Latest news with #ECCE
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
Childcare fees to be reduced to under €200 a week from September
Childcare fees for some parents will be capped at just under €200 a week under new plans unveiled by the Children's Minister. Norma Foley confirmed that this could save parents paying the highest fees €1,500 over the course of a year. She also vowed that the Government will implement €200-a-month childcare fees over the course of this Government's five-year term. A new maximum fee cap will now be introduced for all new services availing of State funding through the Core Funding scheme from this September. Under these new maximum fee caps, the highest possible fees will be no more than €295 per week for a full-day place with 40 to 50 hours per week. This will reduce costs for families who are facing the highest fees across the country in around 10 per cent of early learning and childcare providers. These fees will be reduced further by State subsidies under the National Childcare Scheme and the free, universal two-year Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) preschool programme. A parent being charged the maximum permissible fee of €295 per week for a full day place would be entitled to receive the universal National Childcare Scheme subsidy of €96.30, meaning their own payment would be no more than €198.70 per week. Higher subsidies are available for many parents, depending on their level of income and the age and number of children in early education. Ms Foley said the Government is on an "unfinished journey" to reduce the cost of childcare. The highest cost of childcare fees ranges between €300 and €325 a week, with Minister Foley arguing that the fee freeze will save parents €1,500 per child. The Programme for Government commits to introducing €200 a month childcare. Minister Foley said: "We're absolutely clear that the Programme for Government has a very clear commitment around the €200 and that is our absolute goal. "I've been very clear that we would do that over the lifetime of this government. It will be incremental. "The steps we take today, we're starting at the very top where there's an extraordinarily high cost to parents and we're beginning to bring that down." Compared to this time last year, there has been an increase in 226 providers taking part in the Core Funding model. This is despite providers threatening to pull out of the scheme because it was not meeting their increasing costs or inflation. Ms Foley announced that increased Core Funding of €390 million will be available from September.
The Journal
3 days ago
- Business
- The Journal
Some families will see their childcare fees reduced from September
SOME FAMILIES WHO are facing the highest childcare costs in the country will see their weekly fees reduced from September. The reduction will impact families in around 10% of early learning and childcare providers that are in receipt of core funding from the State. The Department of Children today announced the details of a new maximum fee cap for childcare services that are participating in the State's childcare scheme. Advertisement A new maximum fee cap will be introduced for all new and existing services receiving State funding from this September, which will further lower the maximum fees that can be charged depending on the number of hours provided. Under these new maximum fee caps, the highest possible fees will be no more than €295 per week for a full day place of between 40-50 hours per week. This will bring these fees closer to the average weekly fee of €197 for full-day care, according to the Department. These fees for parents are then further reduced by State subsidies under the National Childcare Scheme and the free, universal two-year Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) preschool programme. A parent being charged the maximum permissible fee of €295 per week for a full day place would be entitled to receive the universal National Childcare Scheme subsidy of €96.30, meaning that in reality they would pay no more than €198.70 per week. Higher subsidies are available for many parents, depending on their level of income and the age and number of children in their family. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Time of India
7 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Bal Vatikas in 237 PM Shri schools
Jaipur: To strengthen elementary education, the state-level task force on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) has decided to start Bal Vatikas in 237 PM Shri schools in the state. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The decision was made in a meeting last week. Officials said mapping of anganwadi centres will also be done so that ECCE-based activities can be monitored there. The ECCE task force will also work on arranging pre-primary education in Ashram schools run by the tribal area development department, along with capacity-building training of six months and one year for anganwadi workers. "Mapping of anganwadi centres with the nearest schools will be done so that anganwadi centres can be run along with schools, which will help in both monitoring nutrition and early education. Our aim is to strengthen primary education so that the performance of secondary classes improves. Primary classes act as a feeder for secondary education, and a key reason for developing learning gaps is not enough focus on primary education," said an official. At anganwadi centres, the ECCE programme focuses on making learning playful for children aged 3-6, to help their linguistic and cognitive development. Under this initiative, monthly meetings with parents are also conducted to track children's growth and prepare them for schools. As part of ECCE, anganwadi centres focus on activities to ensure linguistic development, creative development, and cognitive development, along with tracking health indicators and nutritious food distribution. The timetable includes activities like painting or drawing, playing games like abacus, and poetry reciting or storytelling. Jaipur: To strengthen elementary education, the state-level task force on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) has decided to start Bal Vatikas in 237 PM Shri schools in the state. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The decision was made in a meeting last week. Officials said mapping of anganwadi centres will also be done so that ECCE-based activities can be monitored there. The ECCE task force will also work on arranging pre-primary education in Ashram schools run by the tribal area development department, along with capacity-building training of six months and one year for anganwadi workers. "Mapping of anganwadi centres with the nearest schools will be done so that anganwadi centres can be run along with schools, which will help in both monitoring nutrition and early education. Our aim is to strengthen primary education so that the performance of secondary classes improves. Primary classes act as a feeder for secondary education, and a key reason for developing learning gaps is not enough focus on primary education," said an official. At anganwadi centres, the ECCE programme focuses on making learning playful for children aged 3-6, to help their linguistic and cognitive development. Under this initiative, monthly meetings with parents are also conducted to track children's growth and prepare them for schools. As part of ECCE, anganwadi centres focus on activities to ensure linguistic development, creative development, and cognitive development, along with tracking health indicators and nutritious food distribution. The timetable includes activities like painting or drawing, playing games like abacus, and poetry reciting or storytelling.
Business Recorder
01-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
PHCIP implementation rate termed moderately unsatisfactory
ISLAMABAD: The World Bank (WB) has rated the Punjab Human Capital Investment Project (PHCIP) implementation progress, worth around revised $146.31 million, as moderately unsatisfactory. The project was approved in March 2020 with the development objective of to increase the utilisation of quality health services, and economic and social inclusion programs among poor and vulnerable households in select districts in Punjab. The closing date of the project was 30 June 2025, which is revised to 30 June 2026. The original cost of the project was $200 million, which is revised to $146.31 million. Official documents revealed that $122.19 million of the revised $146.31 million were disbursed while $32.74 million remain un-disbursed so far. Govt approaches WB for $200m PHCIP restructuring The project remains on-track to achieve its development objectives, although there have been some delays in the pace of implementation. A total of 1,084,186 pregnant and lactating women have been registered under the Aaghosh program across the project districts. Under the economic inclusion component, economic inclusion assets have been transferred to 64,592 families. The sub-component of education is providing Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) intervention (books, furniture, learning kits) to 9,397 schools, exceeding its revised target of 8900 schools. A fully functional Grievance Redress Mechanism is also in place. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
31-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
PHCIP implementation rate termed moderately satisfactory
ISLAMABAD: The World Bank (WB) has rated the implementation progress of the Punjab Human Capital Investment Project (PHCIP), worth around revised $146.31 million, as moderately unsatisfactory. The project was approved in March 2020 with the development objective of to increase the utilisation of quality health services, and economic and social inclusion programs among poor and vulnerable households in select districts in Punjab. The closing date of the project was 30 June 2025, which is revised to 30 June 2026. The original cost of the project was $200 million, which is revised to $146.31 million. Official documents revealed that $122.19 million of the revised $146.31 million were disbursed while $32.74 million remain un-disbursed so far. Govt approaches WB for $200m PHCIP restructuring The project remains on-track to achieve its development objectives, although there have been some delays in the pace of implementation. A total of 1,084,186 pregnant and lactating women have been registered under the Aaghosh program across the project districts. Under the economic inclusion component, economic inclusion assets have been transferred to 64,592 families. The sub-component of education is providing Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) intervention (books, furniture, learning kits) to 9,397 schools, exceeding its revised target of 8900 schools. A fully functional Grievance Redress Mechanism is also in place. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
