Free Pre-School in Ireland (ECCE)
The latest Budget in Ireland announced that the short lived “Early Childcare Supplement” is to be halved from May 2009 and abolished from 31 December 2009.
It is going to be replaced in January 2010 with a pre-school Early Childhood and Education Scheme (ECCE) for all children between the ages of 3 years 3 months and 4 years 6 months.
Children enrolled in playschools will 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.
Children enrolled in full- or part-time childcare services will receive free pre-school provision of 2 hours and 15 minutes per day, five days a week over a 50 week period. This equates to a weekly capitation grant to the service of €48.50, with parents paying for their childcare net of this amount.
All community and private pre-school services, which meet the requirements of the scheme, will be invited to apply for entry to the scheme and all notified pre-school services will be contacted by the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA) by the end of May, 2009. To introduce the scheme as quickly as possible and maximise the number of children and their parents who will benefit from the outset, the Minister said he did not propose to wait until the school year beginning September 2010 but would introduce the scheme from January 2010. From September 2010, the pre-school year will run from September of each year in line with the school year.
All children aged between 3 years 3 months and 4 years 6 months at September 1st each year, will be eligible and parents who wish to avail of the scheme can enrol their children with the available participating service of their choice. Children entering the scheme in January 2010 will be eligible, if they are aged between 3 years and 7 months and 4 years and 10 months at 1 January 2010 (children born between March 1st, 2005 and June 1st, 2006). Parents should have regard to the enrolment policies of their local primary schools in making decisions regarding the age that their children should avail of the pre-school year.
can you tell me where i can find a school for my child under the ecce scheme.
January 11th, 2010 at 22:16Elaine – You need to contact the relevant City / County Childcare Committe for your area see list below
Carlow 059 91 40244
January 11th, 2010 at 23:51Cavan 049 95 29882
Clare 065 68 64862
Cork City 021 45 07942
Cork County 022 23 880
Donegal 074 91 32416
Dublin City 01 54 24100
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown 01 23 68030
Fingal 01 80 77660
Galway 091 75 2039
Kerry 066 71 81582
Kildare 045 86 1307
Kilkenny 056 77 52865
Laois 057 86 61029
Leitrim 071 96 40870
Limerick City 061 40 7525/7527
Limerick County 061 60 0918
Longford 043 42505
Louth 041 68 59912
Mayo 094 90 47010
Meath 046 90 73010
Monaghan 047 72896
North Tipperary 067 44888
Offaly 057 91 35878
Roscommon 094 96 22540
Sligo 071 91 48860
South Dublin 01 457 0122
South Tipperary 052 82274
Waterford City 051 860444
Waterford County 058 43601
Westmeath 044 93 35454
Wexford 053 92 37156
Wicklow 0404 64455
CAN YOU WORK OUT WHAT MY GRANT SHOULD BE MY CHILD GOES IN THREE FULL DAYS A WEEK AND THERE IS NO SPACES FOR ME TO HAVE THE OPTION TO AVAIL OF THE TWO OTHER MORNINGS
January 16th, 2010 at 20:10Childcare providers have the option in some cases to provide (subject to agreement) 3 hours 45 minutes per day for 3 days a week over 34 weeks (89 days) during the period January to August 2010.
If you can get them to agree to these hours you should qualify for the scheme.
Check with your local childcare commitee see here for phone numbers
I hope you get your caps lock unstuck on your keyboard
January 17th, 2010 at 15:43This 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
Can the playschool not get 75/week as they are offering Irish and also do start the children on writing, etc.
January 28th, 2010 at 23:36My daughter will be four on the 15th of august 2010 so misses out on the scheme by 6 weeks and she will begin her primary education in september this year and ive read that the free year is supposed to mirror the childs primary year if this is the case hey should make allowances in my case, i wont get the chance to avail of this “free” childcare year
February 7th, 2010 at 11:36My son is attending from Jan2010 to June going to school in September. The playschool has sent home a note today to say that they are not paid for mid-term (Thur Fri of this wk) or any school holidays (I’m assuming Easter) They are paid 111 days, but if they are paid 23wks of 5 days this equates to 115, so I’m confused. Are they paid for mid-term and school holidays or not? We have to pay for the days they are short. Thanks,
February 17th, 2010 at 18:01Jenny – it looks like the ECCE scheme only covers the same number of days in a year as the primary school year (183). So it appears that the playschool is right to charge you if you want to keep your child in care for the mid term break and any other “school” holidays.
February 17th, 2010 at 19:21re Nathlie’s post-if you are sending your child for 3 1/2 hrs per day, the €20 is not a voluntary contribution,it is payment for the 2 1/2 hrs per week you are using the service for that the OMYCA does not cover.Also the service must supply 111 days service between Jan and June 2010 so they are entitled to charge for the first week in Jan as long as they still give you 111 days service (these days would generally run in line with the local primary schools opening dates) hth….
February 28th, 2010 at 13:04My child should be going to preschool September 2011 and the local preschool has no space for him as they will only have a limited amount of spaces due to this scheme I am willing to pay for the three mornings per week does he miss out because of this???
March 1st, 2010 at 13:43Siobhan,if you are only sending your child for 3 morns a week no service can offer you a place under the ECCE scheme rules, if it means turning down a child who req 5 days a week. Is this what the service meant when they said they had no places?
March 4th, 2010 at 06:45Can the preschool charge me for easter holidays even if my child isn’t there?
March 24th, 2010 at 17:02my child is going to pre school 3 days a week that i pay 20 euro a day for.she will only be 3 and three months in january 2011 and im told she is not intilted to the sceme
June 4th, 2010 at 17:21what do i do and is this info correct????????
so mad my daughter is 3 august 22 so misses out by 3 months and will be starting school the following september. does anyone know is there a ny way to get around this
June 6th, 2010 at 22:13what is the procedure?
July 8th, 2010 at 13:09do we have to apply for smthing? or just call the school and register the child?
As it says in the main article “parents who wish to avail of the scheme can enrol their children with the available participating service of their choice” No need to apply elsewhere.
July 8th, 2010 at 13:16Hello,my son must to on preschool on sept,he gonna have 3 yrs and 3 mth,anyone know preschool in D7?we must to go on D1,but its a little far..
July 28th, 2010 at 18:32My daughter will be 4 years old on 1st of July 2011 and misses her free year at playschool by just 1 day – is therefore not entitled to ECCE. The montessori will not let her start unless she has ECCE. What can we do?
August 16th, 2010 at 16:14my son born on 10 aug 2007 is not entitled to his free pre school year all because of 6 weeks born to late sure thats not his fault nor mine. now i,ve to fork out 250 euro a month for school and thats just the fee for his place not including uniform. the minister should of made it easier for parents with school going children.is there any other ways of gettting help with some of the fees????????
August 30th, 2010 at 00:05