Childcare providers say they are 'fearful' of the health implications of the government's new plan to provide the service in the homes of healthcare workers.
Applications open today for the scheme, and 5,000 workers are being asked to take part.
It will be rolled out from May 18 and participating households will pay €90 a week - the rest will be funded by the state.
Elaine Dunne from the Federation of Early Childcare Providers says there are a lot of unanswered questions around it.
Childcare workers have a number of questions about what will be required of them.
She says: "The inital reaction is: 'How is it going to work? What mechanisms are they going to put in place?'
"Do we have to have PPE, equipment? That's stuff we haven't had the answer to at the moment.
"The other thing is will we know the family? Will the family know us? Will the children know us?"
