Free childcare is available through the ECCE scheme

The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme provides early childhood care and education for children of preschool age.

Since September 2016, children are eligible for the ECCE scheme if they are aged over 3 years and not older than 5 and a half years.

The State pays a capitation fee to participating playschools and daycare services. In return, they provide a pre-school service free of charge to all children within the qualifying age range for a set number of hours over a set period of weeks

Currently, children can start ECCE when they reach 3 years of age and continue until they transfer to primary school (provided that they are not older than 5 years and 6 months at the end of the pre-school year). This is an increase in the number of weeks than previously available on the ECCE scheme.

Also, currently, children can be enrolled in pre-school at 3 different points (September,

January and

April) in the school year in order to access the scheme. The school year is normally from September to June.

From September 2018, children will be able to start ECCE when they reach 2 years and 8 months of age and continue until they transfer to primary school (provided that they are not older than 5 years and 6 months at the end of the preschool year). Children will only be able to enroll in pre-school in September. There will no longer be entry points in January and April.

If your child is over the eligibility age requirement due to special needs they may be able to get an exemption from the upper age limit for the ECCE Scheme.

There are no exemptions to the lower age limit.

The pattern of hours of free pre-school education depends on the type of service that your child attends and the weekly pattern that the service operates.

If your child attends a halfday or “sessional” service, such as a playschool, naíonra, Montessori or parent and toddler group, the normal pattern for the free preschool year is 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, over the school year. If your child attends for more than 3 hours, you will be charged for the extra time.

If your child’s sessional service cannot open for 5 days a week, the normal pattern for the free pre-school year is 3 hours and 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week, over the school year. This only applies to services which have already been granted permission to run their service over the school year.

If your child attends a fulltime or part-time daycare service, the normal pattern for the free pre-school year is 3 hours per day over the school year. If your child attends for longer than this each day, you will be charged for the extra time. You will also be charged for the extra number of weeks attended

Childcare services taking part in the ECCE scheme must provide an appropriate preschool educational programme which adheres to the principles of Síolta, the national framework for early years care and education. Síolta co-ordinators and staff of the local City/ County Childcare Committee (CCC) will support participating services with assistive visits and advice.

There is further information on the ECCE scheme on the website of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and also on the Citizens Information website, at http:// www.citizensinformation.ie/ en/education/pre_school_education_