Following the announcement yesterday of sustainability measures in response to Covid-19 by the Government, Minister Katherine Zappone, has provided further details to support the Childcare sector.
Outlining these measures, Minister Zappone said that,
“These measures will:
The measures are as follows:
1. Revenue will reimburse childcare employers by 70% of their pre-Covid-19 staff costs.
2. In addition, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs will reimburse childcare employers by 30% of their pre-Covid-19 staff costs.
3. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs will pay a retention top-up designed to retain staff in the sector
4. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs will fund Childcare Providers with a proportion of staff costs during the closure period to assist with their ongoing costs where needed.
These emergency measures will apply for up to 12 weeks in line with the Government’s announcement yesterday and reflect the unique challenges and demands facing the sector. They involve the re-purposing of funds already allocated to support the childcare sector.
Childcare Providers will be required to sign a new Covid-19 Emergency Agreement. This will require providers to agree to a number of conditions that will include:
State income is already in place for Childcare Providers until the end of this week.
The Minister stressed that these are emergency measures that will apply for up to 12 weeks, in accordance with the Government’s decisions in this area.
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs will roll out these measures as quickly as possible.
ENDS