New childcare scheme to be expanded in 2017

Moves to widen the newly announced childcare scheme to cover more childminders are likely to be in place in advance of next year’s budget.

Among those likely to be brought into the scheme are those who look after a small number of children in the childminder’s own home.

The plan for subsidised childcare announced by Minister for Children Katherine Zappone this week will mostly apply to centre-based childcare providers, such as creches and childminders who are registered with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.

At a briefing on the plan yesterday, officials from the Department of Children said that only 125 childminders who used their own homes or other facilities to mind a small number of children are registered with Tusla. It is expected that this will increase in the coming months.

Those registered with Tusla have to meet the same standard as larger creche facilities. However, the Department has been engaging with Childminding Ireland on drafting standards that would apply to childminders.

Childminders say the creche-level standards are too onerous for small operators. The Department said it is possible new standards, applying to childminders only, would be easier to pass. They would still include certain safety standards and vetting by An Garda Síochána. This would allow such smaller childminders to register for the new subsidised scheme and receive subsidies.

Department of Children officials said this would allow for greater expansion of the scheme in next year’s budget to take in substantially more childminders. It will not apply to those who mind children in the child’s own home. Ministers have said the rollout of the childcare plan will take a number of years.

OECD standards

It was also pointed out that it would up to €600 million to bring the Irish childcare system up to OECD standards. State spending on childcare had amounted to 0.5 per cent of GDP, but will now rise to 0.55 per cent. The OECD standard is 0.8 per cent. The State intends to make inroads into that gap over the next five years.

The new scheme will start in September and will see a pro-rata subsidy of 50 cent per childcare hour for parents with joint net incomes over €47,500. Those below that will receive a more generous subsidy, which increases the lower the income is.