Childcare Education Training Support (CETS) Scheme
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs introduced a childcare support scheme, the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) scheme, from September 2010. The CETS scheme supports the childcare needs of participants in training and educational courses operated by FAS and Vocational Education Committees (VECs).
The scheme is open to applications from:
(a) childcare services which provide full daycare and / or afterschool care for children attending primary school, and
(b) except where a service is solely engaged in the provision of afterschool care for children attending primary school, childcare services which are participants in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme and / or the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Scheme.
CETS Scheme in detail
Q&A for Parents:
I am a parent how do I know if I am eligible for the CETS Scheme?
If you have been accepted onto a FAS or VEC training course the training organisation will send you a letter stating that your place on the course entitles you to free childcare under the CETS scheme.
How do I access a free childcare place on the CETS scheme?
To access a place, bring the letter you have received from FAS/VEC along with start and finish dates of your course to your chosen childcare service and enrol your child. The service will then complete a CETS request form and submit it to DCCC.
Will I automatically get a place?
No, as from October 2011, Donegal had reached its quota for allocated places, therefore only when a course finishes or a parent withdraws can we reallocate to new parents. Should you be allocated a place, it will be paid from the date the previous course finished which may not correlate with your start date; therefore you may be required to pay the childcare service for the interim period.
How will I know if I have been allocated a place?
DCCC will contact the childcare service once a place becomes available for your child.
Q&A for Childcare Services:
I am childcare service provider, how do I apply to be part of the CETS scheme?
Application forms for entry onto the CETS scheme are available from DCCC in early spring each year.
What is the payment schedule?
The capitation fee is for places on the basis of a number of weeks per year. In some cases, set numbers and types of places will be required for 43 weeks during September to July. In other cases, set numbers and types of places will be required for 25 weeks during September to February and then for 26 weeks during March to August.
How much will I receive per child?
The capitation fee is payable, in advance, at a weekly rate (Monday to Friday), of €170 in the case of a full-day place, €95 in the case of a half-time place, and €50 in the case of an afterschool place (afterschool with pick up service is allocated a part-time rate of €95).
How do I request a place?
When a parent enrolls in your service, download the CETS Request Form, fill in the details and return to lisadoherty@donegalchildcare.com.
Terms & Conditions of CETS Scheme - Eng & Irish version
General Terms and Conditions governing participation in the
Childcare Education Training Support (CETS) scheme September 2010
1. A participating service must have an agreed contract with the Minister for Health and Children, including a contract for either the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) or the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) schemes, and be:
(a) notified to the Health Service Executive (HSE) as a pre-school service and have a satisfactory level of compliance with the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No. 2) Regulations 2006, or
(b) a service which is limited to the care, outside of normal school hours, of children who are attending primary school (a “school age service”).
2. Administration of the scheme shall be the responsibility of the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA). The Term of the contract shall be from September 2010 to August 2011.
3. Participating services must be trading as a sole trader, partnership, limited liability company or school Board of Management, and must demonstrate tax compliance by providing a current Tax Clearance Certificate.
4. Participating services must agree to use grant funding received under the scheme to reserve and provide free childcare places to children of qualifying parents in return for the capitation grant paid by the OMCYA. All places provided by the service under the scheme must meet the requirements in terms of length per day, days per week and weeks per year.
5. Childcare places will be reserved for children of qualifying parents who are attending a FÁS training course or an educational programme administered by a Vocational Educational Committee (VEC). Qualification for the scheme will be determined by FÁS and the VECs.
6. Participating services will be paid a weekly capitation fee for each place reserved, at the rate of €170 for a full-day service (at least 10 hours), €95 for a half-day service (at least 5 and a half hours) and €50 for an after school service (at least 3 hours). The capitation fee will be paid for an agreed number of weeks within the September to August Term. This will vary between 43 and 51 weeks depending on the particular FAS/VEC Childcare Service provision which is agreed with the participating service provider in each case. Where a period of 51 weeks is contracted, a set number and type of places will be contracted for 25 weeks during September 2010 to February 2011, and for 26 weeks during March 2011 to August 2011.
7. Participating services will be advised by the OMYCA, or an agent acting on its behalf, of the number of places which it shall reserve as free childcare places, for a particular number of weeks, and shall provide the FÁS/VEC Childcare Service to those parents as agreed with OMYCA. Participating services may contract to provide additional places under the scheme which will be made available to, and paid for by, the OMCYA should an additional requirement for some of all of such places be identified by the OMCYA.
8. Participating services will be required to complete all contractual requirements and have a contract in place by July 2010. A later date may be permitted where the OMCYA deems it appropriate. Contractual requirements will include requirements governing record-keeping, accounts and audit procedures. Participating services which enter into contract for the scheme will be required to comply with the conditions and terms of the contract. The OMCYA will require participating services to communicate, where requested, by email.
Téarmaí agus Coinníollacha Ginearálta a rialaíonn rannpháirteachas sa
Scéim Tacaíochta um Oiliúint agus um Fhostaíocht Cúram Leanaí (CETS) Mean Fómhair 2010
1. Ní mór d’aon seirbhís atá ag glacadh páirte sa scéim conradh comhaontaithe a bheith aici leis an Aire Sláinte agus Leanaí, lena n-áirítear conradh don scéim um Chúram agus Oideachas Luath-Óige (ECCE) nó don Scéim Fóirdheontas um Chúram Leanaí Pobail, agus:
(a) ní mór Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte (FSS) a chur ar an eolas gur seirbhís réamhscoile í agus ní mór di na Rialacháin Cúram Leanaí (Seirbhísí Réamhscoile) (Uimh. 2) 2006 a chomhlíonadh go sásúil, nó
(b) ní mór di a bheith ina seirbhís nach dtugann cúram do leanaí ach amháin lasmuigh de ghnáth-uaireanta scoile, leanaí a fhreastalaíonn ar bunscoil (“seirbhís do leanaí in aois scoile”).
2. Beidh Oifig an Aire Leanaí agus Gnóthaí Óige (OALGÓ) freagrach as riarachán na scéime seo. Is ó Mheán Fómhair 2010 go Lúnasa 2011 a mhairfidh Téarma an chonartha.
3. Ní mór do sheirbhísí rannpháirteacha a bheith ag trádáil mar thrádálaí aonair, mar chomhpháirtíocht, mar chuideachta dhliteanas teoranta nó mar Bhord Bainistíochta scoile agus ní mór dóibh a léiriú go bhfuil siad ag comhlíonadh dualgais chánach trí Dheimhniú Imréiteach Cánach reatha a sholáthar.
4. Ní mór do sheirbhísí rannpháirteacha a chomhaontú go mbainfidh siad úsáid as an gcistiú a gheobhaidh siad faoin scéim chun áiteanna cúram leanaí a chur in áirithe agus a sholáthar do leanaí a gcáilíonn a dtuismitheoirí i gcomaoin an deontais chaipitíochta arna íoc ag OALGÓ a fháil. Ní mór go gcomhlíonfadh gach áit a sholáthraíonn an tseirbhís faoin scéim na riachtanais maidir le fad in aghaidh an lae, laethanta in aghaidh na seachtaine agus seachtainí in aghaidh na bliana.
5. Cuirfear áiteanna cúram leanaí in áirithe le haghaidh leanaí a gcáilíonn a dtuismitheoirí agus a bhfuil a dtuismitheoirí ag freastal ar chúrsa oiliúna de chuid FÁS nó ar chlár oideachais arna riar ag Coiste Gairmoideachais. Is iad FÁS agus na Coistí Gairmoideachais a dhéanfaidh cinneadh maidir leis na daoine a cháilíonn don scéim
6. Íocfar táille chaipitíochta sheachtainiúil le seirbhísí rannpháirteacha maidir le gach áit a chuirfear in áirithe, ar ráta €170 le haghaidh seirbhíse lae (10 uair an chloig ar a laghad), €95 le haghaidh seirbhíse leathlae (5 uair an chloig go leith ar a laghad) agus €50 le haghaidh seirbhíse iarscoile (3 uair an chloig ar a laghad). Íocfar an táille chaiptíochta i leith líon aontaithe seachtainí le linn an Téarma ó Mheán Fómhair go Lúnasa. Beidh idir 43 agus 51 seachtaine i gceist ag brath ar an soláthar Seirbhíse Cúram Leanaí ar leith de chuid FÁS/an Choiste Gairmoideachais atá aontaithe leis an soláthraí seirbhíse rannpháirteach i ngach cás. I gcásanna ina mbíonn tréimhse 51 seachtaine i gceist leis an gconradh, beidh líon agus cineál áirithe áiteanna ar conradh ar feadh 25 seachtaine ó Mheán Fómhair 2010 go dtí Feabhra 2011, agus ansin ar feadh 26 seachtaine ó Mhárta 2011 go Lúnasa 2011.
7. Cuirfidh OALGÓ, nó gníomhaire ag gníomhú ar a son, in iúl do sheirbhísí rannpháirteacha cé mhéid áiteanna a chuirfidh sé in áirithe mar áiteanna cúram leanaí saor in aisce, ar feadh líon áirithe seachtainí, agus cuirfidh siad Seirbhís Cúram Leanaí de chuid FÁS/an Choiste Gairmoideachais ar fáil do na tuismitheoirí sin de réir mar a bheidh comhaontaithe le OALGÓ. Féadfaidh seirbhísí rannpháirteacha dul isteach i gconradh chun áiteanna breise a sholáthar faoin scéim a chuirfear ar fáil do OALGÓ, agus a íocfaidh sí astu, dá n-aithneodh an OALGÓ riachtanas breise le haghaidh na n-áiteanna sin go léir nó le haghaidh cuid díobh.
8. Ceanglófar ar sheirbhísí rannpháirteacha gach riachtanas conartha a chomhlíonadh agus conradh a bheith ar bun acu faoi Iúil 2010. D’fhéadfadh dáta níos déanaí ná sin a bheith i gceist má shíleann OALGÓ gur cuí sin. Áireofar le riachtanais chonartha riachtanais a rialaíonn coimeád taifead, cuntais agus nósanna imeachta iniúchta. Beidh ar sheirbhísí rannpháirteacha a rachaidh isteach i gconradh don scéim cloí le coinníollacha agus téarmaí an chonartha. Iarrfaidh OALGÓ ar sheirbhísí rannpháirteacha cumarsáid a dhéanamh i ríomhphost nuair a iarrtar a leithéid.
CETS Section for Providers
DCYA have revised the sign in sheets for January to March 2012. The previous forms had the sentence “a subsequent parent (if they qualify for CETS) may avail of the place for the remaining weeks of this term and may use this place also”
This is now replaced with the sentence “If a parent leaves the course, you must inform the Childcare Committee immediately”
Please ensure you are using the correct sign in sheets for this period. To download the correct forms click the link below:
