PlayBoard NI, the lead organisation for the development of play in Northern Ireland, has welcomed the announcement by Education Minister Paul Givan to extend the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme to cover school-age children.

Angela Stallard, Service Delivery and Development Manager at PlayBoard said:

“We welcome today’s announcement that the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme will be extended to include school-age children from 1 September. PlayBoard plays a lead role in supporting and advocating for the development of high-quality, accessible, and inclusive play-based school-age childcare provision. School-age childcare plays a critical role in the lives of children, parents and carers – driving positive developmental outcomes for children, whilst supporting the wider economy by enabling parents/carers to remain active within the employment market.

“Our recent State of the School-Age Childcare Sector report highlighted the ongoing challenges in the sector including financial vulnerability, a growing demand for after-school places, the growth in additional support needs, and workforce issues which act to restrict provider capacity. Today’s announcement is welcome news for working parents of school-age children. We now look forward to the publication of the Early Learning and Childcare Strategy in the autumn, which we hope will build further on this progress.”

Also welcoming the announcement, Richard McMeekin, Chair of the School-Age Childcare and Playwork Forum added:

“I am delighted by today’s announcement. School-age childcare services are a critical part of Northern Ireland’s childcare infrastructure. Parents who rely on these services have often felt that play-based childcare lacks recognition – today’s decision will come as a relief to many. The School-Age Childcare and Playwork Forum remains committed to championing the value of play and for ongoing recognition and investment in high-quality, play-based provision across communities.”

Read the Department of Education announcement at www.education-ni.gov.uk/news/education-minister-announces-extension-northern-ireland-childcare-subsidy-scheme-cover-school-age-children