Minister Foley announces €422,000 in development grants for Childminders

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, today announced €422,000 in development grants for Childminders.

The 2026 Childminding Development Grant supports childminders to purchase toys, childcare equipment, safety equipment, inclusion equipment and materials related to the arts and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths).

The 2026 Childminding Development Grant awards will be given to 424 childminders, which is the highest number of recipients and the largest amount of funding ever awarded under the scheme.

This continued investment reflects the Minister’s ongoing commitment to the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-28.

Minister Foley said:

“Today, I am pleased to announce that an increased number of childminders will benefit from the Childminding Development Grant, supporting them to further enhance the quality and safety of the services they provide.

Childminders are an integral part of Ireland’s early learning and childcare sector, providing essential support to children, families and communities nationwide.

This is part of the continued commitment to supporting childminders and strengthening their role within the wider early learning and childcare sector.”

The Grants were open to all childminders, including those planning to open a childminding business in 2026. 75% of the grant is paid in advance to help childminders with the upfront costs of purchasing equipment.

Successful applicants will receive information about their grant awards over the coming days. A breakdown of successful applications and funding by City and County Childcare Committee area is set out in the appendix below.

The increase in the number of awards reflects growing demand for the Grant among childminders.

It also reflects the Government’s commitment to support childminders to prepare for registration with Tusla. In line with the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028, regulations written specifically for childminders came into effect for the first time in September 2024, making it possible for all childminders to register with Tusla.

This enables families who rely on childminding services to access financial supports through the National Childcare Scheme, while also providing a range of safeguards and assurances of quality.

Those childminders who were previously exempt from regulation have a three-year transition period until 2027 during which they are now able to register with Tusla but are not yet required to do so. The grant can also be used for IT equipment to assist childminders to engage with training and registration processes.

A review of the initial implementation of the Childminding Regulations is set to begin in June. The review will examine childminders’ experiences of the regulations so far as well as the effectiveness of the support and the barriers to registration. It will include an open call for submissions, an online survey and regional focus groups.

To have your say, look out for details of how to get involved through your local City and County Childcare Committees or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nationalactionplanforchildminding

For further information about the National Action Plan for Childminding, see www.gov.ie/childminding

A breakdown of successful applications and funding by City and County Childcare Committee area is set out below. All applications were approved in full: