In September 2017 as part of the Government policy to make childcare more affordable, I introduced a universal childcare subvention payment of up to €20 per week for families using eligible childcare providers for the care of children aged from 6 months to the first eligible point of entry to the Early Childhood Care and Education scheme (ECCE). The Universal scheme is administered through the current Community Childcare Subvention scheme (CCS).
The maximum weekly universal childcare subsidy is €20. As CCS subsidies are currently paid according to session type, i.e. full-time, part-time, sessional, half-sessional, this maximum weekly universal subsidy rate of €20 will be paid on a pro-rata basis according to session type.
Table Universal Subsidy (CCSU) rates
UCS Session Type
|
Weekly Subsidy
|
Full-time (i.e. 5 hours plus per day)
|
€20
|
Part-time (i.e. 3:31 to 5 hours per day)
|
€10
|
Sessional (i.e. 2:16 to 3:30 per day)
|
€7
|
Half-sessional (i.e. 1:15 to 2:15 per day)
|
€3.50
|
While information on the number of households availing of the Universal Subsidy (CCSU) is not readily available, the following table displays the most recent data available outlining the number of unique children with one registration only in the scheme under each session type for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 days, and the value of each registration. The table also includes the total number of unique children availing of the subsidy and the total cost of the scheme.
|
Full Day
|
Full Day
|
Part-time
|
Part-time
|
Sessional
|
Sessional
|
No. of Days
|
Unique Children
|
Approved value of Sessions
|
Unique Children
|
Approved value of Sessions
|
Unique Children
|
Approved value of Sessions
|
5
|
10307
|
€9,026,620.00
|
694
|
€288,290.00
|
260
|
€63,000.00
|
4
|
2810
|
€1,908,240.00
|
182
|
€61,936.00
|
65
|
€12,493.60
|
3
|
3619
|
€1,840,560.00
|
516
|
€126,702.00
|
400
|
€59,026.80
|
2
|
2202
|
€740,632.00
|
682
|
€108,980.00
|
648
|
€62,526.80
|
1
|
360
|
€60,396.00
|
94
|
€7,384.00
|
87
|
€4,393.20
|
Grand Total
|
19298
|
€13,576,448.00
|
2168
|
€593,292.00
|
1460
|
€201,440.40
|
Table Cont
|
Half Session
|
Half Session
|
Total
|
Total
|
No. of Days
|
Unique Children
|
Approved value of Sessions
|
Unique Children
|
Approved value of Sessions
|
5
|
14
|
€1,764.00
|
11275
|
€9,379,674.00
|
4
|
2
|
€184.80
|
3059
|
€1,982,854.40
|
3
|
11
|
€785.40
|
4546
|
€2,027,074.20
|
2
|
24
|
€1,115.80
|
3556
|
€913,254.60
|
1
|
3
|
€68.60
|
544
|
€72,241.80
|
Grand Total
|
54
|
€3,918.60
|
22980
|
€14,375,099.00
|
This table reflects registrations for unique children on a snapshot of one day (April 30 2018). The scheme runs for 52 weeks in the programme year and therefore the table may not be a complete reflection of the numbers of children availing of the scheme for the full programme year 2017/2018.