Chris Lyttle MLA said: “Whilst I welcome this news, it is unacceptable that it has taken so long to confirm funding arrangements for these schemes. In some cases staff have been put on protective notice, and this has been a very worrying time for employees and families who rely on these programmes.
“OFMDFM must now get on with the job of appointing a lead department to deliver a long-term and coherent childcare strategy, in order to avoid further uncertainty and stress for parents, children and employees in the future. We must ensure stable childcare provision to meet the developmental needs of our children and assist working parents.”
ENDS