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CCS December 2018 returns

The CCS December 2018 returns are now available for completion on Pobal Online. The deadline for submitting the completed return is Friday 1st February 2019.

If you have any questions or require assistance in completing the return, please contact your Support Officer.

If you do not submit the return by the deadline, your future CCS payments may be affected.

Only registered school age childcare services will be able to provide services under the Affordable Childcare Scheme.  The regulations will come into effect on 18th February 2019 and services will be able to register with Tusla from that date.

Click HERE to download the Frequently Asked Questions on the Registeration of School Age Childcare

Click HERE to download a copy of the Early Years School Age Regulations 

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• School age childcare services to be registered for first time with Tusla
• Minister Zappone signs the Childcare Support Act 2018 (Commencement) Order 2018 and the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Registration of School Age Services) Regulations 2018, enabling school age childcare services to register and participate in new Affordable Childcare Scheme  
• The families of over 17,750 school age children benefited from government childcare subsidies last year. Thousands more could benefit in 2019 through the Affordable Childcare Scheme Regulations represent an important first step in the full regulation and inspection of school age childcare services
• Another major milestone to quality affordable, accessible childcare

Thursday 27th December 2018

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Katherine Zappone, TD, has today signed Regulations which will provide, for the first time in Ireland, for the registration of school age childcare services.

Minister Zappone has signed the Childcare Support Act (Commencement) Order 2018, bringing into force key amendments to the Child Care Act 1991 in relation to the definition of school-age service.

This paves the way for Regulations- which the Minister also signed- on the mandatory registration of school-age services, procedures for registration and on-going requirements for continuing registration.

School age childcare services have not, to date, been subject to registration and, so, this is a significant step forward in ensuring quality school age childcare for thousands of working families.

Once registered, school age childcare services will be able to participate in the forthcoming Affordable Childcare Scheme launching in late 2019.

This means families availing of these services will be able to access the financial benefits provided by the scheme.

On signing the Regulations, Minister Zappone noted:

“We have been working tirelessly to deliver quality, accessible, affordable early learning and care and school age childcare in Ireland. Paramount to this is the ongoing development and improvement of quality provision for children. As such, I am delighted to establish a statutory registration system for school age childcare services; services that provide such a vitally important support to working parents throughout the country.

Parents can be assured that these new Regulations represent an important first step in paving the way for full regulation and inspection of school-age services in the future. They also ensure that parents will now have access to the Affordable Childcare Scheme when it launches next year. This progressive measure will, therefore, improve both the quality and affordability of school age childcare for Irish families over time.”

Only registered school age childcare services will be able to provide services under the Affordable Childcare Scheme. The regulations will come into effect on 18th February 2019 and services will be able to register with Tusla from that date. More detail on registration requirements are set out in the Frequently Asked Questions document which can be accessed at the following link, click here

A comprehensive and ‘plain English’ explanatory guide will also be published alongside the Regulations on the Department’s website.

Once the registration of school age services has been completed, more comprehensive regulations will be introduced in a move that mirrors the enhanced regulation and inspection of early learning and care settings over recent years.

Extra spaces and fire-safety priorities for Childcare Investment in 2019

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Katherine Zappone, TD is pleased to announce the priorities for 2019’s Early Learning and Care and School Age Capital programmes. The Minister has secured €9m for capital grants across 2019.  The budget for the Early Learning and Care and School Age Capital programmes has been set at €6.106m.
A further announcement with details of an additional €3m to be associated with the new Affordable Childcare Scheme will issue early in 2019.  The programmes will be open for applications from early learning and care and school age childcare services in February 2019.

Strands

Capital funding under the programmes will be delivered under the following three strands:

Strand A: Creation of new places for 0-3 year olds - €4.231m (max. €50,000 per grant)
Strand B: Fire Safety for community early learning and care services – €0.875m, (max. €15,000 per grant)
Strand C: Creation of new school age places - €1m (max. €20,000 per grant)
The focus of the funding in 2019 is to continue the expansion of early learning and care places for 0-3 year olds and school age childcare places where this is most needed.

Funding is also being made available to aid community/not-for-profit early learning and childcare services in addressing fire safety issues that have been highlighted in inspection reports.
Commenting on the launch of the Capital Fund, Minister Zappone said: - “2019 is going to be one of the most significant years in our efforts to transform one of the most expensive childcare services in the world into the best. The final groundwork is now being put in place ahead of the launch of the Affordable Childcare Scheme next October.

Across the year I am delighted to have secured more than €9 million in Capital Funding for early learning and care and school age services. Now I can confirm a first round of investment totalling €6.106m. We will start this funding process early in the year to give more time for applications and implementation. More children than ever in the history of the state are accessing government funded subsidies for early learning and care and I am mindful of the pressures and opportunities that this can create for the sector.
In the recent Pobal Annual Sector Profile, almost a quarter of all services indicated their intention to expand in the next 12-months, creating over 15,000 additional spaces for children nationwide. The Government is ready to assist in creating additional capacity at a time of rapid expansion and transformation.

Since 2015 Government investment in childcare is up 117%. Now it is time to take the next big leap as we prepare for the Affordable Childcare Scheme to become a reality which will benefit children, parents and providers for generations to come.”

Further information on the application process, including detailed application guidelines, will be made available to services in January 2019. Childcare providers are encouraged to contact their local City/County Childcare Committee to answer any questions they may have.