At the beginning of the summer it was announced that the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme (NICSS) has been extended to primary school aged children from 1st September 2025. This is fantastic news for our families and a 15% discount will now be applied to any primary school aged children once approved.
What does this mean for you?
For eligible working parents whose children are already attending or will be attending primary school and are enrolled with us at Bumbles Day Care, you can now benefit from a 15% reduction on your childcare fees, up to a maximum of £184 per month per child. This is in addition to the existing support for pre-primary aged children and works alongside Tax-Free Childcare, potentially offering even greater savings!
Am I eligible?
To be eligible for the NICSS discount, you must be a working parent (or self-employed) and already be registered for Tax-Free Childcare (TFC). Bumbles Day Care is already signed up as a TFC provider and facilitator of the NICSS scheme, which is essential for you to receive this subsidy.
How to apply and ensure you benefit:
The process for registering your primary school-aged child for the NICSS discount opened on July 21st, 2025. It’s a straightforward process, and we encourage all eligible parents to apply as soon as possible to ensure the discount is applied to your invoices from September.
You will need:
- Your child’s Tax-Free Childcare Payment Reference.
- A copy of your TFC quarterly confirmation letter/notice from HMRC.
You can find more detailed information on how to register your child on the Early Years website (www.early-years.org/nicss/parents).
We published a blog when the NICSS scheme was introduced that included details on how to apply and our registered settings details. Click here for more info.
- Bumbles Nursery (HQ) : B001112
- Bumbles Wraparound at Rosetta : B001416
- Bumbles in the Park : B013422
- Bumbles by the Park : B010542
- Bumbles on the Hill : B015662
This is a welcome step forward in making childcare more affordable for working parents.
