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Dear Providers

Further to previous communications that have issued in recent weeks, DCYA has been working intensively on the new Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme to support the Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare sector at this extremely difficult time.

We are working closely with Revenue and other partners across Government on how the Revenue’s Wage Subsidy Scheme and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection’s Pandemic Unemployment Payment will interact with the DCYA Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme.

We have made significant progress, but unfortunately the DCYA Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme is not yet ready to launch.

In the interim, as a sustainability measure and pending the finalisation of the new scheme, DCYA will continue to make payments for ELC and SAC programmes based on service calendars on an ex-gratia basis up until 10 April 2020.

Services continue to have access to the Wage Subsidy Scheme and other Government supports listed in our recent FAQs.

We regret the delay in finalising this complex new scheme and thank you for your patience at this challenging time. We are however, as stated, making significant progress and we will continue to work on this over the weekend.

We will revert to you as soon as possible.

Dear Service Provider,

Please be advised that the next Saver Management Window for CCSP and TEC will be opening on Friday 3rd April 2020. This will mean that forms will be made available via PIP Portal to allow Service Providers to complete any amendments to Eligible Saver Registrations. Please see below the upcoming Saver Management Windows:

Please note that these windows are the same as for CCSP and TEC Saver Registrations.

For TEC Registrations, no new Registrations may be made after Friday 14th February, and the window for amending Savers will remain open until 27th April as indicated above.

Early Years Team

Dear Service Provider,

Due to the most recent Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, the Early Years Provider Centre (EYPC) is currently unable to provide phone support to Service Providers and, as a result, our phone lines will be paused. However, the Early Years team will strive to provide a full ‘business as usual’ support via email and through Service Requests submitted on the Early Years Hive.

If you have a query, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or log onto your Hive portal and create a Service Request. We will acknowledge receipt of your query within 24 hours and resolve it as soon as possible.

Please also continue to monitor your PIP Portal for any new announcements.

Details of how to set up an alert from the PIP Portal to your email can be found here.

Early Years Team

Dear Service Provider,

CPD Payments will be issued on Friday, 10th April to all services for participants who completed Hanen and/or Lámh trainings between 1st January and 7th March. Payment is issued automatically upon completion of a course.

Please note that each staff member can avail of a maximum of 18 hours of paid CPD training per calendar year and payments are calculated on this basis. Payments for all participants will be made to the employer/ childcare setting and NOT to the individual. Re-imbursement by way of payment or time worked is the responsibility of the employer.

The rate of payment is €13 per hour.

If you have any queries regarding your payments, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Early Years Team

Information and FAQs on COVID 19 Measures for providers and staff of Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare Services 

Dear Service Provider,

Please see the attached letter from Minister Katherine Zappone and FAQs document in relation to the Government’s new Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme for the childcare sector.

The FAQs endeavour to provide details on what the Scheme means for providers, the qualifying criteria for the Scheme, and the operational procedures on how the Scheme will be rolled out. They can also be found on the DCYA’s website here.

Information relating to the Scheme is still evolving and accordingly the FAQs will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Early Years Team