New childcare payments available to parents from today
The first payments under a new child benefit scheme announced in the last Budget are being made available to parents from today.
Every parent in the country is entitled to avail of the Early Childcare Supplement, which is worth at least €1,000 a year.
The payment, which will be made every three months, is designed to help with the cost of caring for children up to the age of six years.
It is part of the Government’s five-year childcare strategy and is expected to cost the Exchequer around €350m a year.
Groups lobbying for childcare improvements say they believe the move is a token gesture that will fail to make any real difference for struggling parents.
The single parents' organisation One Family said today that the money available should have been targeted at children living in poverty by increasing the children's allowance for families dependent on social welfare.
