“The Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme (NICSS) is a Department of Education initiative designed to reduce the childcare costs of eligible working parents by 15% for all qualifying children. The overarching aim of this scheme is to help working parents with the affordability of childcare costs.” – Early Year Organisation
As a registered Childcare provider, Bumbles is delighted with this news of financial support for parents and we will be working closely in collaboration with Early Years and the Department of Education to take part in the scheme.
Registering your child
Please follow the steps on the Early Year website to register your child so that we can do the work on our side to ensure your child’s application is approved and therefore able to receive the financial support ahead of September. Please be aware the scheme is only available for children who do not yet attend Primary School. For more information, please visit Early Years Advice for Parents.
To register, you will need the following information from us depending on which of our settings your child attends:
- Bumbles Nursery, 22 Knockbreda Road – Registration Number: B001112
- Bumbles on the Hill, 69 Church Road – Registration Number: B015662
- Bumbles in the Park, 8 Park Road – Registration Number: B013422
As we learn more about the process, please be mindful and check over your invoices each month (sent out via Famly). You will see an NICSS discount applied if your application has been approved.
The Invoicing process
Bumbles issues invoices to parents around the 19th of every month for the subsequent month’s care. Payment must be made by the 1st of the subsequent month, i.e January payment must be made by 1st January. Bumbles invoices are generated and invoices via our Famly app.
As part of the NICSS process, further invoices are generated by Bumbles to include the booking pattern and NICSS discount for each child and submitted through an NICSS portal for each setting. This is only for children where an application has been made and been approved.
Due to the volume of applications and to manage this process carefully each month, the NICSS is strictly applied to a child’s regular booking pattern at Bumbles. Additional days / adhoc purchases cannot be back dated or submitted thereafter. If you would like to discuss changing your child’s booking pattern, please speak to your Settings Manager.
Your Famly invoice will show you the total amount due each month with the NICSS discount applied. You can log into Famly to view your invoices at anytime.
Please visit our Fees page for more information on our daily fees and payment terms.