ECCE
About the Scheme:
Full details about the scheme can be found on the Dept. of Education website.
Child Age Eligibility Requirements:
- The expanded programme commenced from September 2016. To check if your child is eligible for an ECCE place, please enter their date of birth here.
- Children who are attending the ECCE year in 2017-2018 who will not be older than 5½ yrs old by the end of the 2018 pre-school year (30th June 2018) are eligible to participate in the 2017-2018 ECCE programme.
- There is no exemption to the upper age limit of 5½ years by the 30th June of the ECCE year in which the child is participating. Please note children who have a disability are exempt from the upper age limit.
Sessional Services
If your child attends a half-day or “sessional” service, such as a playschool, Montessori or Naíonra, the normal pattern for the free pre-school year is 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, over 38 weeks. 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 41 weeks.
Daycare Services
If your child attends a full-time or part-time daycare service, the normal pattern for the free pre-school year is 2 hours and 15 minutes per day over 50 weeks. If your child attends for longer than this each day, you will be charged for the extra time. To facilitate parents whose children attend a full or part-time service for only 3 days a week, such a service can opt to provide 3 daily free pre-school sessions of 3 hours 45 minutes each week over 50 weeks.
Click here for more information on the Dept of Children and Youth affairs regarding the ECCE scheme.
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