Donegal County Childcare has welcomed the expansion of the Community Childcare Subvention Programme (CCS) which supports low income parents to avail of reduced childcare costs.
Previously this programme was only offered in community run early childhood services in Donegal and now €16m has been allocated nationally to extend the programme to privately managed services to provide additional places for low income parents.
Avril McMonagle, Manager of Donegal County Childcare sees this development as a win for low income parents in Donegal.
She says ‘the issue of insufficient places being available for all parents who meet the eligibility criteria for subsidised childcare is one that Donegal County Childcare have constantly kept to the fore in Departmental discussions since 2012.
Letterkenny, with only one community run full day care service operating in the town and surrounding environs has long been cited as an example of the inadequacy of the CCS programme’.
McMonagle said, ‘There are currently 81 community run services providing almost 1,000 subsidised childcare places under the current programme.
“However, as there are 64 privately managed services operating across the county, this means that 44% of services are not able to offer subsidised childcare to families who meet the eligibility criteria.
“Subsequently, parents access to low cost childcare is a lottery depending on where they live.
“This, alongside the segregation of children from one particular socio economic grouping into community services only, is always something that I have strongly disagreed with.”
However, the Donegal Childcare Manager warns that the decision to offer inclusion on the programme to private childcare services on a ‘first come first served basis’ may not have been the most prudent way to allocate these precious places.
McMonagle added, “Whilst it is welcome that Donegal has been awarded 112 full time equivalent places, it would have been preferable that Donegal County Childcare Committee had been able to target the allocation of these places to areas where we have factual evidence that local need is highest rather than on a first come first served basis’.
Since the announcement late last week, interest from private childcare providers in Donegal has been high and parents are asked to contact DCCC on 074 9123442 or email info@donegalchildcare.com if they are unsure about eligibility criteria for subsidised childcare in their area.
Full details can also be found on the DCCC Website http://www.donegalchildcare.com/2016/02/22/community-childcare-subvention-ccs-programme-now-also-open-to-private-childcare-service-providers/
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