Using a childminder? You might be entitled to a new subsidy.

A new subsidy is to be made available to parents under the National Childcare Scheme

The Minister for Children has announced that parents whose childminders are registered with Tusla will soon be able to access childcare subsidies. Under the new National Childcare Scheme, allowances will be provided towards the cost of early learning and care and school-age childcare for families with net incomes up to a threshold of €60,000. There will also be a universal subsidy for all children under three years old. The scheme will come as welcome financial news to many families, but it's hoped it will also help to regulate the childcare industry. Details of the scheme published yesterday say: “The prospect of being able to take part in the National Childcare Scheme creates a positive incentive for childminders to register with Tusla, giving them – and the parents who choose to use them – an opportunity that has not previously existed to access subsidies." It goes on to say: "Childminding in Ireland is almost entirely unregulated and in some ways invisible. The number of childminders is unknown and can only be estimated. Few are registered with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency – most are exempt, preventing them from registering as the current regulations allow only those minding seven or more children (or four or more pre-school children) in the childminder’s home to register with Tusla." Minister O’Gorman added: “Until now there has been very little State support for childminding or public recognition of the important role that childminders play. This National Action Plan, which stresses the distinctive features of childminding, will open up a range of supports to childminders and will bring many benefits to children, to their parents, and to childminders themselves." The plan will roll out over three phases - the first being a two to three year review and development while costs are examined. Following that, new regulations should come into force and supports will be expanded over a period of three to five years. The final phase is full implementation of the plan, but Minister Roderic O’Gorman said that access to the subsidy should become available within the first two to three years of the launch of the National Action for Childminding.