Budget implication for ECCE funded schemes

The budget on Tuesday, 6th December outlined cuts to the ECCE scheme, CETS Scheme & CCS Schemes.

To read a guidance document including questions and answers, click here.

CCS Parent Information Leaflet

To view our parent's information leaflet on the CCS Scheme, click here.

To view our Parent Newsletter (August 2011), click here.

CCS Contracts and Applications for 2011

NOTE from the OMCYA: The contracts currently in place for ECCE and CCS services will not expire until August 2012, both the OMCYA and the services concerned have the option to terminate the arrangement from the end of August 2011 subject to provision of at least 3 months notice. With more than 4,000 services in the ECCE and almost 1,000 in the CCS, it is proposed to start the administrative process for the September 2011-August 2012 period at this point in order to have it completed by the middle of the year. The general terms and conditions for these schemes are unchanged.

Community Childcare Subvention scheme (CCS)

The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) scheme, which follows on from the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) is available from community-based, not-for-profit services throughout the county under the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP). These services are subsidised (through a grant) to enable them to provide high quality childcare places, at a reduced cost to parents who are in receipt of state benefits, or who hold a Medical or GP card. To avail of CCS, community not-for-profit childcare services are required to operate an effective tiered fee system, with maximum and minimum fees set at appropriate levels. All monies received under the subvention scheme will go directly to the childcare service. All services participating in the CCS scheme, must also be participating in the ECCE (free pre-school year) scheme.

If you are a parent receiving a social welfare payment, then you may be entitled to subsidised childcare. The table below indicates the relevant reductions from a weekly cost in a childcare service, as per Band A and Band B.

Eligibility Criteria	Band A (non-jobseekers)	Band A (jobseekers)	Band B
Full-Day Payment (5hrs 1min+)	€100	€50	€50
Half-Day Payment (3hrs 31mins - 5hrs)	€50	€50	€25
Short Session Payment (2hrs 15mins - 3hrs 30mins)	€33	€33	€17
Half Session Payment (Less than 2hrs 15mins)	€16	€16	€8.50
3 Days Full day Care	€60	€50	€30

If you are a parent in receipt of any of the following social welfare payments, you are entitled to Band A subvention:

One Parent Family Payment
Widows/Widower's Pension
Jobseekers Benefit/Assistance
Pre-retirement Allowance
Farm Assist
State Pension
Blind Pension
Guardian's Payment
Illness/Injury Benefit
Disability Allowance
Carer's Benefit/Allowance
Back to Work/Education Allowance
Supplementary Welfare Allowance
Community Employment
Domiciliary Care Allowance
Family Income Support (FIS)
HSE Referrals

If you are a parent who currently holds a medical card or GP visit card, you are entitled to Band B subvention rate.

Compliance Visits

During 2011, Pobal will continue to conduct compliance visits with community childcare services participating in the CCS, ECCE and CETS schemes. For more information on Compliance Visits click the link to read about the visit: how you can prepare for it, what happens during a compliance visit and afterwards.

Publicity Guidelines for community providers (July 2011)

Following clarification from Dept. of Children and Youth Affairs, please note, groups who received/receive NCIP Staffing, CCSS, CCS, CETS and/or ECCE funding (and who did not receive NCIP capital funding), do not need to adhere to any publicity requirements.

However, groups approved NCIP capital funding still need to adhere to the Publicity Guidelines. To download these publicity guidelines, follow the links below:

NCIP Publicity Guidelines Community Based providers

NCIP Publicity Guidelines Private Providers

Information for services

Please note the following schedule of Financial Returns for 2011 is:

31st December