Written answers
Tuesday, 30 April 2024
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Childcare Services
Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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556. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1166 of 9 April 2024, what the community childcare subvention and the community childcare subvention plus programmes have been replaced with, and what the eligibility criteria is for a sponsor referral; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18780/24]
Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) and the Community Childcare Subvention Plus (CCSP) Programmes were replaced by the National Childcare Scheme (NCS). The NCS replaced these schemes with a single coherent and integrated scheme designed to be flexible, recognising that early learning and childcare needs are different for each family and to provide a greater level of access to subsidies for families.
By making this fundamental shift away from the legacy schemes, and by tangibly reducing the cost of quality childcare for thousands of families, the NCS aims to improve children’s outcomes, improve labour market participation and reduce child poverty.
As referenced by the Deputy, the NCS sponsorship arrangement allows designated sponsor bodies to refer children to the Scheme on child welfare, protection, family support or other specified grounds. Where a child is referred to the Scheme, the full cost of the childcare place is paid without cost to the family. The criteria for referring children to the Scheme is set by the referral bodies and outlined in the Childcare Support Act 2018, these criteria and the relevant referral body can be found below in tabular form.
| Referral Body | Criteria for referral to NCS sponsorship |
|---|---|
| Minister for Education | To support parents under the age of 18 years to remain in education or training through access to childcare services. |
| Minister for Justice | To facilitate access to childcare services for applicants within the meaning of section 2 of the Act of 2015 and programme refugees within the meaning of section 59 of the Act of 2015, so that parents or children can access education, integration and other relevant supports. |
| Tusla | To enable participation in a childcare service as part of the provision of child care and family support services by the Child and Family Agency to promote the welfare of children who are in need of additional care or protection. |
| Health Service Executive | To enable participation in a childcare service where there is an identified need for childcare as an additional support to the home environment to meet child development needs for a child who is under the age of 4 years and who is not enrolled in a pre-school programme funded by the Minister or the Minister for Education and Skills and who would otherwise not attend a childcare service. |
| Local Authorities | To support homeless persons (within the meaning of the ) with children that are homeless or moving out of homelessness to access childcare services. |
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