Just three weeks after applications to the National Childcare Scheme opened online, a total of 119 awards have been issued to families in Laois, according to Laois-Offaly TD and Minister for Justice & Equality, Charlie Flanagan.
Minister Flanagan encouraged all parents in Laois to apply directly for subsidies to meet the cost of quality early learning and care and school age childcare at www.ncs.gov.ie
The scheme, under the guidance of Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone, means financial supports can be used with any participating, Tusla registered, early learning and care and school age childcare service, including Tusla registered childminders.
The scheme’s innovative, purpose-built IT system aims to process a universal application in a matter of minutes, and an income assessed application in a matter of days.
As of December 10th, a total of 175 applications have been received in Laois from parents, with 119 awards issued. More than 8,000 awards have been issued nationwide in three weeks with applications processing smoothly and quickly.
“Under the National Childcare Scheme, families will be supported to meet the cost of quality early learning and care and school age childcare through a system of universal and income-related subsides. Using a verified MyGovID account, I encourage families to apply directly for subsidies at www.ncs.gov.ie.
“Additional funding provided under Budget 2019 ensures that an estimated 7,500 additional children will benefit from the scheme, with over 40,000 other children, already eligible, seeing increases to their subsidies.
“Income based subsidies are available to families with reckonable household incomes of up to €60,000 which can translate into as much as over €90,000 gross for families in certain specific circumstances,”
The National Childcare Scheme is paving the way for Ireland’s childcare system to transform from one of the most expensive in the world into one of the best.
“This is a highly innovative and ambitious scheme and I am delighted that the initial volume of applications has been high. As of December 10, nearly 12,000 applications, relating to over 17,000 children, had already been successfully submitted, and over 8,000 awards had been made to parents.”
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