Childcare providers in Galway are being urged to apply to a €6 million investment fund which has just opened for applications.
Applications have opened this week for the 2019 Early Learning and Care and School Age Capital programmes for childcare providers, and will remain open until March 27.
The €6 million Capital Programmes have three strands of funding for care providers for early learning and school aged children.
The first and largest are of funding is for creating new places in childcare programmes for children aged 0-3 years for which €4.231 million has been provided.
The maximum that can be received under this area of funding is €50,000 per grant.
Also part of the programme is €875,000 for Fire Safety in community early learning and care services, max €15,000 per grant.
And the final strand consists of €1 million to create new school age places, with a maximum of €20,000 per grant available.
Galway TD Denis Naughten said that decisions on grant applications will be made by June “to allow childcare providers to provide additional places from next September.”
In making the announcement this week Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone said this funding will allow childcare providers to add extra space to their services and improve their quality.
It will be followed by a second tranche of funding that will be made available once the programme starts.
