THE childcare sector is under enormous financial pressure and is facing "decimation", a Stormont committee has been warned.
Daycare providers have been promised emergency cash to stay open for key workers' children - but no payments have been made.
Providers will initially be funded until the end of June from a £12 million scheme paid through the executive's Covid-19 response budget.
Representatives of the sector shared concerns with the assembly education committee yesterday.
Childminders have been stopped from looking after most children due to the strict lockdown restrictions.
Just 438 of 2,800 childminders have anyone in their care, and most have had reduced numbers to the point their work is no longer financially viable.
A letter sent by the Department of Education last week outlined the process for accessing support to enable registered daycare settings, school-age childcare settings and childminders to remain open for vulnerable children and those of key workers.
The letter also explained what support is available for settings which remain closed and cannot reopen helping to support the sustainability of the sector.
Those eligible for financial assistance will receive application forms this week. A high number is expected.
However, the witnesses told the committee yesterday that there was a lot of confusion regarding the £12m package.
Patricia Lewsley-Mooney from the Northern Ireland Childminding Association said a small number of young people were being looked after at present.
Many relationships had broken down between childminders and parents, she told the committee.
Pauline Walmsley from Early Years said the sector was "facing enormous financial pressure" and work was needed to ensure the "sustainability and viability of services".
"They want to increase fees to parents but that may be the only option if not addressed," she warned.
She added that the application for financial support was a horrendous, bureaucratic process.
"We gave an analogy that for small businesses applying for the £10,000 grant - it was a much smoother process," she said.
Philip Dalgity from Northern Ireland Day Care Owners said the roll-out of support had been too slow.
"We are facing decimation of the childcare sector," he said.
"We do not seek unrealistic grand gestures - we seek survival."
Later, Department of Education Permanent Secretary Derek Baker gave an update of the work being undertaken to address the Covid-19 crisis.
He said there was still no movement on payment for casual sub teachers telling members that the Treasury was being pushed to allow access to its furlough scheme.
On free school meals, Mr Baker said this was mostly running smoothly and the number of payments being made to families was increasing.
Mr Baker said that there remained a small number of families without bank accounts but added that the objective was about delivering food, not payments.
There has also been a gradual increase in the number of children in schools. On Tuesday there were 479 schools looking after 1,388 pupils.
