Provision of subsidised childcare

Subject: Provision of subsidised childcare

Under Ireland’s National Childcare Scheme, parents in employment or education can receive 45 hours per week of subsidised childcare for their children. However, parents who are not in employment or education are only entitled to 20 hours per week of subsidised childcare for their children. This labour-activation model negatively impacts children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

1. Can the Commission advise on how this two-tiered scheme interacts with the goals and recommendations of the European Child Guarantee?

2. Can the Commission advise on how this scheme relates to the Union’s goal of combating social exclusion and discrimination, in line with Article 3(3) of the Treaty on European Union?

Answer given by Mr Schmit on behalf of the European Commission

(5 September 2022)

By establishing the European Child Guarantee, the Council recommended to the Member States to guarantee for children in need effective and free access to high quality early childhood education and care, education and school-based activities, healthcare and at least one healthy meal each school day; further, it recommended effective access to healthy nutrition and adequate housing.

In line with the principle of subsidiarity and taking into account the EU competencies according to the Treaties, the recommendation does not indicate the implementation modalities, including any specific hourly thresholds as regards the provision of early childhood education and care.

It is therefore up to the Member States to set parameters for implementing the European Child Guarantee within their national systems.

The Irish national action plan for the implementation of the European Child Guarantee is available online (1). The National Childcare Scheme is included in this action plan as one of the measures addressing the financial barriers to participation in early childhood education and care.

The Commission will continue monitoring whether the implementation for the two-tier system complies with the principles of equal opportunities for all children.

Improving accessibility of childcare contributes to the Union’s goal of combating social exclusion and discrimination.

⋅1∙ https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1428&langId=en | | ( | | )