, sports and physical participation: Funding projects/organisations that improve and encourage the accessibility of, and participation in, community life for disabled persons.

Strand 2

Supporting participation in arts and cultural activities: Funding projects/organisations supporting arts and cultural activities, particularly those that foster awareness of the lived experiences of people with disabilities and that support the participation of people with disabilities in arts and culture.

Strand 3

Supporting employment and apprenticeships: Funding social enterprise initiatives to provide valuable employment experience or apprenticeships to people with disabilities.

Strand 4

Supporting projects/initiatives in the area of neurodiversity: Funding projects/organisations supporting the participation of neurodiverse children and adults in their local communities.

The fund will be operated on behalf of the Department by Rethink Ireland. Organisations can make an application under the different strands through the Rethink Ireland website. Support for organisations to make an application will also be provided to organisations by Rethink Ireland.

Announcing the opening of the fund, Minister Rabbitte said:

“I am delighted to announce the launch of the next round of funding under the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund (DPAF). This funding has a strong focus on supporting people with disabilities to participate in their communities through arts, culture, sports, employment and apprenticeships.

Since I established the DPAF, I have been consistently impressed by the quality of the projects and initiatives being devised and led at a community level by organisations across Ireland. I am proud that the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund has been able to support so much of this great work over the past number of years. I look forward to seeing the projects which will emerge in this round of funding.

We are working this year again with Rethink Ireland on this important fund, and I encourage all organisations who may wish to apply to contact Rethink Ireland for support in making an application. Initiatives under this Fund make a tremendous impact in local communities, by encouraging and facilitating meaningful participation and inclusion of disabled people.”

NOTES FOR EDITORS

The Disability Participation and Awareness Fund will be operated through Rethink Ireland and is open to non-profit organisations to support the participation and inclusion of disabled people in local communities, across four different strands.

Strand 1

Supporting community, sports and physical participation: Funding projects/organisations that improve and encourage the accessibility of, and participation in, community life for disabled persons.

Strand 2

Supporting participation in arts and cultural activities: Funding projects/organisations supporting arts and cultural activities, particularly those that foster awareness of the lived experiences of people with disabilities and that support the participation of people with disabilities in arts and culture.

Strand 3

Supporting employment and apprenticeships: Funding social enterprise initiatives to provide valuable employment experience or apprenticeships to people with disabilities.

Strand 4

Supporting projects/initiatives in the area of neurodiversity: Funding projects/organisations supporting the participation of neurodiverse children and adults in their local communities.

Further information on the fund can be found on Rethink Ireland’s website.

• Rethink Ireland will undertake a fund outreach to ensure maximum exposure for the fund, including the provision of webinars.

• Funding from €50,000 to €200,000 per project will be made available under each strand.

• This fund is open to organisations that are not-for-profit.

2024/25 Parent Peer Support Fund now open for applications

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Link to Press Release

From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

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The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, has today launched the 2024/25 Parent Peer Support Fund. The fund is open to organisations working with parents and/or children and young people to facilitate the development of parent peer support projects.

A total of €75,000 was distributed among 37 organisations under the 2023/24 Parent Peer Support Fund. This funding facilitated delivery of parent peer support projects by organisations who provide a diverse range of services such as domestic violence, kinship care, breast-feeding, disability, and migrant supports.

This year, the total funding available has increased to €100,000 and a new tier of funding has been introduced for applicants.

• Tier 1 will provide grants of €2,000 to 37 successful applicants who either currently operate, or wish to establish a new parent peer support project.

• Tier 2 will provide grants of €5,000 to 5 successful applicants who wish to scale up an existing parent peer support project, which is already having a positive impact on parents.

Speaking today Minister O’Gorman commented:

“I am delighted to launch the 2024/25 Parent Peer Support Fund. I am keenly aware of the value that this particular funding brings to organisations who work with parents, children, and young people”.

“Parent led peer-to-peer support initiatives promote the sharing of information, increase parents’ empowerment and improve parental wellbeing”. It is for these reasons, that I was eager to ensure that the level of support available to services through the Parent Peer Support Fund were expanded again this year. Increasing the total fund value from €75,000 to €100,000, along with the introduction of a second tier of enhanced financial assistance, specifically for established peer support projects, helps to ensure that my department will continue to enable organisations to deliver high quality peer support initiatives for parents & carers across the country”.

How to apply

Please find link to application forms for the €2,000 and €5,000 funding tiers, along with the funding Guidance and Terms and Conditions here.

For enquiries please contact: parentingsupport@equality.gov.ie

ENDS

Notes for Editors

Supporting Parents: A National Model of Parenting Support Services was developed in accordance with a commitment in First 5, A Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and Their Families 2019-2028. The model was developed by a collaborative working group led by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), with input from a wide range of stakeholders from across Government Departments, agencies and community and voluntary organisations.

The introduction of the Parent Peer Support Fund builds on commitments set out in Supporting Parents: A National Model of Parent Support Services, through the provision of funding for the enhancement and promotion of supports to assist parents.

The fund was first launched in 2022 and provided grants of €2,000 to 25 services. The 2023/24 round of funding was increased to provide grants of €2,000 to a total of 37 services.

This year, the total value of the fund has increased from €75,000 to €100,000 which will provide grants to 42 services. 2 tiers of funding will be provided under the 2024/25 Parent Peer Support Fund.

• Tier 1 will provide 37 grants of €2,000 to services seeking to set up new parent peer support projects, while Tier 2 will provide 5 grants of €5,000 to services who wish to scale up an existing parent peer support project, which is already having a positive impact on parents.

Queries can be directed to the Parenting Support Policy Unit by email to: parentingsupport@equality.gov.ie

Minister announces funding for Local Area Child Poverty Action Plans

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From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

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• Minister O’Gorman has awarded €378,000 to establish four pilot Local Area Child Poverty Action Plans to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children, young people and their families under the What Works initiative, funded under Dormant Accounts.

• Ireland’s National Action Plan under the European Child Guarantee commits to establish four pilot Child Poverty Local Area Action Child Poverty Action Plans in Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC) areas.

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, today announced the allocation of €378,000 under What Works to four Children and Young People’s Service Committees working in collaboration with their corresponding Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) to research and pilot Local Area Child Poverty Action Plans. Following a call for applications and selection process, 23 applications were received, and four applications were selected:

• Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and Wicklow Children and Young People’s Service Committees and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown and Wicklow Local Community and Development Committee

• Kildare Children and Young People’s Service Committees and Kildare Local Community and Development Committee

• Monaghan Children and Young People’s Service Committees and Monaghan Local Community and Development Committee

• Tipperary Children and Young People’s Service Committees and Tipperary Local Community and Development Committee

The objective of these pilot plans will be to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children, young people and their families by first gaining a detailed understanding of the child poverty problem in each area, and then using this information to promote experiences of enhanced service integration.

Funding is being made available through the What Works prevention and early intervention initiative which receives its funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund (DAF). The DAF is managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development.

Announcing the fund, Minister O’Gorman said:

“The What Works Initiative, funded under Dormant Accounts, aims to take a coordinated approach to enhance capacity, knowledge and quality in prevention and early intervention for children, young people and their families, with a focus on those at risk of developing poor outcomes.

These four projects are undertaking important initiatives to better support innovation and collaboration between local organisations to enhance communications, knowledge sharing and joint working to respond to child poverty issues at local level. I look forward to seeing these pilots implemented and making real difference to the lives of children, young people and their families”.

Welcoming the announcement, the Taoiseach said:

“I am delighted to see significant funding awarded to four pilot Local Area Child Poverty Action Plans. I am particularly encouraged to see that all four pilots will explore how to enhance access to vital supports in the areas of early years, food and fuel poverty, for those facing challenging circumstances, and for disadvantaged families with neurodivergent children”.

We are fortunate to have many outstanding family and children’s services in Ireland, but sometimes they can be difficult to access and navigate, especially for families in poverty. These pilots will allow us to learn from innovative and practical action and will move us closer to making sure service integration means every child gets the service they need, when they need it – a key priority area in my Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Plan.”

As Minister for responsibility for the Dormant Accounts Fund, Minister O’Brien stated

“I make it an absolute priority to ensure that the fund is used to support communities and services most in need. The issue of poverty, and child poverty in particular, informs almost every aspect of my work which is why I’m pleased today to be able to provide funding for this important initiative to tackle child poverty.

My Department also has strategic responsibility for Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) who collaborate with the Children and Young People’s Service Committees (CYPSCs) in many respects to support the planning of services in a local area. Today’s announcement, is a clear example of this strong partnership with the overall objective of improving access to services that support disadvantaged families and children in their local areas.

This funding will help achieve that.”

Note for Editors:

Under this scheme, Children and Young People’s Service Committees (CYPSC) and their Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) were invited to submit a joint application for up to €100,000 in funding to design and implement a pilot plan that will respond to their local realities and contexts while utilising existing co-ordination structures.

Funding is awarded to:

1. Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and Wicklow Children and Young People’s Service Committees and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown and Wicklow Local Community and Development Committee – €100,000.

The pilot focuses on early childhood (pregnancy to age 4) and aims to improve service coordination and family support, addressing systemic and intergenerational factors contributing to child poverty.

2. Kildare Children and Young People’s Service Committees and Kildare Local Community and Development Committee – €100,000.

The pilot aims to improve access to services for disadvantaged families with neurodivergent children by piloting Community-Based Occupational Therapy in Family Resource Centres; Flexible Referral Criteria; providing simultaneous support for professionals, parents, and children to build understanding and skills across all parties involved; piloting Plural Practice Model using recreational activities tailored to each child’s needs to improve social communication and emotional regulation.

3. Monaghan Children and Young People’s Service Committees and Monaghan Local Community and Development Committee -€93,000.

The pilot aims to address issues such as intergenerational patterns, difficult household conditions, migrant status, and the “working poor” experiencing mortgage arrears through the use of a “Family Champion” role to coordinate support providing tailored assistance and advocating for their needs while aiming to improve engagement with existing services and address the root causes of poverty.

4. Tipperary Children and Young People’s Service Committees and Tipperary Local Community and Development Committee – €85,000.

The pilot aims to enhance living conditions and reduce child poverty by improving energy efficiency and service integration. The pilot will focus on energy auditing and profiling to improve household energy efficiency and security and will assess how these interventions impact poverty indicators.

What Works, funded under Dormant Accounts, is an initiative designed by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. What Works aims to take a coordinated approach to enhance capacity, knowledge and quality, primarily in prevention and early intervention for children, young people and their families. Four key strands have been identified to embed and enhance prevention and early intervention in children and young people’s policy, service provision and practice:

• Data

• Evidence

• Professional development and capacity building

• Quality

What Works funding supports research and pilots with regard to prevention and early intervention. Further information can be found on the What Works website.

National Action Plan and European Child Guarantee

Ireland’s National Action Plan is a first step toward full implementation of the European Child Guarantee. The Child Guarantee is a European Commission initiative, which sets out to ensure that at the very least the most vulnerable children in the EU will have access to healthcare, childcare, education, housing and adequate nutrition. On foot of this, the Irish government prepared a national action plan as a first step to ensuring the child guarantee. The first interim report on Ireland’s progress under the European Child Guarantee was published on 10 June 2024. This can be found here.

New Regulations for Childminding

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Link to Press Release

Minister O’Gorman publishes new regulations for childminding, paving way for childminders to come into National Childcare Scheme

From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

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• Regulations provide important safeguards for children and quality assurance for parents.

• First official recognition of childminders as part of the early years sector.

• Regulations pave the way for childminders to come into the National Childcare Scheme.

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, today announced the publication of the new Childminding Regulations, which will come into effect on 30 September. This is the first time that childminders will be able to register with Tusla under new regulations that reflect the home and family setting in which childminders work and that take into account the unique features of childminding.

The introduction of the Childminding Regulations follows through on a commitment in the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028.

From 30 September, it will be possible for childminders to start applying to Tusla to go through the registration process. Once registered by Tusla, childminders can then also apply to take part in the National Childcare Scheme.

An extensive consultation process on the Draft Regulations took place in the first half of the year with childminders, parents and other stakeholders. As a result of the consultation process, a number of significant changes have been made in the regulations that are now being published.

The Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Childminding Services) Regulations 2024 are due to be commenced on 30 September. Relevant sections of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024 will be commenced on the same day and, in line with the Act, there will be a transition period of three years following the commencement of the Regulations. During this 3-year transition period, childminders will be able to register with Tusla, but they will not be required to do so.

Minister O’Gorman said

“I am delighted to announce the publication of Childminding-specific Regulations. Childminders play a hugely important role in caring for children in every community in this country, both rural and urban. This is a historic day for childminders and for the many families who use childminders every day.

Since coming into office, I have been committed to the extension of regulation and supports to all paid, non-relative childminders, which in turn will open up the National Childcare Scheme to parents who use childminders. A priority for me has been to ensure that these new regulations are proportionate and appropriate to the home and family setting in which childminders work, whilst ensuring the necessary safeguards for the protection of children.”

Kate Duggan CEO Tusla said

“Tusla welcomes the new childminding-specific regulations. Childminders across Ireland play an important role in supporting children and families. The regulations have been developed in close cooperation with childminders, ensuring they are mindful of the home setting. We will provide a supportive compliance approach by working with childminders to help them achieve registration.”

Tusla’s Early Years Inspectorate are responsible for implementing the regulations and will commence registration for child minders on 30 September. The regulations will support child safeguarding and quality assurance in the care of children, and recognise the essential services provided to parents by childminders.”

For further information about the regulations see www.gov.ie/childminding and www.tusla.ie/early-years-inspectorate/childminding-services. Childminders can also get more information from the Childminding Development Officer in their local City / County Childcare Committee (contact details at www.myccc.ie. )

In addition to the Childminding Regulations, Minister O’Gorman announced the publication of the independent report on the public consultation on the Draft Regulations. This report is accompanied by the Department’s response document that sets out in detail the ways in which the regulations were amended in response to the public consultation.

A Regulatory Impact Analysis is also published.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. Regulations

The Childminding Services Regulations can be viewed here: www.gov.ie/childminding.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), which will be updated on an ongoing basis, are available here.

2. Childcare subsidies for parents:

The main route through which parents are subsidised for their early learning and childcare costs is the National Childcare Scheme. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the National Childcare Scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered providers are eligible to participate in the Scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes to Tusla-registered childcare providers helps to ensure that public funding is provided where there is assurance of the quality of provision. Therefore, only childminders who are registered with Tusla will be able to offer the National Childcare Scheme to the families that avail of their services.

3. Changes in response to the public consultation:

Public consultation on the Draft Regulations took place over a 12-week period from February to May 2024. Research Matters, an independent team of researchers, were commissioned to analyse the findings of the consultation on the draft regulations. Their analysis is presented in the consultation report available here. In addition, further consultation with childminders and Childminding Ireland took place through to July 2024.

There were over 1,000 inputs into the consultation process. The online survey had 664 responses, including 243 childminders and 327 parents. In addition, 52 focus groups were held to allow more in-depth discussion, with at least one in every county, and 216 childminders took part in the focus groups. There were 90 written submissions, with 79 from childminders. And there were 35 participants from 28 organisations in a national stakeholder organisation event.

While the consultation showed continuing support for the principle of regulation of childminding, and support for many specific aspects of the proposed regulations, a range of suggestions were made for amendments to the draft regulations.

In response to the consultation findings, a number of significant changes have been made to the draft regulations. The revisions focus strongly on reflecting the home and family setting in which childminding takes place, while ensuring the appropriate safeguards for children and offering assurance to parents of the safety and quality of the childminding setting.

Changes made to the regulations in response to the public consultation are set out in the Department’s response document here , along with explanations of proposals made in the consultation process that did not result in changes or that are being addressed in ways other than through Regulations.

Opportunities for Youth

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Minister O’Gorman launches Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024-2028

From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Link to Press Release

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  • Opportunities for Youth is a new national strategy on youth work and related services which provides a clear vision, strategic objectives, and priority actions to guide a collective approach to developing youth work services over the coming years.
  • Opportunities for Youth is guided by an overarching vision that “all young people in Ireland are able to reach their full potential and positively shape their own future”.

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, will today launch a new national strategy, Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024-2028 , which sets out Ireland’s key policy ambitions for youth work and related services.

Opportunities for Youth encompasses a broad range of services and activities that are provided by youth sector organisations in response to the needs and interests of young people aged 10 to 24 and that support young people’s personal and social development. The Government has invested more than €80 million in this sector in 2024.

Today’s launch delivers on a commitment in Young Ireland: National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023-2028 , which recognises the important role of youth work services in improving outcomes for young people and the need for a more strategic direction for the delivery of such services.

The development of Opportunities for Youth was informed by extensive consultation with young people, the public, youth organisations, youth workers and volunteers, as well as State agencies and other Government Departments.

The strategy includes a clear set of strategic objectives and 18 priority actions intended to strengthen the role of youth work and related services in the lives of young people in Ireland, including through enhancing the visibility, accessibility and attractiveness of youth services and supporting better co-ordination with the range of other services and pathways for young people. It also focusses on enhancing service quality, including through a consideration of workforce needs, and strengthening the data and evidence base informing policy, investment and service-delivery.

Minister O’Gorman commented:

“I am delighted to launch a new national strategy with a dedicated focus on youth work and related services and I want to thank everyone, especially the young people, who contributed to its development. I know the important role played by youth services in the lives of many young people across the country, creating spaces for them to belong, to connect and to thrive. It is important that we build on this and fully leverage this sector to improve the lives and outcomes of young people of all backgrounds.

“The delivery of Opportunities for Youth willrequire collaboration beyond the youth work sector into all areas of life affecting young people. I look forward to working with all of our stakeholders, including colleagues across Government, as we begin implementation. I believe the actions set out in Opportunities for Youthwill make a significant difference to the lives of young people and will bring us another step forward in realising our vision of Ireland as a place where all young people can reach their full potential.”

To read the full strategy and youth-friendly version, click here.

ENDS//

 

Note for Editors:

Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024-2028 identities 18 actions to be completed by the end of 2026. This will be followed by a review to identify further actions to be delivered until the end of the Strategy’s lifetime in 2028.

 

Number of Early Learning & Care service openings at five year high, closures at lowest level for five years – new data confirms

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Link to Press Release

From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Closures of Early Learning & Care services (ELC) have fallen to a five-year low, new data published today (18 September) by the Government confirms. In addition, the overall number of ELC and standalone School-Age Childcare (SAC) services is now increasing.

 

The latest data on service closures and new service registrations, drawn from the Tusla register at end August 2024 shows:

• a five-year low in the number of net ELC services closures, such as crèches and pre-schools (i.e. 12 net closures January-August 2024 compared to 38 net closures in 2023, 80 net closures in 2022, 62 net closures in 2021 and 77 net closures in 2020 for the same time period)

• a five-year high in the number of ELC service openings (i.e., 64 new services opened in January-August 2024 compared to 48 in 2023, 33 in 2022, 44 in 2021, and 53 in 2020 for the same time period).

• a net increase of 173 standalone SAC services (after-school childcare) year to date (at end August);

• a net increase of 161 in the overall number of ELC and SAC services year to date (at end August).

These services are required by law to register with Tusla. Registered providers are required

to notify Tusla in writing of the closure of a service not later than 28 days after the closure. The register is updated monthly.

In total, at the end of August 2024 there were 5,043 ELC and standalone SAC services registered with Tusla.

Commenting on this latest data, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Roderic O’Gorman said:

“Ensuring access to affordable, high quality places in ELC and SAC is a Government priority. I am

encouraged to see an increase in the overall number of ELC and standalone SAC services nationally, and a continuing fall in the number of net ELC service closures this year so far.

“Core Funding application data shows that between Year 1 (from September 2022-August 2023) and Year 2 (from September 2023-August 2024) of the scheme, annual place hours increased by 7.4% and, I have secured additional investment in Core Funding for year 3 of the scheme, which provides for further increases in capacity, of almost 6%.”

This latest data from the register of services show the annual trend of a decline in net ELC service

closures nationally are continuing. In 2023, there were 115 ELC service closures notified to Tusla and 86 new ELC service registrations (i.e. 29 net closures) compared with 141 ELC service closures notified to Tusla and 83 new ELC service registrations (i.e. 58 net closures) in 2022, 141 ELC service closures and 65 new ELC service registrations in 2021 (i.e. 76 net closures), and 197 ELC service closures and 91 ELC new service registrations in 2020 (106 net closures).

While SAC services registration only commenced in 2020, there has been 846 standalone SAC registrations since then compared to 148 closures of standalone SAC services.

Net closures of services do not necessarily imply a reduction in capacity in the sector, as open services may be expanding capacity at the same time. In its first year of operation, Core Funding provided evidence of increased capacity of 7.4%, with analysis showing the increased capacity was the type of capacity that is in highest demand relative to supply (i.e. more toddler places as well as school-age places). Additional investment in Core Funding for year 3 of the scheme provides for further increases in capacity, of almost 6%. Data from the Early Years Sector Profile Survey shows that, between 2021/22 and 2022/23, the estimated number of enrolments in services rose by 8% from 197,210 to 213,154 and the estimated number of staff in the early learning and childcare workforce rose by 8% from 34,357 to 37,060.

Where services have chosen to close, the reasons given by providers for closures are diverse. While some services have closed for financial reasons, many have closed for other reasons such as retirement of the owner or manager.

 

Note To Editor

“ELC services” are services that provide early learning and care for children of pre-school age. Some ELC services provide both ELC and SAC, either before/after school or during school holidays.

“Standalone SAC” services are services that only provide SAC.

The total number of services registered with Tusla is the number of ELC services plus the number of standalone SAC services.

At the end of August 2024, there were 5,043 ELC and standalone SAC services:

• 4,028 ELC services, of which 1,684 provide both ELC and SAC.

• 1,015 standalone SAC services.

Reasons for closures vary and services can provide a number of reasons for closure. Of the ELC services that closed in 2024 to date, the top five reasons for closure were ‘financial viability’ (35); ‘retirement’ (19); administrative burden (17); ‘school room taken back’ (9) and ‘unable to source staff’ (7). Please note the following caveats for this data:

1. The reasons given for closures are all ‘self-declared’ by the provider and collated from the cessations forms they submitted to Tusla. This information is not formally verified by Tusla.

2. A provider may have listed more than one reason for closure and is not required to give a reason.

  • Source: Tusla register of Early Years Services and Tusla register of School-Aged Services

Thousands of families to benefit from substantial reductions in early learning and childcare costs from 2 September

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From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Published on 

Last updated on 

Press Release
  • New subsidy rates under the National Childcare Scheme effective from 2 September.
  • Fee cap for new services in Core Funding Scheme this year, extending to all services from September 2025 will stipulate a maximum fee that participating providers may charge, as part of a move towards a National Fee Structure.
  • Record numbers of children now benefitting from supports under the National Children Scheme.
  • OECD data reveal marked improvements across affordability indicators for early learning and childcare.

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman today welcomed the introduction of new subsidy rates under the National Childcare Scheme (NCS), which is set to substantially reduce out-of-pocket costs for early learning and childcare for tens of thousands of families across the country.

From 2 September, the minimum hourly subsidy under the NCS for children under 15 will increase by 53% – from €1.40 to €2.14.

For families using Tusla-registered early learning and childcare, the subsidy increase represents total cost reductions of up to €96.30 weekly per child, or over €5,000 annually.

From 2 September, the hourly subsidy under NCS sponsor referral programme, which makes special provision for vulnerable children, will also increase.

These latest changes to the NCS build on significant enhancements to the Scheme introduced by Minister O’Gorman in 2022 and 2023:

  • The practice of deducting hours spent in pre-school or school from NCS awards was discontinued in April 2022.
  • The universal subsidy under the NCS was extended to all children under 15 in August 2022 (from all children under three).
  • The universal hourly subsidy under the NCS was increased to €1.40 in January 2023 (from €0.50 per hour).

Latest OECD data reveal marked improvements in affordability indicators for early learning and childcare as a result of these changes. Specifically

  • In 2022, couples on the average wage spent 27% of their household income on full time early learning and childcare and single parents on the average wage spent 17% of their household income on full time early learning and childcare. In 2023 this figure fell to 17% and 7% respectively.
  • In 2022, couples on the minimum wage spent 24% of their household income on full time early learning and childcare and single parents on the minimum wage spent 4% of their household income on full time early learning and childcare. In 2023 this figure fell to 12% and 0% respectively.

Record numbers of children are now accessing supports under the NCS. A total of 175,389 children have benefitted from an NCS subsidy so far this year. The number of children benefitting from subsidies has increased by over 97,000 when compared to the same period in 2022. Since its introduction, more than 232,700 children have availed of supports under the NCS.

Additionally, Minister O’Gorman announced that, starting in September this year for new services joining Core Funding, and expanding to all services in September 2025, a fee cap will be introduced which will, for the first time, set a maximum fee level which participating services may charge to parents. Participating services with very high fees will be required to bring those fees down. This will be implemented as part of the development of a new National Fee Structure intended to remove large disparities in fee levels across the country, giving greater certainty to parents.

Welcoming today’s changes to the National Childcare Scheme, Minister O’Gorman said:

“I am delighted to announce the introduction of these new subsidy rates under the National Childcare Scheme which are building on the increase I introduced to the minimum hourly subsidy rate in January 2023 and the extension of the scheme to children aged up to 15 in September 2022.

“These new subsidy rates will assist many thousands of families across the country to avail of quality early learning and childcare at more affordable levels.

“I encourage all eligible families to avail of these supports on offer, by visiting [external-link https://www.ncs.gov.ie/en/ | www.NCS.gov.ie ] calling the Parent Support Centre on 01 906 8530 or talking to their early learning and childcare provider.”

ENDS

Note for Editors

National Childcare Scheme

The National Childcare Scheme provides financial support to help families with their early learning and childcare costs. The scheme, which was introduced in November 2019, has been designed on the principle of progressive universalism ensuring that families on the lowest incomes receive the greatest level of support.

There are two types of subsidies available to families:

  • Universal subsidies are available to all families with children between 24 weeks and 15 years of age. This subsidy is not means tested.
  • Income Assessed Subsidies are available to families with children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years. This subsidy is means tested and will be calculated based on the applicant’s individual circumstances. The rate will vary depending on the level of family income, the child’s age and educational stage, and the number of children in a family. To benefit from an Income Assessed subsidy, the applicant’s reckonable family income has to be less than €60,000.

In addition, a sponsorship referral programme is available under the NCS which makes special provision for vulnerable children. The NCS sponsor referral programme allows designated bodies to refer children to the Scheme where early learning and childcare is needed on child welfare, protection, family support or other specified grounds. Where a referral is made by a Sponsor body, the family will automatically qualify for a subsidy without having to satisfy the Scheme’s eligibility, income or other requirements. The sponsored family is not required to make any contribution to the cost of the place.

In addition, in line with the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021 – 2028, there is a commitment to opening the NCS to childminders in Autumn.