Childcare Employment & Training Support (CETS) Scheme

What is the Childcare Employment and Training Support (CETS) scheme?

It is a scheme designed to support the childcare needs of participants in training and educational courses operated by FÁS and the VEC. Child-care services accepted onto the scheme by the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA) will keep a number of child-care places open for parents who may require a CETS place. This scheme is available to par-ents whose children have not yet completed pri-mary school.

The OMCYA introduced the CETS scheme in September 2010

Who is the capitation grant paid to?

The capitation grant is paid to childcare ser-vices who qualify for the CETS scheme for each childcare place it is contracted for with the OMCYA.

The capitation fee will be paid to childcare ser-vices in advance, on a term by term basis:

                        € 170 for a full day service (at least 10 hours),

                        €95 for a half day service (at least 5.5 hours)

                        €50 for an after school service (at least 3 hours)

Will I have to pay extra costs?

Optional extra costs such as extra hours or school pick-up / drop off can be charged for by a childcare service.

Please note: Half day and full day services have a regulatory obligation to provide nourishment. The capitation fee includes the provision of food / snacks at no additional cost to the parent

Will I be required to complete any forms?

Yes, you will be required to complete a CETS parental declaration form. Each childcare ser-vice will need to ensure that parents availing of a CETS place complete, sign and date their Paren-tal Declaration form on a weekly basis.

Each parent participating in an eligible FÁS or VEC course signs the form to declare that they attended a full-time/part-time training course during the named week, and that their child (ren) availed of a free childcare place under the CETS scheme while they attended that course. The form also indicates parents to sign that they un-derstand that they will not retain entitlement to the free place when they cease attendance at that training course.

The childcare service returns this form to the OMCYA at the end of each term.

Which childcare services are eligible to offer CETS places?

Childcare services providing full day care which may include a school age childcare service.

Stand alone school aged childcare services may be considered.

Community and private childcare services

Childcare services participating in the CCS and/or the ECCE schemes.

What are parents entitled to?

As a parent participating on an eligible FÁS / VEC course, you are entitled to free childcare for the duration of your course.

    VEC students will normally qualify for a childcare place for 43 weeks from Sept to June of each year.

    FÁS trainees will generally qualify for a CETS childcare place for courses of at least 10 weeks.

The following FÁS programmes are not eligible:

                        .Community Employment (CE)

How do I access the CETS scheme?

When you receive a letter from FÁS / VEC offering you a training place, inform the organization if you have childcare requirements. FÁS or the VEC will provide you with a list of childcare services who are participating in the CETS scheme. Contact a childcare service to reserve a CETS places.

FÁS / VEC will give trainees a letter confirming their start / end dates for courses.

Give this letter to the childcare service as confir-mation that you now have a place on the training course.

Can I avail of other childcare schemes?

You will normally only be able to claim for one scheme: CETS, CCS or ECCE at a time.

The one exception to this is parents who may take up a short-term FÁS course (normally for 10 weeks) during the academic year. If your child is already receiving the Free Pre-school Year in Early Childhood Care and Education, you will be able to qualify for a CETS places without losing your child’s ECCE place.

List of Pre-schools in Limerick City with the CET Scheme