Parents and Providers Report High Levels of Satisfaction with Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme
Thousands of parents and childcare providers across Northern Ireland have praised the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme, with new feedback showing high levels of satisfaction with the support, administration and financial assistance provided through the scheme.
More than 3,800 parents and guardians and over 900 childcare providers took part in the latest feedback surveys conducted by Early Years - the organisation for young children.
Parent & Guardian Feedback
Among parents and guardians, 82% said the NI Childcare Subsidy Scheme provides a useful contribution towards childcare costs, while the scheme received an overall experience rating of 4.3 out of 5. Parents also rated the quality of support provided by the Early Years customer support team at 4.5 out of 5.
The survey also found that 83% of parents said information provided through the portal was clear or very clear.
One parent commented:
“It really helps us, and with child number 2 on the way we are hoping it will be in place for many years!”
Another parent said:
“It's been a great help and the process of applying, updating eligibility and accessing the discounts is easy.”
Provider Feedback
Feedback from childcare providers was equally positive. Providers reported high satisfaction levels with registration, claims and payment processes, with 91% satisfied or very satisfied with registration, 84% satisfied or very satisfied with submitting claims, and 91% satisfied or very satisfied with receiving payments.
Providers also highlighted the responsiveness of the support team, giving a score of 4.8 out of 5 for availability and responsiveness, while 99% of queries were successfully resolved.
Providers also shared positive experiences of the scheme:
“I find the system to have worked well. Any query is always dealt with quickly and efficiently and staff are all so helpful.”
Another added:
“I mainly use email to contact the team and they are always very helpful and respond quickly so thank you very much.”
The feedback demonstrates the positive impact of the Scheme in supporting families with childcare costs, while providing a well-supported and efficient system for childcare providers across Northern Ireland.
Mark Feeney, Early Years Business Consultant, commented;
"We are highly encouraged by the positive feedback from both parents and childcare providers. These results show that the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme is making a real difference by helping families manage childcare costs while supporting providers to deliver high-quality childcare services. We are particularly pleased to see the strong satisfaction ratings for the support provided by the Early Years NI Childcare Subsidy Scheme team, whose commitment and dedication continue to help ensure the scheme operates effectively for everyone involved."