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Student WorkChanges in Childcare Provision 2010
A new funding stream for VTOS, Youthreach and Senior Traveller Training Centre (STTC) participants in need of childcare support has been introduced by the Office of the Minister for Childcare and Youth Affairs (OMCYA). This is the Childcare Employment and Training (CETS) scheme, which replaces the previous Department of Education and Skills (DES) system of childcare funding.
Under the new CETS scheme, children of VTOS, Youthreach and STTC participants will be entitled to a free childcare place in a participating crèche. The full fee (€170 for full time, €95 for part time and €50 for after school) will be paid directly to the crèche, and City of Dublin VEC will no longer pay fees invoiced from crèches as per the previous scheme. The new CETS scheme does not include childminders.
CDVEC has been allocated a total of 148.5 CETS places. This means that this is the maximum number of places that we can sanction to our students who are eligible, irrespective of the number of students that are eligible in our colleges and centres.
Procedures for the CETS Place
- When a VTOS place is confirmed, the VTOS Co-ordinator will give the student a letter indicating that s/he has been accepted onto the VTOS SCHEME and confirming the start and end date of the course.
- The student should then choose a crèche who is participating on the scheme and present the letter to the crèche manager as proof of eligibility for the FREE PLACE.
- As stated above, payment will be made directly to the crèche by the OMCYA.
All our City of Dublin VEC crèches have been accepted into the scheme and have a number of free childcare places to offer students. In Colleges/ Centres where we have a City of Dublin VEC crèche, and where we have places to fill, students should be strongly encouraged to apply for a place in that crèche. In Centres/ Colleges which do not have a crèche on-site, students should be encouraged to seek a place in a nearby City of Dublin VEC crèche.
Students who are unsuccessful in obtaining a CETS place should still be eligible for the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) scheme. This scheme assists parents in meeting their childcare costs, by sub venting the full price of a childcare place (€100 or €50), depending on which category the parent falls into but they will have to make up difference which could amount to €125 for a full time place.
