Your childcare options

Deciding on childcare is a big decision for any parent. There are a number of factors you need to consider.

These include:

• Your child’s age
• Whether your child needs full-time or part-time care
• The hours you need services (regular, daytime, evenings or weekends)
• Your budget
• Services available in your area

It is important to discuss your child's needs with the childcare service provider and the service they can provide. You should check that staff are qualified, and the provider has appropriate childcare policies and procedures in place (for example, policies for child protection, behaviour management, and accidents).

Research before choosing a childcare provider

If you are thinking of choosing a childcare provider, you should visit them when there are children present, so you can get a sense of the atmosphere and see how they operate.

It is also important to check fees, hours, and holiday periods.

You can find information about childcare in Ireland from the following organisations:

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency

Pre-school and school-age childcare facilities are regulated and inspected by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.

Tusla has a list of tips on choosing a pre-school and a database of childcare inspection reports.

You may also want to read our pages about the:

• Regulation of pre-school childcare services
• Regulation of school-age childcare services

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) has published a list of early years recognised qualifications (pdf) for childcare programmes.

You can also use the Childcare Service Search tool on Gov.ie.

City or County Childcare Committee

Your City or County Childcare Committee can give you a list of childcare providers in your area. They can also put you in touch with your local early years or pre-school inspector (see 'Where to find childcare' below).

Childcare services can differ in their opening hours, management structures, and the curriculum they use (read about early childhood education). Some services also vary depending on staff training and the needs of parents in your area.

Childcare options include:

• Full day care and part-time day care
• Sessional services
• Childminders
• Parent, baby and toddler groups
• Drop-in centres
• School-age childcare

Full day care

Full day care is a structured service for children attending more than 5 hours per day.

The childcare provider offers your child food and sleeping facilities, as well as access to a safe outdoor space.

Full day care includes day nurseries and crèches. It can sometimes include sessional services for children who aren’t attending full-time (see ‘sessional services’ below).

Part-time day care

Part-time day care is a structured service for children attending more than 3.5 hours and less than 5 hours per day. The childcare provider must offer the same rest, play, and sanitary facilities as it does for children attending full day care.

Part-time day care services may include Montessori groups, pre-schools, crèches, and playgroups.

Sessional services

There are different types of sessional childcare services for children aged 0-6. These offer a planned programme of up to 3.5 hours per session (such as a morning or an afternoon).

Providers of sessional childcare services must have a recognised childcare qualification.

Childminders

A childminder is a person who cares for other people’s children (under the age of 15) in the minder’s own home for at least 2 hours per day. This definition doesn’t apply to people who care for children in their own home, such as nannies and au pairs.

The service is usually offered for the full working day, or for different periods during the day. Parents and childminders arrange their own terms and conditions.

How many children can a childminder care for?

A childminder can care for up to 6 children at one time, and no more than 2 of those children can be under 15 months old (unless they are siblings of each other).

This includes the childminder’s own children if they are:

• Under 10 years old, and
• In the childminder’s care while the childminding service is operational

If the childminder’s children are at home but in the care of somebody else (like a partner or other family member), then their children are not counted as being in the childminder’s care.

Childminding Development Grant

Childminders can apply for Childminding Development Grants from their local City or County Childcare Committee (CCC). The grant provides up to €1,000 to help childminders providing services in their own home. It can be used to buy toys, educational items, childcare equipment, safety equipment, and IT equipment.

You can read a guide to becoming a childminder (pdf), which was developed as part of the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028.

Tax relief

There is a childminder’s tax relief for childminders who look after up to 3 children in the minder’s own home.

Parent, baby and toddler groups

Parent, baby and toddler groups are where a group of parents, guardians or carers and children come together for supervised play and companionship for their parents.

Drop-in centres

A drop-in centre offers a service for short periods during the day. These centres are often provided in shopping centres, leisure centres and accommodation facilities.

The service is provided as part of a customer or client service and children are looked after while the parent is availing of a service or attending an event.

School-age childcare

Services for school children can include:

• Breakfast clubs
• After-school clubs
• School holiday programmes (such as summer camps)

Some services also offer homework supervision, planned activities, or nutritious meals.

School-age childcare services must be registered with Tusla. Read more about the regulation of school-age childcare services.

National Childcare Scheme

The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) helps parents with the cost of childcare.

Families with children aged over 6 months (24 weeks) and under 15 years can get childcare subsidies.

Your childcare provider must:

• Be registered with Tusla, and
• Have a NCS contract with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY)

You apply for the subsidy, but it is paid directly to your childcare provider. Your provider will then subtract the subsidy from your childcare bill.

There is a universal subsidy and an income-assessed subsidy. You can’t get both subsidies at the same time, but you can choose which one is better for you.

Universal childcare subsidy

The universal childcare subsidy is available to all parents with any level of income and it is not means-tested. The subsidy rates are based on the number of hours your child is attending childcare.

Income-assessed subsidy

The income-assessed subsidy is available to families with an annual reckonable income of up to €60,000. It is means-tested. Reckonable income is calculated by taking your net family income and deducting any allowable items under the Scheme, such as the Multiple Child Discount.

The subsidy rates are based on:

• Your family income
• The age of your child
• The educational stage of your child.

You can use the subsidy calculator on the NCS website to help you work out what your entitlement is.

Read more about the 2 types of subsidies available on the National Childcare Scheme website.

Community Childcare Subvention Plus Saver Programme

The Community Childcare Subvention Plus (CCSP) Saver Programme helps parents on lower incomes, and parents in education or training, to access childcare at a reduced cost from Tusla-registered childcare services. The CCSP Saver Programme is closed to new applicants.

Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme (ECCE)

The Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme (ECCE) is a universal free preschool programme. The programme is available to all children who have turned 2 years and 8 months of age by 31 August, and must not be older than 5 years and 6 months of age on or before 30 June, of the current programme year.

The 15 hours that are provided each week under the ECCE Programme are free. If your child attends for more than 3 hours, you will be charged for the extra time.

The ECCE Programme generally runs from September to June each year for 38 weeks. Eligible children can use the scheme for up to 2 years before starting primary school.

Early Start Programme

The Early Start Programme is a one-year pre-school project offered in selected schools in some disadvantaged areas. It is for children aged between 3 and 5 who are at risk of not reaching their potential in school.

A child cannot be enrolled in both ECCE and Early Start at the same time.

You can find information about childcare providers from a number of different sources.

You can contact:

• Your local City or County Childcare Committee, who have a list of childcare providers in your area
• The Tusla Early Years Inspectorate, who have information about local childcare services
• Public health nurses at your local health centre, whoare familiar with local childcare services and childminders

You can also find a list of contracted childcare providers on the National Childcare Scheme website.

You can read more about early learning and childcare supports on the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth’s (DCEDIY) information hub.

You can also read about:

• The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028
• The Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families 2019-2028 (pdf)

You can also visit the HSE website for information about services and supports for parents.