To ask the Minister of Education to detail any steps they are taking to ensure childcare provision supports labour market participation and progression.

As part of the development of the Executive Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Strategy, my officials are working closely with their counterparts in the Department for the Economy and the Department for Communities to ensure a joined-up approach to help address the financial and accessibility barriers due to childcare needs faced by working parents to support labour market participation and progression.

In September 2024, I launched the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme (NICSS) for eligible working parents with children below primary school age. The Scheme provides a 15% saving on eligible childcare costs, with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme offering an additional 20% reduction. In September 2025, the NICSS was extended to school-age children, recognising the important role that school-age childcare providers play in supporting parents to work and balancing family and employment responsibilities.

In the draft Executive ELC Strategy, I set out a clear intention to increase the support provided through the NICSS to a 20% subsidy from April 2026 as part of a phased approach to improving affordability. However, at this stage an Executive Budget has not yet been agreed, and the proposed draft Budget as it stands does not provide sufficient ELC funding to progress all actions within the draft Strategy.