Childcare subsidies may extend to minders in home

Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone’s childcare subsidies could be extended to thousands of childminders after a working group on regulating childminders puts forward its proposals.

CEO of Childminding Ireland, Bernadette Burke, has been asked to head up a working group that must report before May on reforming, inspecting, and supporting the informal childminding sector.

There was uproar that parents who choose to use childminders cannot avail of planned new childcare subsidies.

Up to 31% of children are taken care of by childminders, while 27% are in creches, and another 42% are looked after by relatives, including grandparents.

While only 160 childminders are registered with Tusla for inspection, there are thousands more ‘notified childminders’ who have chosen to voluntarily notify city and county childcare committees so they can receive training, join the committee’s database, and avail of the childminders’ €15,000 tax exemption.

The Department of Children hopes if a new Tusla inspection regime can be devised for ‘home settings’, the notified childminders could also become eligible for subsidies.

The country’s small number of registered childminders have complained about the existing Tusla inspections, as they are ‘one size fits all’ as they were originally devised for larger creche operations.

‘Notified childminders’ are under no obligation to register if they are not minding four preschool children from different families.

Ms Burke, who will chair the working group, said notified childminders have insurance, have completed first aid training, are Garda vetted, and attend regular training seminars. “To refer to them as unregistered is pejorative as they are not legally obliged to register but they have chosen to notify the childcare committees so they can avail of supports. Many of these childminders also hold Fetac level 5 training as often they worked in creches previously.”

She said it was “reasonable they would be accountable to Tusla if they are to receive subsidy payments”.

“There are many benefits to using childminders including that your child bonds with just one carer, that siblings can be taken care of together, and that your child is cared for in a home setting,” she said.

The terms of reference of the working group are due to be agreed before October 25. The group will include representatives from Tusla, Pobal, the childcare committees, the National Voluntary Childcare Collaborative, an academic representative, a working child minder, and a parent representative.