BTEA and Childcare Costs?

Balmom

I was hoping to go back to college next year through BTEA scheme. Im on one parent family payment. I cant afford childcare. This is my main obstacle. Im sure Im not the only one in this position. Any suggestions or anyone know where I can get help to pay for childcare? Social Welfare are v unhelpful. Thanks

Agent_99

Depending on where you return to college they may offer a Childcare bursary, I know that UL offer it. Check with the Students Union in your prospective college.

wmpdd3

It depends where you are, in WIT there is no financial help with childcare.

But look up the CCS scheme:

http://www.waterfordcoco.ie/en/media/childcare/Childcare%20How%20Much.pdf


http://www.dcya.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=1622

http://childcareonline.ie/files/1267609746.pdf



The Citizens Info office here didnt know anything about it.

If you qualify a week in a creche could be as little as €50 for a 1 yr old (versus €160 per week private) depending on the creche.

Only some creches offer it, the childcare in Waterford was able to send me on a full list of all place offering the scheme. I spent 2 days calling all the places given though and the were all full up for the next 6 months, so get in touch early.

Balmom

Thanks for the replies, I have been doing my research for 6 weeks. UCD and Trinity both offer subsidised creche rates of up to 50% but that would still leave me with 450 euros a month to pay which I cant afford. I thought CCS scheme was only for fas or vtos courses?

hoodwinked

i did what you are asking this year,


im 1st year ucc with btea,

the creche is €150 pw the BTEA is €188pw, which gives me €38 for myself for the week for petrol/lunches/college supplies...etc

Balmom

No offence but how can you pay for rent, bills, food, nappies etc, transport etc to college on 38 euros a week? It doesnt add up. I have no qualms about paying for childcare but something affordable, I cant even make ends meet as it is.
So therefore there is no aid out there for childcare?

John Mason

CETs funding offers free childcare places to people on FAS and VEC courses. your local ccc can give you a list of all facilites in the scheme

CCS funding is given directly to the creches to allow them to reduce the cost of your place, the amount of funding given is based on your personal circumstances. again, your local childcare committee will have a list of all the facilites involved.

here are the details for the county childcare committees

https://www.pobal.ie/Funding%20Programmes/Early%20Education%20and%20Childcare/Pages/CCCContacts.aspx

this is the bands for the ccs funding http://www.dcya.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=documents/childcare/cc_subvention_scheme/introduction.htm&mn=chig&nID=3

Balmom

Hi Irishbird,

Thanks was just reading that. The course I wanted to do is a 3rd level postgrad in UCD/Trinity and seems there is nothing to help/cover childcare costs there. I have been trying to research this for 6 weeks and I keep coming up with the same things. Its just crazy and frustrating cos I can't believe I am the only person in this situation. My main obstacle is the childcare costs :(

John Mason

Balmom wrote: »

Hi Irishbird,

Thanks was just reading that. The course I wanted to do is a 3rd level postgrad in UCD/Trinity and seems there is nothing to help/cover childcare costs there. I have been trying to research this for 6 weeks and I keep coming up with the same things. Its just crazy and frustrating cos I can't believe I am the only person in this situation. My main obstacle is the childcare costs :(

trinity college have childcare facility which is in CCS.

the creche is called trinty creche.

contact your childcare committee for details.
ucd also have a childcare facility. i cant remember the name of it off the top of my head

Balmom

@Irishbird,
They told me that it would be subsidised up to 50% but that would still leave me with 450 to pay which I cant manage. I will contact them again to check but they told me last time that was a huge reduction which I know it is. If I was working that would be great but not with amount I get. Anyway thanks again.

wolfpawnat

Balmom wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, I have been doing my research for 6 weeks. UCD and Trinity both offer subsidised creche rates of up to 50% but that would still leave me with 450 euros a month to pay which I cant afford. I thought CCS scheme was only for fas or vtos courses?

Hi Balmom, not trying to depress you, but UCD give only up to 50%, it is not guaranteed. I was on SW and they were going to charge me €700, and you are not told how much you are going to get off until you are registered and you are expected to fork out the €400 deposit for the creche yourself, though it comes out of the cost of the 1st months creche fees.

If you choose UCD, put the babies name down now as there are very limited places!

Good luck and well done on going back to education.

Balmom

wolfpawnat wrote: »

Hi Balmom, not trying to depress you, but UCD give only up to 50%, it is not guaranteed. I was on SW and they were going to charge me €700, and you are not told how much you are going to get off until you are registered and you are expected to fork out the €400 deposit for the creche yourself, though it comes out of the cost of the 1st months creche fees.

If you choose UCD, put the babies name down now as there are very limited places!

Good luck and well done on going back to education.

Thanks, Im already depressed. How could you be expected to pay 700 euros a month out of 800??? I know they did say up to 50 %, problem is even the 50% is not enough for me. I dont understand how social welfare have this scheme set up when its not really realistic or possible for some people. I am determined to go back but unless I can find a way of getting help to pay for a creche I cant do it. Thanks for letting me know, going back to college is stressful enough and there are other extra expenses like travel costs without having to pay through the roof for something that should be provided considering other smaller courses eg, some fas courses etc childcare is provided free.:mad:

wolfpawnat

Balmom wrote: »

Thanks, Im already depressed. How could you be expected to pay 700 euros a month out of 800??? I know they did say up to 50 %, problem is even the 50% is not enough for me. I dont understand how social welfare have this scheme set up when its not really realistic or possible for some people. I am determined to go back but unless I can find a way of getting help to pay for a creche I cant do it. Thanks for letting me know, going back to college is stressful enough and there are other extra expenses like travel costs without having to pay through the roof for something that should be provided considering other smaller courses eg, some fas courses etc childcare is provided free.:mad:

The college decides how much you pay, you can also get some assistance from the college chaplain too. The Dept. of SW does not contribute in the slightest.

I know how you feel, I was crying for days when I couldn't go back to college. You'd think they would want to get parents back to college!

wmpdd3

Wow, sorry the €50 per week of for Waterford, didnt there would be so much of a differnce in rates between Dublin and Waterford.

The only thing is you may only need 4 days per week as you may have no lectures on one day.

wolfpawnat

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Wow, sorry the €50 per week of for Waterford, didnt there would be so much of a differnce in rates between Dublin and Waterford.

The only thing is you may only need 4 days per week as you may have no lectures on one day.

Friend of mine went to DIT and they charged her €70 a week.

hoodwinked

Balmom wrote: »

No offence but how can you pay for rent, bills, food, nappies etc, transport etc to college on 38 euros a week? It doesnt add up. I have no qualms about paying for childcare but something affordable, I cant even make ends meet as it is.
So therefore there is no aid out there for childcare?

none taken in fact my apologies i think i misread/misunderstood your question,

im not 100% on it, but i thought you could retain your secondary benefits while on BTEA would one parent family not count as secondary?

i thought you were asking would the btea be enough to cover creche costs,

also it is worth noting that even though someone mentioned you may have a day without lectures so you might only need a 4 day week, but you also might want to ask because i know ucc charge you the full week (they charge for the place not when you use it)

Stuxnet

Agent_99 wrote: »

Depending on where you return to college they may offer a Childcare bursary, I know that UL offer it. Check with the Students Union in your prospective college.

I have a 3 1/2 year old in the UL creche, costs me 160 a week, and I get 188 on BTEA , my only income(which i still havent recieved yet and we're almost in week 8...but thats another day's rant) so left with 18 euros for myself for the week, Child bursary fund in UL reckons thats enough for me to live well on, so no help for me, or my gf who pays the rent and all the other bills,
so dont bank on bursaries to help out, i think you need to be single, or like other's do in UL, claim they are lone parents to collect some assisatance, which sucks for the honest people amongest us

Captain Pillowcase

Don't know if is really known but the CETS scheme has stopped from today. Not sure if it will start up again soon but there is no more CETS places being offered in creches etc.

Places that are secured and approved will go ahead so if you are in a place now you will continue with the scheme till you finish your current period approved, so if your course if 6 months you will still have the spot for the 6 months. But if you are applying for a course and hope to get CETS from today it not on the table.

annacanna

Captain Pillowcase wrote: »

Don't know if is really known but the CETS scheme has stopped from today. Not sure if it will start up again soon but there is no more CETS places being offered in creches etc.

Places that are secured and approved will go ahead so if you are in a place now you will continue with the scheme till you finish your current period approved, so if your course if 6 months you will still have the spot for the 6 months. But if you are applying for a course and hope to get CETS from today it not on the table.

really?
My daughter has a CETS place until next May so from what your saying she wont be affected.

childcare in Dublin must be crazy, in my daughters creche you can get a full time place for 20-45 euro a week in you receive a social welfare payment. Thats in the west tho

Captain Pillowcase

The Information from the local CCC is that all approved CETS are fine but there will be no more applications approved. I don't know if this is only for a period of if the Dept of Education will have to wind up the entire scheme completely.

If you are looking at a course and hope to get childcare on the CETS scheme there will be no cover. Creches are not taking on CETS anymore the funding is pulled. This is as it stands currently I don't know if this will change in the near future.

CCC apparently were not allowed advertise this fact and people are only finding out when they go to apply to a creche for a place and the creche's only finding out when they try to apply.

Many thanks to the guys in suits, another fine job of supporting the little people. You guys are stellar.........

Postgrad10

Do you mind PMing me the name of the childcare committiee that told you that please? As it stands childcare facilities are contracted until August 2012 and so are contractually obliged to provide places. I can not understand how one childcare committiee can make this announcement and not the rest.
Thank you.

boxercreations

Postgrad10 wrote: »

Do you mind PMing me the name of the childcare committiee that told you that please? As it stands childcare facilities are contracted until August 2012 and so are contractually obliged to provide places. I can not understand how one childcare committiee can make this announcement and not the rest.
Thank you.

After finally being called for interview for a FAS scheme after 4 months waiting, I was told that 48 people had applied for a 16 place 10 week course. So how delighted was I to get a chance of a place ... rang about CETS (lone parent) today only to be told that it was put on a nationwide stop since the start of the month. Nobody at FAS, the social welfare or even the creche I rang was aware of this. Gutted. I was already planning on paying someone to look after my eldest before and after school (course is in the City at 8.30 am until 5pm) so that I could do the course and I just cannot afford to pay for the youngest as well.
I don't claim many of the supposed "entitlements" of a lone parent, as I have been managing to get by & I don't believe in the take what you can mentality - but I believe this course could be the step up I need to self employment.
So CETS is on hold and I think that once the currently contracted places are up, all bets are off.

LovelyHurling

I'm just going to throw this one in there, I don't know whether it is suitable to you or not, but it is possible to work whilst on BTEA.

Would income from part time work as well as the 50% reduction in the creche fees be affordable?

Many students will work through university these days, even on very 'heavy going' courses.