The HSE is one of five Sponsor Bodies with an agreement with my Department to make sponsored referrals under the National Childcare Scheme. The HSE can sponsor a child under the NCS 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 preschool programme funded by my Department or the Minister for Education and who would otherwise not attend a childcare service.
Table 1 provides a monthly breakdown of children referred by the HSE between 1 May 2020 and 31 May 2021. While these numbers represent completed sponsored referrals, not all progressed to a claim being made against the award. Table 2 provides the total figure.
Table 1:
Month-Year
|
Children referred by the HSE
|
May-20
|
-
|
Jun-20
|
5
|
Jul-20
|
3
|
Aug-20
|
11
|
Sep-20
|
38
|
Oct-20
|
20
|
Nov-20
|
36
|
Dec-20
|
14
|
Jan-21
|
15
|
Feb-21
|
11
|
Mar-21
|
22
|
Apr-21
|
23
|
May-21
|
27
|
Table 2:
Sponsor
|
Children
|
All HSE referred children
|
202
|