The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is pleased to announce that the application process for COVID-19 Impact Support will begin on Monday 1 March.

This funding will be available throughout 2021 for eligible ELC and SAC services that require further financial assistance in addition to current support measures available and others that may be announced throughout the year.

It is a funding option of last resort and will only be available to services which have exhausted all other funding support options. Funding will be provided to successful applicants which have experienced an income/expenditure deficit in respect of the childcare aspect of their business/organisation, and which do not have sufficient funds in reserve (in their business/organisation) to absorb this deficit. Funding is not available to replace all lost income; funding is available only to fill an actual shortfall where the applicant cannot meet all of their current costs.

Funding will be provided to successful applicants retrospectively for the previous calendar month; i.e. while the application process for January will begin on 1 March, applications for funding for February will be accepted from 8 March, and funding for subsequent months can be applied for in the following month. Services that continue to experience an income/expenditure deficit may reapply as many months as necessary.

Who is eligible to apply?
As with last year’s COVID-19 Sustainability Support, both Community and Private ELC and SAC Services are eligible to apply i.e. for-profit and not-for profit services of all kinds (ELC, SAC, sole traders and companies, etc.).
All applicants must fulfil the following eligibility criteria to be considered for this fund, and will be required to sign a declaration stating that this is the case:
1. Have a DCYA reference number for the facility for which they are applying for.
2. Be registered with Tusla.
3. Must have an active contract with DCEDIY to provide Early Learning and Care and or School Age Childcare Programmes.
4. If the applicant has employees, they must be registered for the EWSS.
5. Demonstrate a decrease in income due to lower uptake of ELC and SAC places compared to December 2020 and/or demonstrate increased costs due to the impact of COVID-19 compared to December 2020.
6. Where applicable, must have stopped charging fees to parents whose children are not attending at the point of application (if not earlier); and issue or have issued refunds/credit notes in respect of pre-paid fees.
7. Must have applied for all available funding supports.
8. Must have experienced a deficit in the month applied for, and must not have sufficient reserves to absorb it
If your service is facing challenges and you think this funding may be applicable to it, please commence the process of applying by contacting your local CCC from Monday 1 March.

Contact details for the CCCs can be found at https://myccc.ie/