Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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619. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the funding his Department allocated to the childminder learner fund; the number of requests for funding received for the fund; the purpose of this funding; and if it is educational purposes only. [36537/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Learner Fund is a funding stream offered by my Department to practitioners working in early learning and care and school-age childcare seeking to upskill and gain higher qualifications. It has operated for several years by providing either pre-award funding or a post-award bursary. The initiative was initially rolled out from 2014 to support the introduction of the minimum National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) Level 5 qualification requirement that came into force in 2016, to allow practitioners who were already working in a setting to meet the new minimum requirement. Since then, the Learner Fund bursary has been extended to provide financial support for practitioners undertaking a range of other training and education programmes for awards at Level 5 to Level 9 on the NFQ.

As part of the overall Learner Fund, since 2019 Learner Fund bursaries have been opened to childminders who achieve a level 5 or level 6 major award in early childhood care and education recognised on the National Framework of Qualifications and who register with Tusla. Childminders who are registered with Tusla can also avail of the Learner Fund graduate bursary for level 7 and 8 graduate-level awards in early learning and care.

In 2020, a total of €390,000 was allocated to the Learner Fund bursary programme. This includes both the graduate and childminder bursaries which operate simultaneously and are funded from the same budget.

The 2019 round of the Learner Fund saw bursaries awarded to 481 applicants for completion of relevant degrees (who may include both centre-based practitioners and childminders), and 10 Tusla-registered childminders for completion of Level 5/6 awards. The 2020 round of the Learner Fund bursary has recently closed and awards will be announced shortly.

The number of childminders availing of the Learner Fund is expected to remain very low until regulation is extended to all childminders and bespoke training and qualifications are developed for childminders. Currently there are 77 Tusla-registered childminders. In line with commitments in First 5 and the Programme for Government, a Childminding Action Plan is currently being finalised, with a view to publication in the near future. The Childminding Action Plan will seek to extend the scope of regulation and supports for childminders, accelerate access to subsidies for childminders through the National Childcare Scheme, and develop bespoke training for childminders.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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620. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the grants system in place for childminders. [36538/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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A Childminding Development Grant is available to Tusla-registered childminders, childminders who have voluntarily notified their City/County Childcare Committee, childminders proposing a new childminding service, and childminders who have completed the childminding Quality Awareness Programme. The childminder or potential childminder must mind at least 3 children on a part-time basis or one child on a full-time basis and one part-time. In order to receive the maximum grant available, a childminder must have appropriate insurance and undertake to stay in operation for two years after the date of the grant. The Grant assists childminders with the cost of safety items, equipment, play resources or minor household adaptations.

The Learner Fund bursary for childminders is available for childminders who achieve a level 5 or level 6 major award in early childhood care and education recognised on the National Framework of Qualifications and who are registered with Tusla. Childminders can also avail of the Learner Fund graduate bursary for level 7/8/9 major awards in early learning and care and who are registered with Tusla.

Earlier this year, as part of the Re-opening Funding Package for Childcare Services, the Covid–19 Capital Grant and the Re-opening Support Payment were available for childminders that were in contract for DCEDIY programmes and closed their childminding business on 25 March 2020 due to the Covid–19 pandemic. As part of the Funding Package a Childminding Re-opening Grant was available for childminders who were not in contract for DCEDIY programmes and were ineligible for the Covid-19 Capital Grant or the Re-opening Grant. This Funding Package facilitated the reopening of early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services from 29 June onwards. This funding supported providers to reopen, staff to remain in the sector, parents to resume work and children to benefit from quality ELC and SAC.