- Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2024 will introduce a range of reforms within early learning and childcare.
- The Bill will allow for childminding-specific regulations, which will enable parents using childminders to access National Childcare Scheme subsidies.
- The Bill will also provide the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate with additional enforcement tools to address serious non-compliance with the Regulations in early learning and childcare services.
- The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, has today secured Government approval for the publication of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill, paving the way for further reforms within the early learning and childcare.
The Bill provides the legislative basis for:
Registration and regulation of childminders
- the removal of exemptions relating to childminders to facilitate the future extension of regulation to all paid, non-relative childminders. This will allow parents using childminders to access National Childcare Scheme subsidies.
Early learning and childcare reforms
- enhanced enforcement tools – to build on the enforcement options available to Tusla, allowing for immediate closure of unregistered early learning and childcare services, temporary suspension of service registrations and putting the enforcement path on a legislative footing,
- formal information sharing with parents – to introduce a formal mechanism for sharing of certain information related to quality of an early learning and childcare service with parents and with the public generally, where appropriate, and
- the introduction of a “fit person” regulation to empower Tusla to assess the suitability of a person applying to be a registered early learning and childcare provider.
Minister O’Gorman stated:
“I am confident that these proposals will bring significant benefits to the early learning and childcare sector by addressing the limitations that have been identified in the current legislation and improving overall compliance with regulations.
I am committed to delivering childminding-specific regulations that are both appropriate and proportionate, striking a balance between regulation and quality, and acknowledgement of the unique circumstances of a childminder operating in their home.
Furthermore, this will allow parents who avail of a childminder to benefit from State supports such as the National Childcare Scheme”.
In line with the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028, these changes relate to the provision of care in the childminder’s home.