GOVERNMENT FUNDED SCHEMES

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth operate a number of Childcare Schemes. These schemes provide free or reduced rate childcare to eligible children and their parents. Please go to PIP/HIVE to access the Rules for DCEDIY Funding Programmes.

Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE):

This programme is a universal childcare programme otherwise known as ‘free pre-school’ with the stated objective of providing children with their first formal experience of early learning. It is delivered to children of pre-school age (2 years 8 months to 5 years 6 months) prior to commencing primary school and is provided for 3 hours per day, 5 days per week over 38 weeks per year.

There is an ECCE calculator on our home page for your use.

Community Childcare Subvention Plus (CCSP):

The CCSP Programme provides support for eligible parent/guardians on a low income to avail of reduced childcare costs at participating childcare services during the 2020/2021 programme year. The children who were registered for CCSP in the 2019/20 programme year and retain registrations under CCSP Saver Programme are referred to as ‘Savers’. Only children with ‘saver’ status are eligible for CCSP.
No new registrations can be made under the CCSP Saver Programme for children who have not been previously registered on CCSP 2019/20.
If a child ages out of the CCSP Saver Programme i.e. turns 15 years of age, the parent will no longer be eligible for reduced childcare costs for this child under this programme.

For any additional information please contact Carlow County Childcare Committee on 059 9140244 

OR

visit: Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth 

NATIONAL CHILDCARE SCHEME

Website: https://ncs.gov.ie/

Early Years Hive: https://earlyyearshive.ncs.gov.ie/

NCS Resources: https://ncs.gov.ie/en/information-resources/

National Childcare Scheme

On the 11th March 2019, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Katherine Zappone, announced the launch of the National Childcare Scheme, the pathway to quality, accessible, affordable Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare in Ireland.

The National Childcare Scheme provides subsidies to help parents meet the cost of quality Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare. It will replace all previous targeted childcare support programmes with a single, streamlined and user friendly Scheme.

Under the National Childcare Scheme, subsidies are available for families with children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years who are attending any participating Tusla registered childcare service, including any Tusla registered childminder and school age childcare services.

There are two types of subsidies available under the National Childcare Scheme: a Universal subsidy and an Income Assessed subsidy.

Universal subsidies are available to all families with children under 3 years, or families with children over 3 years who have not yet qualified for the free preschool (ECCE) programme. It is not means tested and provides 50 cents per hour for up to 45 hours per week off the cost of a Tusla registered childcare place.

Income Assessed subsidies are available to families with children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years. They are means tested and will be calculated based on your individual circumstances. The subsidy rate will vary depending on your level of reckonable family income, your child’s age and their educational stage. It can be used towards the cost of a Tusla registered childcare place for up to a maximum of 45 hours per week.

To apply for an Income Assessed subsidy, your reckonable family income has to be less than €60,000 per year. Read more about this in Question 14.

Online applications for the National Childcare Scheme opened on 20th November 2019.

A paper based, postal application is now also available.

You can apply online on the NCS website using a verified MyGovID by clicking on the ‘Sign In’ tab at the top of the screen.

National Childcare Scheme Sponsor Referral

The National Childcare Scheme makes special arrangements for some children and families to be sponsored by certain public bodies so they can get childcare under the NCS. Families with high levels of need, who require childcare for child welfare, child protection or family support reasons, may be referred for childcare support by a specified “Sponsor Body”.  Where such a referral is made, the family will automatically qualify for a subsidy for the number of hours considered appropriate by the Sponsor Body without having to satisfy the scheme’s eligibility, income or enhanced hours requirements.  The Scheme will cover the cost of the sponsored childcare, with no requirement for any parental co-payment.

The five statutory bodies specified as sponsors in the Childcare Support Act 2018, and the specific groups of children who will benefit, are:

  • Minister for Education and Skills – for teen parents who are still in education or training;
  • Minister for Justice and Equality – for refugees and asylum seekers, to enable parents’ participation in education, integration and other relevant supports;
  • Tusla, Child and Family Agency – to promote the welfare of children, either where there is a child protection concern, or as a form of early intervention or family support;
  • HSE – to support child development for children who are below the age for participation in ECCE and where there is an identified need for childcare as a developmental support for the child; and
  • Local Authorities – to support homeless persons with children that are homeless or moving out of homelessness to access childcare services.

Parent Support Centre is now open – Phone (01) 906 8530 – Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm

Early Years Provider Centre (EYPC) – Phone (01) 5117222 – email eypc@pobal.ie

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE WEBSITE: WWW.NCS.GOV.IE

Core Funding

Core Funding is a new strand of funding to ELC and SAC services which will form part of the new funding model as recommended by an Expert Group and approved by Government in December 2021.

Core Funding is a payment to providers designed to meet the combined objectives of:

  • Improved affordability for parents by ensuring that fees do not increase;
  • Improved quality through, among other things, better pay and conditions for the workforce;
  • Supporting the establishment of an Employment Regulation Order through the Joint Labour Committee;
  • Supporting the employment of graduate staff; and
  • Improved sustainability and stability for services.

This is a new and different way of providing funding to the sector and is intended to support the development of a partnership relationship between providers and the State that reflects the public good dimension of ELC and SAC.

The new funding model supports delivery of ELC and SAC for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families. To achieve this, there is a need for greater State investment and greater public management of provision. Core Funding is the new funding stream to start this partnership for the public good between the State and providers.

Core Funding is funding directly to providers (supply-side funding) and is designed improve affordability, quality, inclusion and sustainability.

Core Funding operates alongside the NCS and ECCE and constitutes additional income for providers on top of funding for these schemes, as well as income from parental fees.

Greater public management of the sector includes conditions in relation to fees, quality improvements in services and transparency in relation to operations.

This new approach to funding entails a shift in the relationship between the State and providers in relation to delivering ELC and SAC, with new responsibilities on both sides.

Core Funding is open to all registered providers subject to their agreement to the terms and conditions of the funding.  It is the ambition of the Department that the maximum number providers choose to participate in this partnership with the State to deliver ELC and SAC for the public good and come into contract for Core Funding.  Core Funding however is optional for providers.

More Information on COre Fuding is available on the Early Years Hive

THE EARLY YEARS HIVE

EARLY YEARS PROVIDER CENTRE (EYPC)

A dedicated Early Years Provider Centre (EYPC) has been established by Pobal in order to provide specialised supports to early learning and care service providers in the delivery of DCYA childcare funded programmes.

The Early Years Provider Centre will be a specific point of contact for service providers to direct queries regarding existing DCEDIY childcare funded programmes and also the new National Childcare Scheme (NCS).

EYPC Contact Details:

Service Providers should continue to call 01 5117222 to talk to an EYPC representative.

This phone line is available from 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday. (Note: The lines are closed every Wednesday from 9.00am – 10.00am for training purposes)

The EYPC Teams will also continue to support service providers through the following mailboxes:

EYPC@pobal.ie – This dedicated mailbox will be utilised for all early learning and care programme support queries.

There are three dedicated teams within the Early Years Provider Centre (EYPC) available to support early learning and care service  providers.

  • The Contact Team will deliver all the services previously provided by online support using the phone number and email above, this team acts as a first point of contact between service providers and EYPC.
  • The Data Management Team will perform all functions of the previous PIP Documents team for all DCEDIY funded programmes.
  • The Registration and Applications Team – will process all registration and application requests which are received for all DCEDIY funded programmes.