Our Number One Priority

The NI Executive maintains that providing parents with help towards the cost of childcare is top of its agenda and it is broadly agreed among parties that a bespoke system needs to be developed for NI to support early learning and enable parental employment.

Our Manager, Judith, regularly sits on a focus group comprised of key personnel from Belfast Metropolitan College, Employers for Childcare,  Childcare Partnerships and selected childcare providers with the aim of introducing effective solutions to the current childcare crisis. Key MLAs are invited to attend the workshops to engage with professionals and parents, giving you an opportunity to be heard.

While the Executive works on a new financial package for the childcare sector through its Draft Childcare Strategy (December 2025), working parents have two primary options to receive financial help towards the cost of childcare:

Tax Free Childcare & NICSS

The Government's Tax Free Childcare Scheme enables fees of registered childcare providers like Hullabaloo to be discounted by 20%. More information is available at: Tax-Free Childcare - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)   
Parents entitled to Tax Free Childcare can also benefit from the NI Childcare Subsidy Scheme (NICSS) which offers a further 15% discount. The combined effect of the two schemes results in a 32% discount on childcare fees, however this is capped for most children at £203 discount per child per month. More information is available at www.early-years.org/nicss
Hullabaloo is registered for both schemes, allowing parents to benefit from the maximum available financial support.

Universal Credit

The government can help you (subject to status) with up to 85% of your childcare costs, no matter how many hours you work. 

More Info

The HMRC website dedicated to Universal Credit and general assistance with childcare costs can be found at https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs  

​To find out if you will be better off using Tax Free Childcare or Universal Credit, you can contact Employers for Childcare's Family Benefits Advice Service by email at: [email protected] for free advice specific to your circumstances.

More Info

Student Finance
Many universities and colleges provide up to 85% funding. Please note however, you may only get funding for term times. Contact your university or college for more information.