The head of Waterford's Childcare Committee has welcomed plans to extend government supports in the childcare sector.
Families with children under the age of three will be given up to €1,040 to help with crèche fees.
While grants have been given to providers to improve School Aged Childcare services
Rose Murphy said because Waterford is such a rural county, parents found it hard at times to find appropriate childcare.
Parents have to depend on a network of family and childminders to help them because services were patchy, she said.
Rose also says school aged childcare is only beginning to get the attention it needs, but new services are on the way for Waterford:
"Nationally 113 projects were funded, in Waterford we had 5 applications and 4 were approved. The total amount was over €33,000, and the four new services are across the city and county so there's a good spread."
