If you are a parent/guardian who:
• holds a medical card or GP visit card;
• is on low income;
• is in school;
• in further education;
• job training;
• or in receipt of a social welfare payment,
then you may be eligible for assistance with your childcare costs.
What supports are available?
Check the table below to view what ‘band of supports’ are available to you based on your situation
| Band A (with medical card unless otherwise stated) |
Band AJ (with medical card) |
Band B | Band D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eligibility criteria | · One Parent Family Payment · Widows/Widowers Pension · Farm Assist · State Pension · Blind Pension · Guardian’s Payment · Illness/Injury Benefit · Disability Allowance · Carer’s Benefit/Allowance · Back to Work Enterprise/ Education Allowance · Community Employment/ Rural Social Scheme · Domiciliary Care Allowance · Family Income Supplement (FIS) · Secondary Students · Invalidity Pension · Disablement Pension · Official Tusla Referrals (no medical card required) · HSE Public Health Nurse referrals (no medical card required) · TÚS · Part-time Job Incentive Scheme · Gateway |
· Job Seeker’s Benefit/Allowance* · Supplementary Welfare Allowance** |
· Medical Card · Parents who are in receipt of Social Welfare payments listed under Band A/AJ but have no medical card |
· GP Visit Card (over 6yrs+only)*** · Parents who no longer qualify for Band A/AJ this year but who were verified as being on Band A/AJ at the end of the previous school year |
*parents who qualify for Band AJ under Jobseeker’s allowance/benefit receive maximum subvented childcare of €80 for full day care per week.
**parents who qualify for Band AJ under Supplementary Welfare Allowance payments receive maximum subvented childcare of €80 for full day care per week.
***Please note GP visit card for children 0-6 years of age does not qualify for CCS/CCSP subvention funding. A Family GP visit card does qualify for CCS/CCPS
The maximum subvention is €145 per week; however, the amount will depend on how much childcare you use and what funding you are eligible for.
| Weekly rate | Band A (with medical card unless otherwise stated) |
Band AJ (with medical card) |
Band B | Band D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Full-Day payment (5.01 hrs +)) |
€145 | €80 | €70 | €50 |
| (Part-time payment (3:31-5:00)) |
€80 | €80 | €35 | €25 |
| (Sessional payment (2:16-3:30)) |
€45 | €45 | €25 | €17 |
| (Half-session payment (1-2:15)) |
€22.50 | €22.50 | €12.50 | €8.50 |
If you are attending:
• further education,
• are in school,
• are participating in a Community Employment scheme,
• or are returning to work,
you may be eligible for the Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) Schemes.
The amount of subsidy available for the Training and Employment Childcare Schemes are:
| TEC Programmes (Existing and Proposed Weekly Subsidies) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CETS | ASCC | CEC AS | CEC PS | |||||
| Current | From Sept 2017 | Current | From Sept 2017 | Current | From Sept 2017 | Current | From Sept 2017 | |
| Full-time | €145 | €145 | €105 | €145 | – | – | – | – |
| Part-time | €80 | €80 | – | – | €80 | €80 | €80 | €80 |
| Afterschool | €45 | €45 | €40 | €45 | €40 | €45 | – | – |
| Afterschool with Transport | €80 | €80 | €80 | €80 | – | – | – | – |