750 jobs and 6,000 new childcare places for Northern Ireland

A £15m grant scheme has been allocated for the creation of some 6,000 new childcare places across rural areas, areas of disadvantage and within schools, the Northern Ireland Executive has announced.

Up to 750 new jobs are also expected to be created within the childcare sector with the introduction of the grant scheme.

The NI Executive’s Programme for Affordable and Integrated Childcare report lays out a number of ‘key first actions’, including:

• 3,000 affordable and integrated child care places supported and created through social enterprise.

• 2,000 affordable and child care places within the schools estate.

• A rural childminder start-up creating up to 1,000 childcare places and roll out of a enterprise model in rural areas creating, potentially, an additional 1,000 school aged childcare places.

• A programme of better of information.

• Enhancing skills base of the childcare workforce.

Stormont junior ministers Jennifer McCann and Jonathan Bell announced the plans at a playgroup in Carryduff primary school.

Ms McCann said there were currently 19 school-age children for every registered school-age childcare place available.

“This presents a range of challenges for parents and childcare providers,” she added.

“The decision to create up to 6,000 new places and support existing places was informed by our consultation exercise on childcare services. All of the places funded under this grant scheme will target the needs of disadvantaged families, the rural community or be based on the school estate.

“Affordable, accessible, quality childcare services enable parents to work and to train for work improving a family’s living standards and life chances. Good childcare services are an investment in both the present and the future.”

Mr Bell added: “The Executive is determined to improve the lives of all parents and children in Northern Ireland, indeed, improving our economy is the top priority in our Programme for Government.

“We are resolute in removing barriers to employment. Lack of access to good, affordable childcare can prevent those who want to work take up employment opportunities. With this grant scheme, we will help remove those barriers. We will create several thousand new and affordable school age childcare places.

“We will create school-age childcare services where there are currently none, or where there are currently not enough. This will provide a significant boost to our economy, giving parents assistance to take up work and directly creating about 750 new jobs in the childcare sector.”