On this page you’ll find information on several state funded schemes offering support for parents of young children.  Please call us on 091 761 529 or email us with any queries.

We currently offer 3 Government funded Childcare schemes:

• Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme (ECCE)
• Training and Employment Childcare scheme (TEC-formerly CETS)
• Community Childcare Scheme (CCS)
• The Affordable Childcare Scheme (Effective from September 2017)

ECCE

The state’s Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme (ECCE) is an initiative to provide a free pre-school year for children before they start primary school.

With effect from 1st September 2016, children can avail of the ECCE scheme for up to two years prior to starting primary school, depending on the date the child turned three years old. Once your child has turned three years old, there are three entry points during which a child can join the scheme. These entry points are 1st January, 1st April and 1st September of each year.

The examples below may assist you with in ascertaining when your child will be eligible:

The ECCE scheme provides for a free placement of up to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks in line with the school term . The normal schedule for the free pre-school year is 3 hours per day over 38 weeks. However, children attending on a full-time/part-time schedule who are eligible for the ECCE pre-school year will receive the ECCE grant deducted from their monthly fees.

Once your child is 3 years of age, and has joined the ECCE scheme at the relevant entry point, they can remain in the scheme until they start primary school, at either 4 or 5 years of age. In delivering the ECCE scheme to all our Preschool children, Roscam Creche adheres to the principles of Síolta and Aistear, the national framework for early years care and education.

TEC

Training and Employment Childcare scheme for ETB students (Education and Training Board; formerly FAS and VEC) – Providing Free Crèche places.

If you have applied for an ETB training programme, you may qualify for a free childcare place under the government Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) scheme. The purpose of this programme is to assist parents taking eligible ETB courses to undertake training by providing supported childcare places. The allocation of places under the scheme is managed by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, via the City and County Childcare Committees (CCC’s).
In order to book a childcare place in Roscam Creche, you will require a letter from your course co-ordinator confirming that you are eligible for a TEC place. The letter should also outline the start date and finish date of the course. There is an additional charge where a child is less than 12 months old or is attending afterschool provision. 

CCS

If you are currently availing of one or more of the following supports, you may qualify for a reduced cost childcare place under the government Community Childcare Scheme (CCS):

• Medical card
• One Parent Family Payment
• Illness/ Injury Benefit or Disability allowance
• Carer’s Benefit/Allowance
• Family Income Supplement (FIS)
• Job Seekers Benefit/ Allowance
• Secondary School students
• Widows/Widowers/Invalidity/State Pension
• Tus Payment
• Community Employment/Back to Work Allowance
• Springboard/ETB/Solas Students

In order to apply for this childcare scheme we will require copies of your government support letter and medical cards, together with dates of birth and pps numbers.

The Affordable Childcare Scheme

The Affordable Childcare Scheme will take effect from September 2017. It is a targeted subsidy to assist with childcare costs, for children from 6 months old up to 15 years of age. The level of subsidy will depend on:

• The family’s net after tax income
• The number of children in a family
• The ages of the children.
  

The maximum subsidy amounts to €8,000 per annum, or €667 per month towards childcare costs, and will be available to families with a net (after tax) income of €22,700 or less. The level of subsidy tapers downwards as a family’s net income rises, with no Affordable Childcare Subsidy available when net family income, with one child, reaches €47,500 or more.  If a family has two children the maximum net income threshold increases to €51,300. The subsidy is payable to the childcare provider and is deducted from the net fee payable by the parent. It is intended that the Affordable Childcare Scheme will also be available to children in addition to the ECCE preschool scheme (above), where a family requires additional hours of childcare during the day.

As well as assisting families with incomes of up to €47,500 or less, this scheme will replace the above TEC, CEC, and CCS government funded schemes when it comes into effect in September 2017. It is intended that parents will be able to apply for the Affordable Childcare Scheme online, and obtain information on what level of subsidy is available to them, based on the family net income, the number of children, and the ages of the children.

Find out more about available Schemes.

If you would like to know more about how you might avail of a childcare place under any of these government schemes, please contact us.