After School Childcare Scheme

The After School Childcare Scheme provided supports to low-income and unemployed people to:

• take up a job
• increase the hours they work
• take a place on one of the department's employment programmes

If you are accepted for the After School Childcare Scheme, you can get after-school childcare for up to 5 days per week at a daily rate of €3 per day per child (€15 per week per child). Pick-up options are also available.

The scheme also provides full-day childcare during school holidays at no additional cost to the parent. However, in order to avail of childcare during the school holidays you must have an ongoing after-school childcare need during the school year.

You may be eligible for the scheme if:

• you have one or more children aged between 4 and 13
• you have been getting one of the following payments for more than three months; Jobseeker's Allowance, Jobseeker's Benefit, Jobseeker's Transitional payment or One-Parent Family Payment
• you are on an employment support programme
• you are on the Working Family Payment for any length of time and increase your working hours
• you are signing for Jobseeker’s Benefit Credits only

Self-employed people who are getting Jobseeker’s Allowance are not eligible for the afterschool child care scheme.

Places on the scheme are on a 'first-come, first-served' basis. Eligibility does not mean a guarantee of a child care place.

If you are deemed eligible for the scheme, you can get childcare for €3 per child per day (€15 per week).

So, if you have two children aged between 4 and 13, then you would pay €30 per week.

The After School Childcare Scheme was closed permanently to new applicants on 14 February 2020.

It was replaced by the National Childcare Scheme (NCS).