Learner Fund Childminder Bursary 2023

Learner Fund Childminder Bursary 2023

Applicant Guide

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) will open the Learner Fund Bursary for Childminders who are registered with Tusla and hold a Level 5 or Level 6 award on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). The local City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs) will process and appraise Learner Fund Childminder Bursary applications.

The following rules apply to the Childminder Bursary: 

1. This qualification for which the bursary is paid must be on the DCEDIY Early Years Recognised Qualifications list.
2. The award must be placed at level 5 or Level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and achieved in the academic years 2015 to 2023 inclusive.
3. The bursary amount will be €750.
4. The qualification must be a full, major award; the bursary cannot be paid in respect of partially completed awards.
5. Letters from training providers which state that a partially completed award is equivalent to a full award will not be accepted.
6. The qualification for which the bursary is paid must be that which qualifies the person to work in the Early Learning and Care sector.
7. Applicants may only apply once and cannot be granted the Learner Fund Childminder Bursary for a second time if they have already received it before.
8. The applicant cannot have received any public funding in support of their completing the award relating to this application.
9. Applicants must currently be a Tusla registered Childminding Service.
10. Application must be made by the holder of the award and not by any third party on their behalf.

Please Note:

With regard to (2) above: the graduating certificate must be provided with the application form along with photographic identification. If not available, a full and confirmed statement of results should suffice. The statement of results must indicate that the qualification is awarded.

Sharing of data with relevant parties:
Information provided by the applicant will be used only for the purpose it was intended and will be retained by the CCC for financial audit purposes. Names and Email addresses may be shared with other City and County Childcare Committees for the purposes of verification and validation of previous grant support history.

Names of applicants and qualification level are disclosed to Pobal for the purposes of administering payments arising from applications. Information may be shared with DCEDIY but will not be stored or retained in any way by DCEDIY. The DCEDIY Data Privacy Statement applies and can be viewed on their website: https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/68bb14-department-of-children-and-youth-affairs-data-protection/

The CCC decision is final: There is no appeals process for the Childminder bursary. The decision of the CCC is final for the purposes of the bursary application and process, and no delays to the timely conclusion of the process should occur. If an applicant is not approved and wants clarification on this, they can contact DCEDIY directly.

Application requirements: 

1. A service reference number is required. If a Childminder does not have a  service reference number, they will need to on-board through the Hive system (https://earlyyearshive.ncs.gov.ie/). This process may take time, so applicants are advised to complete as soon as possible.
2. Application form to be completed in full and by the deadline specified.
3. Supporting qualifications documentation, along with photographic evidence, must be provided with the application form.

 Timeframe for application: 

Please send your application form to info@wccc.ie 

Click here for a copy of the application form