National Childcare Scheme (NCS): subsidy rates and calculator

The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is the State’s main help with childcare costs. It is paid straight to your creche, preschool or registered childminder, and they take it off your bill. There are two types of subsidy, and you can apply for whichever gives your family more (ncs.gov.ie).

NCS subsidy rates 2026/27 at a glance

• Universal subsidy: €2.14 an hour for up to 45 hours a week, so up to €96.30 a week. It is not means-tested (ncs.gov.ie).
• Income-assessed subsidy: up to €5.10 an hour per child. It is means-tested and available when reckonable family income is under €68,000. Families at €34,000 or less get the maximum rates (Citizens Information).
• Who: children aged from 24 weeks to under 15 years.
• Where: any provider registered with Tusla that has an NCS contract with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality.

The income thresholds went up on 31 August 2026: the lower one from €26,000 to €34,000, and the upper one from €60,000 to €68,000. If you already had an income-assessed award, it is recalculated automatically (Citizens Information).

NCS subsidy calculator: universal and income-assessed

Enter your family’s net income, the number of children in your family, and each child’s age, weekly hours and fee. The calculator works out both the universal and the income-assessed subsidy, and shows whichever gives you more. Choose “From September 2027” to see the Budget 2027 changes. Income-assessed results for September 2027 are marked indicative, because the new hourly rates have not been published yet.

The universal subsidy: €2.14 an hour

Every eligible family can get it, whatever their income. It is €2.14 per hour of registered childcare, for up to 45 hours a week. At 45 hours that is €96.30 a week, or €5,007.60 over a full year (ncs.gov.ie FAQ). To apply online you need a verified MyGovID and each child’s date of birth and PPS number (ncs.gov.ie).

Income-assessed NCS subsidy rates

Your hourly rate depends on three things: your reckonable family income, your child’s age and educational stage, and the number of children in your family. The number of subsidised hours depends on what you do:

• Up to 45 hours a week if you (and your partner, if you have one) are working, studying or training.
• Up to 20 hours a week if not.

Part-time and casual work count as work, and so do labour activation schemes. Hours your child spends in ECCE preschool or school are not deducted from these hours (Citizens Information).

What counts as reckonable income

It is your net family income from all sources, including most social welfare payments, after tax, PRSI and USC. Some items are then deducted (Citizens Information):

• a multiple child discount of €5,500 if you have 2 children under 15, or €11,000 for 3 or more
• pension contributions, within Revenue’s limits
• maintenance you pay for a child or former spouse
• a list of social welfare payments that don’t count, such as Domiciliary Care Allowance, Foster Care Allowance and SUSI grants

If you live with a partner, your combined income is assessed. Lone parents are assessed on their own income only. For the 2026/27 year the assessment normally uses your 2025 income, but you can ask for the current year instead if your income has fallen significantly. With “Fast Track”, the system gets your figures from Revenue and Social Protection using your PPS numbers, and you don’t need to upload documents.

Which subsidy should you choose?

Whichever is worth more to you. Two points from the official FAQ (ncs.gov.ie):

• If you apply for the income-assessed subsidy and your income turns out to be over the threshold, you still get at least the universal rate of €2.14 an hour. You don’t have to apply again.
• If you would only get standard hours (20 a week) on the income-assessed subsidy, the universal subsidy may suit you better because it covers up to 45 hours.

How to apply

1. Apply online at ncs.gov.ie with a verified MyGovID. For the income-assessed subsidy you also need your employment and income details, plus your partner’s PPS number and details. Your partner doesn’t need their own MyGovID. You can also ask the NCS Parent Support Centre for a postal form, but postal applications take longer (Citizens Information).
2. Get your CHICK. When you’re approved you receive a code called a CHICK (Childcare Identifier Code Key).
3. Give it to your provider. They use the CHICK with your child’s name and date of birth to register your child.
4. Confirm the hours. You get a notification on your NCS account asking you to confirm the registered hours are correct.
5. The subsidy is paid to your provider, who takes it off your bill.

If your child goes to two providers, you use the same CHICK for both.

Renewals, changes and reviews

• Awards last a year. You and your provider are told at least 20 working days before an award expires.
• If your income drops suddenly for reasons outside your control, you can ask for a “sudden change” assessment based on the last 4 weeks. That award lasts 6 months.
• If you disagree with a decision, you can ask Pobal for a review within 30 working days, and then appeal to an independent appeals officer within 30 working days of the review.

Fee caps and what you actually pay

Providers set their own fees (ncs.gov.ie), but services in the State’s Core Funding scheme must keep to maximum fee caps. From September 2026 a Core Funding service can charge no more than €280 a week for a full-day place of 40 to 49 hours 59 minutes. After the universal subsidy, the most a parent pays for that place is €183.70 a week (gov.ie). See creche fees in Dublin for typical fees and worked examples.

Changes announced for September 2027

Budget 2027 announced that from September 2027 the universal subsidy rises to €2.50 an hour for children in early years care, junior infants and senior infants; families with reckonable income of €38,500 or less will get the maximum income-assessed rate; and the multiple child discount rises to €6,000 (2 children) and €12,500 (3 or more) (Citizens Information). Until then, the 2026/27 rates above apply. We’ll update this page when the new rates start.

If your child is nearly 3, read our guide to free preschool under ECCE, which works alongside the NCS.

Questions parents ask

Is the NCS universal subsidy means-tested?

No. Any family with a child aged between 24 weeks and 15 years can get €2.14 an hour for up to 45 hours a week at a participating provider, whatever their income (ncs.gov.ie).

What is the most I can get with the income-assessed subsidy?

Up to €5.10 an hour per child, depending on your reckonable family income, your child’s age and stage, and the number of children in your family. Families with reckonable income of €34,000 or less get the maximum rates; the subsidy is available below €68,000 (Citizens Information).

Can I use the NCS with a childminder?

Yes, if the childminder is registered with Tusla and takes part in the scheme (ncs.gov.ie).

Do ECCE or school hours reduce my NCS hours?

No. Hours your child spends in ECCE preschool or school are not deducted from your NCS entitlement. You use the subsidy for care outside those hours, for example breakfast club, after-school care or out-of-term weeks (Citizens Information, ncs.gov.ie).

Do I have to apply again every year?

Yes. Subsidies are awarded for a year at a time, and you and your provider are told at least 20 working days before an award is due to expire so you can renew (Citizens Information).

Is the CrecheFinder calculator official?

No. It only works out the universal subsidy (€2.14 × your hours, up to 45). For an income-assessed estimate use the official subsidy calculator on ncs.gov.ie.

Sources

Last checked: October 2026. Every rate, date and rule on this page comes from the official pages below. Rules change, usually from September each year, so confirm anything important at the source before you rely on it. CrecheFinder is independent and is not part of the Government, Pobal or Tusla.

• ncs.gov.ie: What is the National Childcare Scheme?
• ncs.gov.ie: Types of subsidy and reckonable income
• ncs.gov.ie: Frequently asked questions
• Citizens Information: National Childcare Scheme (edited 13 October 2026)
• gov.ie: Core Funding fee management conditions (updated 9 October 2026)