Donegal County Childcare have today welcomed an additional investment of €35m to support parents with childcare costs though a package of both universal and targeted measures.
A universal measure will see all parents with children in childcare aged between six months and three years being entitled to up to €900 in State subsidies per year.
In a targeted measure, a new Single Affordable Childcare Scheme will also be set up from September 2017. This will replace the existing targeted childcare funding schemes in operation at present and make it more accessible for parents in terms of navigating what is available and reduce the administration burden on childcare providers.
The new single scheme promises both means-tested subsidies, based on parental income, for children between six months and 15 years. The subsidies will be paid for children and young people attending Tusla registered childcare services.
Avril McMonagle, Manager of Donegal County Childcare today welcomed the inclusion of measures to support childcare costs in Budget 2017 against very strong and valid competition for funding in other areas.
‘Although we have far to go, we have to recognise todays announcement as a positive development and as another step forward. With sustained incremental investment to build on this model, we could significantly reduce the cost burden of childcare on parents. In terms of an equality issue for women, this also offers hope around women’s participation in the workforce and improved social mobility’.
‘We now await the detail of the proposals – in particular how these will impact on childcare providers and the early childhood workforce. Similar to the introduction of the extended ECCE programme, capitation levels have to be aligned to the real cost of running an early childhood service and of employing and retaining a knowledgeable, experienced and qualified workforce’.
‘We also have to be mindful of the fact that approximately only 20% of children are in registered childcare in Ireland –the remainder are cared for by parents, relatives, grandparents and non-regulated childminders. If parents decide to use their State subsidy in crèches, the capacity for available child places will have to be monitored closely and policy responses introduced to address identified need’.
* Although the overall announcement regarding childcare is €120M – in reality €85M of this was previously announced in Budget 2016 mainly for the expansion of the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme. So the new investment is actually €35M towards new initiatives.
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