Written answers

Tuesday, 15 July 2014

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

After-School Support Services

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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811. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide up-to-date figures on the take-up on the school-age child-care scheme. [30838/14]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The After-School Child Care (ASCC) scheme was introduced in October 2013 under the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme specifically to provide after-school care for primary school children for certain categories of working parents for a once-off period of 52 weeks. The number of children who availed of this support in the period up until 30 June 2014 is 154.

My predecessor, Minister Charlie Flanagan and the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton T.D. recently announced that the after-school child-care (ASCC) programme will undergo improvements to increase access to the programmes for low income families.

The eligibility criteria for the after-school child-care programme is expanding to provide places to recipients of the Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA), Jobseeker’s Benefit (JB) and One-Parent Family payments (OFP) who participate in a Department of Social Protection employment programme. To date the ASCC programme primarily provided support for those entering employment. This enhancement will provide eligible customers with the choice to avail of after-school child-care support while on an employment programme, when entering or increasing their employment or a combination of both. In addition OFP customers will now receive the same level of support under the programme as those in receipt of a Jobseeker’s payment i.e. they can avail of this support if they take-up part-time work or an employment programme, and still retain part of their OFP payment. Previously OFP recipients were only eligible if they left the payment to take-up employment. These changes will result in more customers meeting the eligibility criteria for the ASCC programme.

In addition a new option is being made available to provide subsidised after-school child-care places, with a pick-up service, at no additional cost to the customer. The additional cost of these places will be funded by the Department through an increased subsidy to the child-care provider. The provision of a pick-up service was identified by customers and providers as a valuable addition to the ASCC programme.

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