Deadline for Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme (ECCE)
We wrote about the ECCE scheme as far back as April 2009 . This scheme was introduced to allow children to receive free pre-school provision of 3 hours per day, 5 days each week over a 38 week year. The pre-school providers will get a weekly capitation of €64.50 per child and parents will not be charged.
The deadline for parents to register with a provider for the ECCE scheme was January 13th 2010 but Barry Andrews, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, has extended the deadline for parents to January 20th. The the deadline for childcare providers to return the forms to the department is now January 29
Children in the pre-school year who were born between 2 February 2005 and 30 June 2006, will be eligible for the scheme . Parents of children in this age range can avail of the pre-school year by enrolling their child in a local participating pre-school service.If a parent has not yet enrolled a child in this age range for a Pre-School Year place, they should do so now. If a parent is unsure of how to go about doing this, s/he should contact the local City or County Childcare Committee for information.
There are about 4,200 organisations offering the scheme, but some providers have not signed up because of the rule that parents could not top up the fees paid by the state for sessional care.
Under the scheme, the government will pay pre-schools a maximum of €64.50 to cover three hours of early childhood education for five days each week. That works out at a monthly payment of €258 for a four-week month. However, many pre-schools in urban areas charge well over €500 a month for a child who attends for 15 hours a week.
When is the deadline for application September 2010
January 11th, 2010 at 22:35I have been told pre schools who are participating in scheme will give out forms to enroll child in schenme for Sept 2010 in August and September, fill them out and return to school to submit on your behalf. Your responsibility to get child’s place in school first, though. Further info tel 01 5424 100
January 14th, 2010 at 11:40This ECCE scheme is so badly planned. We had to pay for the first week in January – which is a disgrace.
The playschool runs for 3.5 hrs a day and normally charged 85/ week.
I do not know what costs are like for them, but they had to ask parents if they could make voluntary contributions of 20/ week to cover costs. Great.
We do not have any money at the moment, as I was made redundant and have not been able to find a job yet and my husband has no work at the moment either.
So we have to say no, we can’t pay. We are also not paying the voluntary contribution for primary school at the moment either.
Would people just vote in another party next time please. not these Fianna Filthers – who only line their own pockets. We need long term planning in this country !!! Urgently
January 28th, 2010 at 23:30