“4,200 providers invited to take part in schemes delivering an extra €19m”
Statement by Minister Katherine Zappone
Childcare services across the country are being invited to be part of childcare changes which will see families benefit by an extra €19m from September, according to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Katherine Zappone.
The Minister is writing to 4,200 providers as part of the first phase of a major awareness campaign.
Information packs are also being sent to every creche, pre-school and registered child minder.
In her cover letter Minister Zappone sets out a number of points:
• Measures introduced this September will provide both universal and targeted subsidies towards the cost of childcare.
• Every child between the ages of 6 months and 36 months in Tusla-registered childcare services will be eligible for some level of childcare support.
• The child can be in full or part-time registered childcare. There will be no minimum number of hours and no maximum number of weeks for eligibility.
• The financial supports will be provided directly to Tusla registered childcare providers.
• Existing targeted childcare supports provided under the ommunity Childcare Subvention Scheme and the Training and Employment Childcare Scheme will be enhanced significantly, some by
up to 50%.
• All Tusla-registered childcare providers, community and private, can sign up to provide these Schemes.
Announcing the start of the information campaign Minister Zappone added:
“The countdown to More Affordable Childcare has begun. We are starting by getting the information to the dedicated staff who provide our services.
In the coming weeks this will be followed by a much wider campaign for families using a number of media platforms.
This marks the first big step in our efforts to turn our childcare system from being one of the most expensive in the world, into one of the best.
€19m extra for families from September to the end of the year is a good start. But more must be done if we are truly to have affordable accessible quality childcare.
In the negotiations for Budget 2018 I will be asking for extra funding so we can address some of the issues raised by staff who care for our children. It is clear more funding is needed so we can continue our radical new approach that improves both affordability and quality simultaneously.”