50,000 are eligible for child care subsidy, parents reminded

Minister for Children, Roderic O’Gorman, is calling on all parents across Dublin using Tusla-registered childcare services to make sure they are getting their full entitlement to subsidies, which could cut thousands of euros off their childcare bills each year.

49,553 children in Dublin City and Fingal, South Dublin and Dún-Laoghaire-Rathdown Local Authority areas received subsidies towards the cost of their childcare under the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) in 2023, with almost €96 million paid to early learning and childcare providers in Dublin City to reduce parents’ fees.

Minister O’Gorman said “with the Easter holidays approaching, many families will be looking for further childcare cover.

“While thousands of parents are receiving subsidies, many will be unaware they can use their subsidy for more hours than usual during mid-term and holidays, or even to cover one-off camps.”

“There are almost 4,000 providers across the country eligible to receive your subsidy,” he said.

“I would strongly encourage all parents or guardians to talk their provider about their subsidies and extra hours over the holiday period if needed.”

 “Parents who want to explore using a childcare provider for the first time can talk to their local county childcare Committee.”

 Currently, the minimum hourly subsidy is €1.40 an hour and it will be increasing to €2.14 in September.  This will mean families using full time care (45 hours a week) will receive a minimum of €5,000 a year off their bill per child. Many Families can receive an Income Assessed Award, which is based on household income, which can be as high €12,000 per year for those using full-time care.

Families who would like to know if their childcare provider is registered for the NCS can access the Childcare Search Service on the NCS website, at www.NCS.gov.ie, where they can also see the providers’ fees list. Families will also find information on how to apply for the NCS.

Families who want some more support in how to apply can contact their local Childcare Committee, details can be found at www.myCCC.ie. Childcare Committees are a local government funded support designed to help families access childcare supports.