3.3 Universal Subsidy (CCSU)
3.3.1 Overview of Universal Subsidy As part of the Government policy to make childcare more affordable, the DCYA has introduced a universal childcare subvention payment of up to €20 per week for families using eligible childcare providers for the care of children aged from 6 months to the first eligible point of entry to the ECCE scheme. This scheme is administered via an enhancement to the CCS scheme.
3.3.2 Eligibility for the Universal Subsidy The childcare subsidy is available to all children aged from 6 months to the first eligible point of entry to the ECCE programme.
3.3.3 Required documents The parent must provide the child’s PPS Number and date of birth as well as the parent’s PPS Number. Documentation containing PPSN information must be destroyed once no longer required.
3.3.4 Programme Rates The maximum weekly universal childcare subsidy is €20. As CCS subsidies are currently paid according to session type, i.e. full-time, part-time, sessional, half-sessional, this maximum weekly universal subsidy rate of €20 will be paid on a pro-rata basis according to session type.
3.3.5 CCSU and Child-minders A child-minder can access CCSU provided they meet all CCS Plus eligibility criteria, and are registered with Tusla. (Please note that a childminder must be minding four or more children to qualify for Tusla registration).
3.3.6 Child absenteeism When a child who is entered on PIP for the CCS Plus Programme for 2017/2018 leaves the service or has not attended the service for two consecutive weeks, this information must be entered on PIP, stating the date the child last attended the service. Two weeks’ CCS Plus funding will be paid in lieu of notice.
Processing of CCS Plus Registrations takes approximately three to four weeks
Table 2 Universal Subsidy (CCSU) rates – per week rates
UCS Session Type Weekly Subsidy Full-time (i.e. 5 hours plus per day) Part-time (i.e. 3:31 to 5 hours per day) Sessional (i.e. 2:16 to 3:30 per day) Half-sessional (i.e. 1:15 to 2:15 per day)
€20 €10 €7 €3.50
