My Department currently provides funding to support three childcare programmes - the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme and the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme.
As the Deputy is aware, the CCS programme provides funding to community not-for-profit childcare services to allow them to charge reduced childcare rates to qualifying parents. The CCS is implemented under the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP). The NCIP programme succeeded the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP) which was a joint EU/Exchequer funded childcare programme introduced in 2000.
The key elements of the EOCP included the provision of capital assistance to community based not-for-profit childcare facilities and the provision of grant assistance towards the staffing costs for community facilities, which were identified as being in areas of significant disadvantage. The increase in childcare places, which this investment provided for, ensured that parents who were disadvantaged or on low incomes had access to affordable and quality childcare which otherwise they would not have been in a position to avail of.
The NCIP, which is Exchequer funded only and which was introduced in 2006, built on the success of the EOCP and continued to support the development and maintenance of community childcare facilities. The CCS provides targeted funding towards disadvantaged parents and in the region of €40 million annually is provided by my Department to support this programme.
As already stated funding is also provided to support the ECCE programme and CETS programme to which all childcare services, both community and commercial, have access. Almost €200 million is provided annually to support these programmes and in excess of 4,300 childcare services, which includes private and commercial providers, throughout the country are participating. The capitation provided under these programmes, which is paid to participating services in advance of each school term or commencement of training courses, is a guaranteed source of income and is a very beneficial support for the private childcare sector at this time.
The Government has made a very significant commitment to maintaining all three childcare support programmes despite the current budgetary situation. The challenge for my Department at this time is to ensure that childcare services in which considerable funding has been invested are in position to continue to deliver quality services and are accessible to the large number of parents who need to avail on them.
Future developments relating to early years care and education including the design of schemes and eligibility of providers, will be considered during the preparation of the new National Early Years Strategy which is currently being developed by my Department.
