Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:585. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the ratio of childminders to children and the number of children allowed to be in the care of one childminder. [2513/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 22 January 2019
Ceisteanna (585)
Freagraí scríofa
Under the Child Care Act 1991 (Section 58L), childminders are currently exempt from regulation if they:
1. Care for one or more children to whom they are related;
2. Care for one or more children of the same family and no other children (other than the childminder's own children) in the childminder's home; or
3. Care for not more than 3 children of different families (other than the childminder's own children) in the childminder's home.
Under the regulations that relate to the care of children of pre-school age - the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 - childminders who are not exempt from regulation may care for no more than 5 pre-school children at any given time, including their own pre-school children. No more than two of the children can be under the age of 15 months (except where the children are siblings) including the childminder's own children.
On 17th February 2019 relevant sections of the Childcare Support Act 2018 will commence, which will amend Section 58L of the Child Care Act 1991, and on the 18th February regulations relating to school-age childcare will come into force: the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Registration of School Age Services) Regulations 2018.
As from 17th February, the third category of childminder exempt from regulation will be amended to be "a person taking care of not more than 6 children, of which not more than 3 are pre-school children, of different families (other than that person’s own such children) at the same time in that person’s home, except where that person has been continuously registered as an early years service for a period of one year, wishes to remain on the register, and continues to satisfy such conditions as may be prescribed". A childminder who cares for 7 or more children (of any age), or 4 or more pre-school children, will be required to register with Tusla, unless exempt on one of the other grounds.
It will remain the case that a childminder who cares only for pre-school children (and who is not exempt from regulation) will not be able to care for more than 5 pre-school children.
The regulations governing school-age childcare, which will come into force on 18th February, will provide that a childminder who cares for school-age children only may not care for more than 12 children at the same time. From that date on, unless exempt from regulation (under the rules set out above), a childminder who cares for both pre-school children and school-age children may not care for more than the number of children specified in the table.
|
(1) |
(2) |
|
No. of pre-school children being cared for |
Maximum no. of school age children |
|
1 |
10 |
|
2 |
7 |
|
3 |
5 |
|
4 |
2 |
|
5 |
1 |
For example, if a childminder cares for 1 pre-school child, they can also care for up to 10 school age children at the same time. If they care for 5 pre-school children, they can only care for 1 school age child at the same time.
These ratios apply in respect of children who are in the care of a childminder at the same time. For example, a childminder may care for 5 pre-school children and 1 school-age child in the morning and then care for 12 school-age children (but no pre-school children) in the afternoon.
The school-age childcare regulations are intended not only to implement minimum standards in the area of school-age childcare, but also to allow (Tusla-registered) school-age childcare providers to avail of subsidies under the forthcoming Affordable Childcare Scheme, due to launch at the end of 2019.