Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000 - 2006
The €500 million Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 was funded by the Irish Government and part-financed by the European Union Structural Funds under the National Development Plan 2000-2006. It was created to develop childcare to meet the needs of parents in employment, education and training. Until recently, it operated under the remit of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. It is now the responsibility of the Office of the Minister for Children (OMC) and will run in parallel with the new National Childcare Investment Programme 2006 - 2010 until all its commitments have been honoured.
The Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme operated under three sub-measures to meet its aims and provides grant assistance in the form of:
- capital funding for both community/not-for-profit groups and for private providers;
- staffing supports for community/not-for-profit groups in disadvantaged areas;
- supports for Quality Improvement projects, including supports to the City/County Childcare Committees and the National Voluntary Childcare Organisations.
The programme has exceeded its original target to create 31,800 new childcare places. It is expected that more places will continue to be created as approved funding is drawn down in 2007.
The Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme is now closed to new applications and all new capital and staffing funding applications should be made through the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010.
