ECCE Programme
The ECCE programme is a universal programme available to all children within the eligible age range. It provides children with their first formal experience of early learning prior to commencing primary school. The programme is provided for three hours per day, five days per week over 38 weeks per year and the programme year runs from September to June.
Childcare services taking part in the ECCE scheme must provide an appropriate pre-school educational programme which adheres to the principles of Síolta and Aistear, the national frameworks for early years care and education.
In certain circumstances, a service may receive an exemption from the minimum number of ECCE children required per session. For more information on this please click here Minimum ECCE Enrolment Exemptions
The Exemption form can be downloaded here: Min ECCE Enrolement Exemptions Form
Registering a child on the ECCE
Parents must complete an ECCE Pre Registration Form
The Childcare Service must provide the parent with a Fee Policy and Calendar.
**ECCE Payments Schedule is available to download here: ECCE Payment Schedule
Higher Capitation
The ECCE Higher Capitation rate is equivalent to an additional €11.25 per child per week above the €69.00 standard rate. Where a child is attending a part-time or full-time service that is in receipt of the Higher Capitation rate, the Childcare Provider must reduce the fees paid by the parent/guardian by €64.50 (which was the Standard Capitation rate before the 7% increase in the Standard Capitation rate intended for the benefit of the Service Provider in the 2018 budget). For more information on Higher Cap please download Higher Capitation Guidelines
Rules for DCYA Funded Programmes 2019-2020 (Download below)
This document summarises each of the Childcare Funding Programmes, with separate chapters for each childcare programme.
Rules for ECCE Childcare Funding Programme
Rules for CCSP, CCSU, CCSR, CCSRT and TEC
Fees List and Service Calendar – 2019/20
Service providers are required to develop a Fees List for the ECCE programme that they provide. It is important to capture all the session types that a service provider offers to parents.
The ECCE Fees List must reflect that ECCE funding from the DCYA is not a subvention payment, it is intended to support services providers to provide three free hours per day of ECCE. Please click on the Link here for the How To Guide: ECCE Fees List & Calendar
Programme Readiness: 2019 / 2020
For Information on the Primary Authorised User, Certification and Online Contracting please click on the link here: How to Guide PAU, Certification and Online Contracting
More Information & Other Scheme Registration Forms
Download CCSP Payment schedule
Download TEC Payment schedule
Download DCYA Childcare Funding Programmes Optional Extras Guide
Download Min Numbers Guidelines
Download ECCE Higher Cap FAQ’s
Download DCYA Change of Circumstances Form
