The government has committed to pay childcare centres for all the hours booked by parents for the month of March.
Childcare centres were closed on March 13, together with schools, colleges and the university in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Parents book childcare hours a month in advance under the free childcare scheme, and the government pays the centres according to the booked hours.
On Saturday the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises and the Childcare Centre Providers Association welcomed news that the scheme will be honoring payment for the entire month of March.
All private centres have been asked to pay their employees the salary for the whole month.