Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2020
852. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the grants available to childcare centres that hold community and charitable status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15023/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department operates a number of funding programmes, for which all Tusla registered childcare services are eligible to apply, including those that are community based or hold a charitable status. These programmes are summarised below:
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)
The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a free pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. All children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months are eligible for a full two programme years. The programme is provided three hours per day, five days per week, 38 weeks per year over the two years.
Community Childcare Subvention Plus (CCSP)
This programmes provides childcare funding support, targeting low income families. This is no longer available to new entrants following the introduction of the National Childcare Scheme.
Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) Programmes
These programmes provide childcare funding support for parents participating in eligible Education and Training Boards /Solas vocational training courses, Community Employment (CE) programmes, or returning to employment. This is no longer available to new entrants following the introduction of the National Childcare Scheme.
National Childcare Scheme
Families may be entitled to subsidies under the new National Childcare Scheme, which opened in November 2019. The Scheme comprises two types of subsidies a universal subsidy and an income related subsidy. Information on the NCS can be found at www.ncs.gov.ie.
Programme Support Payments
A Programme Support Payment is paid annually to all service providers who have children registered on one of the above funding programmes. Payments are issued on a per capita basis. The total PSP funding for the 2019/20 programme year was €19.3million.
Capital Grants
The Capital Grant Programme provides grants to successful applicant services to enable them to expand or to improve their premises. The Capital Grant programme budget for 2020 was €7.2 million. This was increased to €14.2million in response to Covid-19 and all services which have at least one child registered on any Department funded programme is eligible to apply for a grant.
Additional supports for community services
In additional to the above funding which is available to all providers, community services have access to a sustainability fund of €2.2million, which they can apply for as part of sustainability support from the Department.
If services require further information and guidance on any of my Departments’ childcare funding programmes I would advise them to contact their local County Childcare Committee (CCC). Contact details for CCCs can be found at www.myccc.ie.
