The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme provides funding to community child care not-for-profit services to enable them to charge reduced child care rates to low income and disadvantaged families. Community child care services qualify for grant aid on the basis of the level of service they provide and the profile of the parents benefiting from their service. Because of the current budgetary situation no new places are available to service providers seeking to enter this programme in 2012. However, in exceptional circumstances where a participating service closes or opts out of the programme, a new applicant may be considered to take up the vacated place in the programme if they are in a position to meet the child care need arising.