Whitenoise has been commissioned to bring to life a large scale advertising campaign to raise awareness of the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme, helping more working families understand the support that may be available to them.
NICSS is a Department of Education initiative, administered by Early Years, which helps eligible working families save 15% on childcare costs.
From April 2026, eligible families can receive support of up to £203 per child, per month through the scheme. NICSS supported 27,486 children from 20,210 households during the 2025-26 financial year, and this new campaign aims to help even more families find out about the support available and understand how to access it.
Minister welcomes the campaign
Education Minister Paul Givan joined Mark Feeny from Early Years, the organisation for young children, at Stormont Parliament Buildings to mark the launch of the campaign.
Commenting on the campaign, Paul Givan remarked;
“Affordable and accessible childcare plays an important role in supporting children, families and the wider economy. Since the launch of the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme in September 2024, the scheme has delivered over £26 million in savings to eligible families to help manage childcare costs.
I want every eligible family to benefit from the assistance available through the scheme and not miss out because they are unaware of their entitlement or unsure of how to apply. I welcome this campaign and encourage all eligible parents to find out more about the scheme and check whether they could benefit from the support on offer.”
The Department of Education has confirmed the continued delivery of NICSS for 2026-27, helping ensure eligible working families can continue to access support with childcare costs.
More support and stories to come
This campaign launch is just the start of the next phase of NICSS activity across Northern Ireland.
Stay tuned for more, or visit early-years.org/nicss to find out more about NICSS, check eligibility and learn how to register.
