Member

Childcare is also under immense strain. Government funding for childcare is different in Northern Ireland from in the rest of the UK, and schemes such as the 30 hours of free childcare do not exist for us. While the Northern Ireland childcare subsidy scheme has provided temporary relief to some families, it offers no direct support to childcare providers facing mounting overheads. Furthermore, the scheme is available only to families who use tax-free childcare and have children below school age, and it is set to end in March 2025.