Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Scheme

The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Scheme is a scheme for community based childcare services to provide quality childcare at reduced rates to disadvantaged parents. The CCS Scheme operates as part of the National Childcare Investment Programme, which is administered by the Childcare Directorate of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

Childcare services participating in the scheme are required to provide a quality service and administer the CCS tiered fee system (see Appendix 1), with maximum and minimum fees set at appropriate levels. By doing this, childcare services will be subsidised to enable reduced fees to be charged to certain groups of parents. All monies received under the subvention scheme will go directly to the childcare service.

The CCS scheme subsidises childcare to disadvantaged families that use community-based not-for-profit childcare facilities. Parents in receipt of welfare payments (including Family Income Supplement) and a medical card, are subsidised by €95 for full day care(Band A). Other parents who have a Medical Card, social welfare with no medical card, or a GP Visit Card receive a lower subsidy (Band AJ or B). 

Where children attending community childcare services are not in their pre-school year or are too young to access the ECCE Scheme, eligible parents will be able to access the CCS Scheme in participating community childcare settings. This will not affect the child’s entitlement to a free pre-school place in the subsequent year.

Budget 2012 changes to the CCS Scheme

There were two changes to the CCS scheme effective from September 2012.

• The first was a reduction in the higher capitation rate, from €100 to €95 for 5 days of full daycare (and pro-rata reductions for halfday /sessional places).

• The second, concerning eligibility, is that a welfare recipient will only get the full rate of subvention if they also qualify for a medical card, and if they don’t they will be paid the lower rate of €50 per week for 5 days full day care.

The Government has also has capped the level of grant aid to services, at the levels generated by the annual return in October.
This will mean that the option of making a second return, mid-year, will not be made available to services in 2012. As a result, parents who take up additional places in these services will only be able to avail of subvented places where other subvented parents leave the service. Childcare services also have to notify their CCC when a subvented place becomes available#

For further information about these changes please contact your local City or County Childcare Committee.

 Most welfare recipients in the programme have obtained their payments via a means-tested benefit (e.g. One-parent Family Payment). However others would have qualified as a result of a PRSI based entitlement, e.g. Widowers Pension. Such people will still receive the higher rate of payment if they have satisfied a Medical Card means test, but if they do not (e.g. due to the level of their salary), they will receive the lower rate of subvention (€50 per week) from September 2012.

January 2013 Update

Information for Community Members participating in CCS

Having completed the verification process with the Department of Social Protection, DCYA has begun issuing funding letters and parental lists to services participating in CCS 2012/13 this week.

Appeals may be made to DCYA up to 1 February 2013. 

A guide to the appeals process and the relevant forms are available in Irish and English on the DCYA website.

Appendix 1

Current Weekly Subvention Rates for Band A, AJ or B

The table below outlines the current weekly subvention rates for Band A , AJ or B, based on the type of service the child is availing of, for the present preschool year. n.b. The list of payments under Band A in the table is not exhaustive. Where clarification is required please contact the City or County Childcare Committee.

* parents who qualify for Band AJ (with medical card) e.g. a parent in receipt of Jobseekers Benefit/Allowance (JB /JA) and with a medical card qualify for subvented childcare to a maximum of €50 subvention for full day care per week (Band AJ). This cap applies where a child attends from 2.5 full days to 5 full days per week. Parents in receipt of Jobseekers Benefit/Allowance (JB / JA) and do not have a medical card qualify for subvented childcare under Band B.