Information on Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) Scheme

The objective of the TEC Programmes is to support parents on eligible training courses and eligible categories of parents returning to work, by providing subsidised childcare places. TEC is only available through participating early years services.

There are 3 strands of the TEC programme:

• Childcare Education and Training Support programme (CETS): The CETS Programme provides childcare to certain training course participants on courses provided by the Education and Training Boards (ETB, formerly FAS and VEC) and Secondary Schools.
• Community Employment Childcare programme (CEC): The CEC is administered on behalf of the Department of Social Protection (DSP) and provides childcare for children of parents who are participating on Community Employment schemes.
• After-School Child Care programme (ASCC): The ASCC is administered on behalf of the Department of Social Protection (DSP) and provides afterschool care for primary school children for certain categories of working parents and parents on DSP employment programmes (not including Community Employment).

Childcare Education and Training Support programme (CETS)

Places can be full-time, part-time, afterschool only or after-school with transport places. ETBs and Solas have sole responsibility for deciding who is eligible to avail of this strand of the TEC Programme.

Participants on the following Further Education Programmes are eligible to apply for CETS funding:

• CETS approved Education and Training Board (ETB) courses
• CETS approved Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS)
• CETS approved Youthreach • Back to Education Initiative (BTEI)
• Secondary school students completing Junior or Leaving Certificate cycle

To apply for CETS, Parent must provide a letter from their training provider to include hours of course and start and finish dates. Once you have found a childcare service, the service will ask you for a copy of your letter of eligibility as evidence that you are eligible for the CETS programme. They will ask you to complete a TEC Child Registration Form, with details of you and your child’s PPS numbers, dates of birth, etc., along with information about the type of childcare place required. They may also ask you for proof of you and your child’s PPS numbers and dates of birth.

Community Employment Childcare programme (CEC)

Provides part-time or afterschool care for children up to 13 years of age. Once you have found a childcare service, they will ask you for a copy of your letter of eligibility as evidence that you are eligible for the CEC programme. They will ask you to complete a TEC Child Registration Form, with details of you and your child’s PPS numbers, dates of birth, etc., along with information about the childcare place required. They may also ask you for proof of you and your child’s PPS numbers and dates of birth.

After School Child Care Programme (ASCC)

Provides after-school care for primary school children for certain categories of working parents. It is administered on behalf of the Department of Social Protection (DSP). DSP have sole responsibility for deciding who is eligible to avail of this strand of the TEC Programme. Places can be after-school only or after-school with transport places. Places can also be approved for full day care up to a maximum of 10 weeks (when your child is on school holidays and you require full day care).

• Pro rata payments are applied for 3, 4 or 5 day places.
• Parents are entitled to a maximum of 52 weeks on the scheme, regardless of how many days a week they may avail of.
• Services will be paid for 52 weeks in total
• Where eligible parents require childcare for morning periods before the child starts school, rather than after-school hours, this can be accommodated under the scheme. The same rates apply.

In order to be eligible for ASCC a client must be in receipt of Family Income Supplement (FIS) and increase hours of work or satisfy the below:

• Be in receipt of Jobseekers’ Benefit (JB) or Jobseekers’ Allowance (JA), Jobseekers’ Transitional payment (JST) or One-parent Family Payment (OFP) or be on a DSP employment programme (or any combination of the above) for at least three months (78 days) AND have one or more children aged between 4 and 13 years who are in primary school
  AND
• Commence any one of the following: employment (either full-time or part-time) OR increase their employment OR a specified DSP employment programme as follows (except Community Employment): WPP, BTWEA, TUS, Gateway or RSS

Your local DSP office will be able to tell you if you are eligible for an ASCC place. If you are, your DSP office should give you a letter of eligibility for ASCC. This letter must contain the following information:

• Name of parent.
• Start date of entitlement to childcare support.
• Confirmation that the parent is eligible for the ASCC programme

Once you have found a childcare service, they will ask you for a copy of your letter of eligibility as evidence that you are eligible for the ASCC programme. They will ask you to complete a TEC Child Registration Form, with details of you and your child’s PPS numbers, dates of birth, etc, along with information about the childcare place required. They may also ask you for proof of you and your child’s PPS numbers and dates of birth.