Making childcare more affordable – Subsidies NOW AVAILABLE
Subsidies to make childcare more affordable for families:
A universal, non-means tested subsidy of up to €1,040 per year for children up to start of the ECCE (free pre-school) programme
Supports for families on lower incomes of up to €7,500 per year for children up to 15 years of age
What you need to know
From September, children between the ages of 6 months and 36 months in Tusla-registered childcare will qualify for childcare supports, with further childcare supports for many more children under 15 years old.
Making Childcare More Affordable:
As every parent knows, the cost of childcare is generally highest when children are under 3 years old – because more hours of care are needed and it is more expensive to provide quality childcare for very young children.
So, to help families meet that cost, the Government is introducing new childcare supports for children between the ages of 6 months and 36 months (or until the child qualifies for the free pre-school programme if that is later).
If your child is aged between 6 months and 36 months* and is enrolled in Tusla-registered childcare, you are eligible for a non means-tested universal childcare subsidy of up to €20 per week. That amounts to up to €1,040 per year.
In addition, new increased childcare supports will be available to families on lower incomes who have children under 15 years old in Tusla-registered childcare.
Remember
These childcare supports are available to everyone in every region of the country.
They apply to children in Tusla-registered childcare only (including creches, preschools, day-care centres and registered child-minders.)
There will be no minimum number of hours and no maximum number of weeks of childcare per year.
For further information go to affordablechildcare.ie to find out more.
