04/06/2026
A funding model that can’t retain providers or serve all families is not a stable foundation for our childcare system.
While fee caps and increased funding will ease some of the burden on families particularly for women, migrant families and lone parents, they fall short of delivering truly affordable childcare. The €183.70 weekly cap remains far from the promised €200 per month per child.
And, as noted by us before, the Core Funding model is not successfully delivering a system that is genuinely affordable, accessible, and sustainable for women and families in Ireland.
While the new fee caps may reduce costs for some, many families will continue to face unaffordable weekly fees. The lack of targeted support for low and middle‑income women risks entrenching existing gender inequalities.
Modest fee decreases and small wage increases won’t create more much-needed childcare places and are unlikely to bring childcare providers, who have left core funding due to regulatory constraints and financial pressures, back to the scheme.
When providers exit the scheme, families and children lose places, staff lose stability, and communities - especially those on the margins - are left with fewer options for accessing stable and inclusive childcare providers.
We need a truly public system – now.
