National Childcare Scheme Calculator Ireland 2026
Estimate hourly, weekly, monthly and annual National Childcare Scheme support under the 2026 Irish rules.
Your NCS estimate
Enter annual net family income and the child's date of birth to compare universal and income-assessed support.
How this National Childcare Scheme estimate is calculated
The calculator compares the universal subsidy with the income-assessed subsidy using the 2026 thresholds, child age or school band, Multiple Child Discount and eligible weekly childcare hours.
Published by Irish Calculators. Rates, rules and assumptions are maintained against the official sources linked below.
- The calculation date selects the thresholds that applied up to 30 August 2026 or from 31 August 2026.
- The Multiple Child Discount is deducted from annual net family income, without allowing adjusted reckonable income to fall below zero.
- The child's age and school status select the statutory maximum hourly rate. The tapered formula then applies between the lower and upper income thresholds.
- Universal support is calculated for up to 45 eligible hours. Income-assessed support uses up to 45 enhanced hours or 20 standard hours, and the larger weekly estimate is highlighted.
- Weekly support is converted to an average monthly estimate using 52 divided by 12 and to an annual estimate using 52 weeks. Any entered provider fee is used only for a capped parent-cost illustration.
Source note: National Childcare Scheme guidance, Childcare Support Act 2018 and the current calculation regulations, including S.I. No. 418 of 2026. This is an estimate only and not financial advice.
How This Calculator Works
Who This Calculator Is For
Universal Versus Income-Assessed NCS Support
The higher hourly rate is not always the larger weekly subsidy.
Universal support uses €2.14 per eligible hour for up to 45 hours. Income-assessed support uses a child age or school-stage maximum and tapers with adjusted reckonable income. It can use up to 45 enhanced hours or 20 standard hours.
This calculator compares the weekly totals. For example, a school-age child at €3.75 for 20 standard hours gives €75.00, while 40 universal hours at €2.14 give €85.60.
NCS Income Limits and Discounts in 2026
The calculation date determines which 2026 threshold set applies.
| Effective period | Lower threshold | Upper threshold | Two-child discount | Three-or-more discount | Universal rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January–30 August 2026 | €26,000 | €60,000 | €4,300 | €8,600 | €2.14/hour |
| From 31 August 2026 | €34,000 | €68,000 | €5,500 | €11,000 | €2.14/hour |
Maximum Hourly Rates by Child Age and School Stage
The maximum income-assessed rate is selected before the income taper is applied.
| Child category | Maximum hourly rate |
|---|---|
| Older than 24 weeks and under 12 months | €5.10 |
| 12 to 35 months | €4.35 |
| Older than 35 months, not at school and not older than six | €3.95 |
| Enrolled at school, or older than six and under 15 | €3.75 |
Exactly 24 weeks is not eligible; eligibility begins the next day. A first birthday enters the 12–35 month band. The third birthday enters the older-than-35-month band. A child exactly six can remain in the €3.95 band if not at school; from the next day, the €3.75 band applies. The fifteenth birthday is outside the scheme.
How Reckonable Family Income and the Formula Work
Use net family income before the Multiple Child Discount—not gross household income.
Adjusted reckonable income = annual net family income − applicable Multiple Child Discount, with a minimum of zero.
At or below the lower threshold, the relevant maximum hourly rate applies. Between the thresholds, the estimate is: NS + ((XS − NS) × (MT − RI) ÷ (MT − BT)). At or above the upper threshold, this calculator marks income-assessed support unavailable and continues to show universal support.
Some income sources, deductions and social-protection payments receive specific treatment. Use the official NCS guidance if your figure is uncertain.
Multiple Child Discount Explained
The household count includes the selected child and all other children under 15.
From 31 August 2026, a family with two children under 15 deducts €5,500 and a family with three or more deducts €11,000. A family income of €39,500 with two children therefore becomes €34,000 after the discount. A family income of €45,000 with three children also becomes €34,000.
The discount changes adjusted income; it is not a cash payment and it does not change the entered provider fee.
Standard, Enhanced, ECCE and School Hours
Enter only weekly paid childcare hours outside school or ECCE attendance.
Income-assessed enhanced hours can be up to 45 where all relevant parents or guardians meet the work, study or training condition. Standard hours can be up to 20. Universal support can cover up to 45 eligible hours.
The calculator does not automatically subtract 15 ECCE hours. School or ECCE participation does not reduce the award maximum, but the same attendance time cannot receive overlapping funding.
National Childcare Scheme Worked Examples
These examples use income after the Multiple Child Discount unless stated otherwise.
Infant at the lower threshold
Adjusted reckonable income of €34,000 from 31 August 2026 and a child older than 24 weeks but under one gives the €5.10 maximum hourly rate.
Infant with €60,000 adjusted income
The taper gives €2.84 per hour after rounding. At 40 enhanced hours, that is €113.60 weekly, an average €492.27 monthly and €5,907.20 annually.
Weekly fee example
If the selected weekly estimate is €113.60 and the entered provider fee is €250, the estimated parent contribution is €136.40. If potential support exceeds the fee, the applied support is capped at the fee and no cash difference is implied.
Who Can Qualify and How to Apply
A calculator estimate is not an application or award.
The selected child must be older than 24 weeks and under 15, and childcare must be provided by a Tusla-registered provider with an NCS contract. Other residency and scheme conditions can apply.
- Use the official NCS calculator and review the current guidance.
- Apply or renew through the official NCS service.
- Receive a CHICK for an approved award.
- Give the CHICK to the participating provider so the award can be registered.
Sign in to the official NCS service or search for childcare providers.
Assumptions and Limitations
The calculator is designed for a transparent first estimate for one selected child.
- Run a separate calculation for each child, while keeping the complete under-15 child count.
- The entered income must already reflect the NCS reckonable-income rules; this version does not classify every income source or exclusion.
- The hourly rate is rounded to two decimals before weekly, monthly and annual amounts are calculated.
- Actual award segments, provider registrations, attendance, eligibility evidence and application dates are not modelled.
- No family income, date of birth, childcare hours or fee is stored by the calculator. Shared links contain result totals only.