Roscommon County Childcare Committee

Roscommon County Childcare Committee (RCCC) CLG was established in 2002 as one of the 30 County/City Childcare Committees set up throughout the Country. RCCC is a local government supported agency with a countywide remit that works for the development, sustainability and advancement of high quality early childhood care and education services in County Roscommon. RCCC is a company limited by guarantee and is funded primarily by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA). Roscommon CCC is the first point of contact for the public in seeking advice, information or support on early childhood care and education in County Roscommon including childcare providers, childminders and parent & toddler groups.  RCCC work in partnership with local and national statutory and voluntary agencies to support the early years sector and parents and families at county level. Roscommon CCC is the first point of contact for early childhood care and education services, parents, childminders, parent and toddler groups and outside agencies in seeking advice, information or support on early childhood care and education. In 2014, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) launched the National Better Start Initiative. Better Start describes a suite of quality supports being provided to the early childhood care and education sector in Ireland. Roscommon CCC’s role under this initiative is to identify local support needs, provision of local support and administration of funding programme support. Roscommon County Childcare Committee support early childhood care and education services in the administration of the National programmes.

Please see below a brief outline in relation to the National programmes:

Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme
The ECCE programme is a universal programme available to all children within the eligible age range. It provides children with their first formal experience of early learning prior to commencing primary school. The programme is provided for three hours per day, five days per week over 38 weeks per year and the programme year runs from September to June each year. Childcare services taking part in the ECCE scheme must provide an age appropriate pre-school educational programme.

Training and Employment Childcare (TEC)
The objective of the TEC Programmes is to support parents on eligible training courses and eligible categories of parents returning to work, by providing subsidised childcare places. The Training and Employment Childcare Programmes (TEC) are administered by the Department of Children & Youth Affairs (DCYA) on behalf of the Education & Training Boards (ETB)/Solas and the Department of Social Protection (DSP).

Community Childcare Subvention (CCS)
The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Programme is targeted to help children from low-income household’s access quality early education and childcare services.

The CCS is only available through participating community not-for-profit childcare services. The service provider submits an application for CCS on behalf of the parent to the DCYA. The DCYA makes checks and confirms whether or not the child can benefit from a subvention that will reduce the cost of the early education and childcare service. Parents who believe they might qualify should contact their local participating childcare service. Details of services participating in CCS are marked on Pobal Maps. Further information and advice on the process of getting support through the CCS Programme is available locally from your Roscommon County Childcare Committee (CCC).

Community Childcare Subvention Private (CCSP)
The Community Childcare Subvention Private (CCSP) Programme is targeted to help children from low-income household’s access quality early education and childcare services. The CCSP is only available through participating private childcare services. The service provider submits an application for CCSP on behalf of the parent to the DCYA. The DCYA makes checks and confirms whether or not the child can benefit from a subvention that will reduce the cost of the early education and childcare service. Parents who believe they might qualify should contact their local participating childcare service. Details of services participating in CCSP are marked on Pobal Maps. Further information and advice on the process of getting support through the CCS Programme is available from Roscommon County Childcare Committee (CCC).

More Affordable Childcare
The more Affordable Childcare Programme new universal childcare subsidy for children between the ages of 6 and 36 months (or until they qualify for the free pre-school programme). Eligibility for this universal subsidy will not be means-tested; it will be available for families at any income level which was introduce in September 2017. The universal subsidy is available for the full 2017/2018 CCS and CCSP Programmes starting from the 21st August 2017 (up to 52 weeks per year). Childcare provider calendars (weeks open) apply. If you are a parent/guardian who:

• holds a medical card or GP visit card;
• is on low income;
• is in school;
• in further education;
• job training;
• or in receipt of a social welfare payment, then you may be eligible for assistance with your childcare costs.

For more information on any of the above programmes please contact Roscommon County Childcare Committee on the following Tel: 094 96 22540

Email: info@roscommonchildcare.ie