The Covid- 19 childcare support scheme provides funding to support childcare provider who are caring for children of keyworkers and vulnerable children .
Eligibility criteria:
The scheme is open to:
- Registered day-care settings, school-age childcare settings and childminders that remain open for vulnerable children and those of key workers
- Day-care and school-age childcare settings which remain closed and are unable to reopen
Application forms for closed and open day-care and school-aged childcare settings were issued on Wednesday 6 May 2020. Applications for childminders and the Bespoke Approved Home Childcare Scheme were issued on Thursday 7 May 2020.
Application forms issued from the Business Services Organisation (BSO) should be returned to BSO, a sponsored body of the Department of Health. It is important that application forms are completed accurately to reduce the risk of delays in any payments due.
Several organisations provide support with the completion of application forms, including the Northern Ireland Childminding Association(link is external), the Early Years Organisation(link is external), Playboard(link is external), Employers for Childcare(link is external).
The organisation you should contact will depend on your setting and the nature of your application.