Second Update on ACS Meeting with DCYA

Second Update on the Affordable Childcare Scheme Meeting with DCYA, Thursday 8th December 2016

Further to last week’s update, members will know that there are serious concerns about an additional administrative burden for providers needing to assist parents for various reasons to apply and register for their subsidy. Cathy Bent, Childcare Supervisor in Sophia Housing Association captures many of the concerns shared during ECI’s consultation process:

“The implementation of this new scheme will lead to an increase in administrations duties for all providers. Parents must register online to apply for their subsidies. One of the higher-level objectives in DCYA’s Policy Paper is ‘narrowing the gap in attainment between more and less advantaged children by enabling all children to access high quality, affordable childcare.’ The Policy Paper also speaks about the clear and straight forward procedures for parents to register online and stresses the benefits of using technology.  This scheme hasn’t taken into consideration the barriers that marginalised families will face, such as access to computers, internet access, literacy difficulties, and impact of mental health and addition concerns on a parent’s ability to engage let alone complete the online registration. This scheme must recognise that one size doesn’t fit all, especially for children in families experiencing homelessness. It is incumbent on us all to ensure the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children in Ireland are not penalised by a lack of necessary flexibility in the scheme in recognition of special and specific circumstances.”

We were given a number of assurances by DCYA in this regard. The Affordable Childcare Scheme will be underpinned by legislation, which the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Katherine Zappone TD, expects to have in place by early summer 2017. In addition to providing for the use of PPS numbers and data sharing across public bodies and agencies, the legislation will establish “sponsors”, such as Tusla, Social Welfare Officers and the CCCs, to assist the most vulnerable parents to complete the registration process. Parents in areas without Broadband or who are not confident with the use of computers will be able to apply via manual assessment.  DCYA envisages that in the first interface a provider has with a parent, the parent is already armed with the child’s unique Childcare Subsidy Reference Number. Having established that the service has capacity to facilitate the child and the hours of care required, the provider will register the child confirming what they have agreed to deliver to the parent. A contract with DCYA will then be signed agreeing to deduct the subsidy from the services published fees.  No parental co-signing, for example declaration forms, fees policies or terms and conditions signed by parents is envisaged.