€19m Childcare Programme Support Payments open for applications

Funding will assist services ahead of National Childcare Scheme
Payments to issue end June

Friday 10th May 2019

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr. Katherine Zappone T.D., announced the opening of applications for a €19m fund to support early learning and care and school age childcare providers this summer.

The funding will be made available to services offering state supported childcare from June 2019.

The Programme Support Payment recognises the additional time required of providers of Department of Children and Youth Affairs funded early learning and care and school age childcare programmes, to complete the administrative work associated with the scheme.

The payment also recognises the time required to perform activities outside of contact time with children, such as preparing materials for early learning and care sessions and assisting parents in understanding how they might benefit from the various schemes supported by the State.

Announcing the opening of applications Minister Zappone said:

“By working together parents, providers and the Government are transforming Irish childcare forever. These payments represent a significant investment and recognition of the work carried out by services, often behind the scenes. Work which must not be taken for granted.

More than 175,000 children and their families benefit from our Government-supported childcare through more than 4,200 local services. I am encouraging every provider delivering our childcare schemes to make their applications so that payments can be made as soon as possible. The payments will give services extra support as we also continue preparations for the roll out of the new National Childcare Scheme later this year.”

The payment will be calculated as equal to 7 days’ (1.4 weeks’) registrations for ECCE at Standard Capitation, and 14 days’ (2.8 weeks’) registrations for CCS(P) and TEC.

The application window for PSP will open for six weeks from Monday 13 May to Friday 21 June 2019 and the application form can be accessed through the Programmes Implementation Platform (PIP).

Payments will begin to issue after the application window closes.

The Programme Support Payment recognises the additional time required of providers of DCYA-funded early learning and care and school age childcare programmes, to complete the administrative work associated with the scheme. The payment also recognises the time required to perform activities outside of contact time with children, such as preparing materials for early learning and care sessions and assisting parents in understanding how they might benefit from the various childcare schemes supported by the State.

Click here to view report on DCYA website