Childminding Development Grant
The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Barry Andrews TD, recently announced the official launch of the new Childminders Development Grant under the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010.
‘The new grant scheme contains a number of significant improvements, including a major increase in the maximum grant from €630 to €1,000 for Childminders’ stated the Minister. These improvements follow a review of the previous grant scheme under the EU co-funded Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP), which ran from 2004 until the end of December 2007.
‘I am very pleased that the Grant is available to Childminders who have already been grant aided under the EOCP scheme. They will be able to re-apply under the NCIP scheme after 2 years or a shorter period, if their first application is for less than the maximum amount. This will ensure that quality improvements emanating from the Scheme will be on-going’ continued Minister Barry Andrews.
The Minister urged Childminders to contact their local Childminding Advisory Officer in their local Childcare Committee and avail of the new grant.
Key points in the Scheme include:
- The Childminding Development Grant will continue to be administered by the City and County Childcare Committees and childminders should apply to their CCC.
- The maximum grant amount has been increased from €630 to €1,000 and can be claimed against validated expenditure on equipment, toys or minor household adaptations. (The maximum grant can be obtained where an applicant will continue to operate as a Childminder for not less than 2 years and is reduced on a pro-rata basis in the case of a shorter-term commitment.)
- As before, the grant will be paid against 90% of expenditure e.g. qualifying expenditure of €1,111 will result in a grant of €1,000.
- Participation in the Quality Awareness Programme provided by the City and County Childcare Committees and which provides training and networking opportunities for Childminders, continues to be a condition of the grant. However, where a Childminder has completed the National Voluntary Notification system, also administered by the City and County Childcare Committees, this will be accepted as satisfying this requirement.