MORE than 400 families have benefitted from Jersey’s new funded childcare scheme for two- to three-year-olds, with £1.4 million already paid out through the reimbursement model.
Figures released in response to a written question show that, as of 8 July, 537 applications had been approved for 409 families.
Education Minister Catherine Curtis confirmed that the average time from an application being submitted to payments being initiated was 8.5 days – well below its target of 20 days.
The most common reason for an application being rejected was an “invalid receipt”. Families in the first cohort can continue to apply until the end of August.
Earlier this year, the Jersey Child Care Trust launched its Every Step funding programme to help families unable to afford childcare fees upfront before being reimbursed under the government scheme.
Deputy Curtis confirmed that, as of 30 June, a further 35 families had received supported upfront payments administered by the charity totalling £63,000.
In response to Deputy Victoria Li’s written question, the minister also confirmed that no formal complaints have been recorded by the Education Department about the reimbursement model.
The response noted that the childcare scheme remained in its two-year pilot phase and that feedback was being reviewed continually “to enable continuous improvement”.
Claims have so far been made for children attending 50 registered childcare providers across the Island.
The government has allocated £3.74 million to the scheme this year, rising to £4.78m in 2027, £4.76m in 2028 and £4.86m in both 2029 and 2030.
Funding beyond 2029 has yet to be formally established, with the 2030 figure based on the assumption that the previous year’s budget will continue.
