Parents at seven in 10 daycare centres surveyed by parents’ association BOinK pay fees above the hourly amount covered by childcare benefit.
The average charge across 400 organisations was €11.82 an hour, while the government’s current subsidy ceiling is €11.23.
The ceiling is due to rise to €11.60 in January, but that is still below what most centres charge, and prices are expected to increase again next year.
How higher fees affect families
For households with the lowest incomes, the state covers 96% of the capped rate, leaving parents with a bill of a few cents an hour before any surcharge above the cap.
A low-income family with a child in daycare two days a week could pay €80 a month next year, up from €70.
BOinK chairman Gjalt Jellesma said parents’ own contributions are continuing to rise.
A spokesperson for the social affairs ministry said childcare is becoming more affordable overall and the gap between the subsidy ceiling and actual prices has narrowed since 2023.
