The funding was announced as part of the Budget for 2011-15.
In his budget statement, the finance minister, Sammy Wilson, said that £3m per year would be directed towards a childcare strategy over the next four years.
There is still no date for the childcare strategy, although Mr Wilson said that it would be developed on a cross-departmental basis 'over the course of the next administration'.
Siobhan Fitzpatrick, chief executive of the organisation Early Years, called the funding 'a very good start, given the economic environment', and said she hoped that in future there would be a joined-up childcare and early education strategy.
Currently early years policy is spread across several different government departments.
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