Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 July 2020
995. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to examine options to increase flexibility within centre based care in addition to options to accelerate access to subsidies for non-relative childminders as set out in the Programme for Government; if terms of reference and tenders for this examination have been initiated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19748/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraA central task in increasing flexibility in access to early learning and care and school-age childcare is to make subsidies available to a wider cohort of childminders than is currently able to access subsidies. A report on options will be completed by year-end, building on work already undertaken to develop a Childminding Action Plan.
In 2016 an expert Working Group on Reforms and Supports for the Childminding Sector was established. In March 2018 the Working Group published its report Pathway to a Quality Support and Assurance System for Childminding, which set out a number of recommendations on the development of appropriate supports and changes to regulations required for childminders.
Building on the recommendations of the Working Group report, in August 2019 my Department published a Draft Childminding Action Plan, for the purpose of public consultation. The Draft Childminding Action Plan set out short, medium, and long-term measures on a phased basis for childminders to formalise their position over the next decade. Proposals included extending subsidy schemes and other supports to all paid, non-relative childminders, and extending the scope of regulation to childminders to provide quality assurance and safeguards for children.
An extensive public consultation on the Draft Childminding Action Plan took place in quarter 4 of 2019. A report was commissioned to consider the findings of the consultation process. Officials in my Department are currently preparing to publish the consultation report and the conclusions from the report will guide the development of a report on plans for childminding to be finalised by the end of the year.
There is already considerable flexibility in options for centre-based care. The National Childcare Scheme, introduced in 2019, offers flexibility to accommodate different models for delivery of both early learning and care and school-age childcare, for service providers that are registered with Tusla, the statutory regulator. The National Childcare Scheme can accommodate full flexibility in relation to types of service provision, location, hours of operation, and ages of both pre-school and school-age children catered for. The National Childcare Scheme is designed to be responsive and flexible, allowing income thresholds, maximum hours and subsidy rates to be adjusted in line with Government decisions and as more investment becomes available.
Measures to support further flexibility in options available include capital funding programmes for new and extended provision of centre-based services. Recent annual capital funding rounds have been able to support parents' access to places for under 3 year olds and for school-age children. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department has used the funding that was allocated for this year’s capital programme to provide grants to assist with the costs of supporting early learning and care and school-age childcare services to reopen and adhere to public health requirements. This grant will include enabling services to adhere to the reopening guidelines by improving hygiene facilities and outdoor play areas. A high level of flexibility in use of the grants is being allowed for in recognition of the fact that services have varied needs.
