Local childcare providers are top of the class by signing up in droves to
deliver extra supports for families, according to Dublin South West TD and Independent Minister, Katherine Zappone. The Minister says she is delighted that 154 providers have signed up to bring the extra benefit to families from the very first day.
The providers in the South Dublin County Childcare Committee area areoffering two supports. There is a universal support of €1,040 a year for children under three-years of age and extra targeted supports for families who need it most of up to €7,500 per child per year up to the age of 15.
Visiting local childcare centres to mark the start of the new supports
Minister Zappone said: “For many families our childcare changes have begun. It is the first bigstep as we aim to deliver accessible affordable quality services in our communities in South and West Dublin and through-out the country.
To mark the start of the supports a list of signed up providers has been
placed on the information website www.affordablechildcare.ie. As many services have yet to return from the summer break or complete their paper-work the list is going to continue to grow and will be updated twice a week. In the South Dublin County Childcare Committee Area we are off to a terrific start with 154 childcare centres, crèches and pre-schools already signed up.
An unprecedented investment of €433m this year allowed us to give 49 local projects half-a-million euro for extra spaces and new services. They also get a share of €18m in payments in recognition of the hard work they do on administration. But we need much more.
My commitment to local families and providers is that in the coming weeks I will negotiate with Government colleagues to ensure this investment is not a once off.
The reality is we need the same increase in cash to continue in Budget
2018, Budget 2019 and beyond to deliver the childcare system which our local families deserve. As Minister I also want to take this opportunity to wish every joy and success to thousands of children in South County Dublin starting childcare – they have months and years of education, adventure and fun ahead.”
