Mayo families encouraged to avail of childcare services over Easter midterm

MAYO families have been encouraged to make sure they are entitled to subsidies for childcare services which can cover childcare over the Easter mid-term.

Minister for Children, Roderic O’Gorman, is today calling on all parents in County Mayo using Tusla-registered childcare services to make sure they are getting their full entitlement to subsidies, which could cut thousands of euros off their childcare bills each year.

In 2023, 3,975 children in Mayo received subsidies towards the cost of their childcare under the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) in 2023, with over €5.8 million paid to early learning and childcare providers in County Mayo to reduce parents’ fees.

“With the Easter holidays approaching, many families will be looking for further childcare cover. While thousands of parents are receiving subsidies, many will be unaware they can use their subsidy for more hours than usual during mid-term and holidays, or even to cover one-off camps.

“There are almost 4,000 providers across the country eligible to receive your subsidy. I would strongly encourage all parents or guardians to talk to their provider about their subsidies and extra hours over the holiday period if needed.

“Parents who want to explore using a childcare provider for the first time can talk to their local county childcare Committee,” he said.

Michelle Basquille from Mayo County Childcare Committee, a local government funded support designed to help families access childcare supports added: “The NCS has been a huge benefit for parents in Mayo. The scheme is the first ever statutory entitlement to childcare financial support and provides financial subsidies to help parents to meet the costs of childcare.

“Anyone with any questions about the NCS or any of the range of childcare funding schemes is welcome to contact us in Mayo County Childcare Committee where we will be happy to offer assistance,” she said.

Currently, the minimum hourly subsidy is €1.40 an hour and it will be increasing to €2.14 in September. This will mean families using full time care (45 hours a week) will receive a minimum of €5,000 euro a year off their bill per child.

Many Families can receive an Income Assessed Award, which is based on household income, which can be as high €12,000 per year for those using full-time care.

Families who would like to know if their childcare provider is registered for the NCS can access the Childcare Search Service on the NCS website, at www.NCS.gov.ie, where they can also see the providers’ fees list. Families will also find information on how to apply for the NCS.

Families who want some more support in how to apply can contact the Mayo County Childcare Committee on 094 9064396 or email mayochildcare@mayococo.ie.