ECCE

The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme, introduced by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) in January 2010, ensured that all children could avail of one year of free pre-school, before they entered primary school.

In September 2016, the ECCE Scheme was expanded to allow children to start pre-school from the age of 3 years and continue until they enter primary school.  It allowed for enrolment in pre-school at three different points in the year – September, January and April.

Budget 2018 brought further changes to the ECCE programme which came into effect in September 2018.  The January and April enrolment points were no longer available after April 2018.  Also, the minimum starting age from September 2018 is 2 years and 8 months.

An independent review of the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECCE) Programme was conducted by Stranmillis University College, Belfast, in collaboration with Dublin City University. The results of the review (April 2024) can be downloaded here: ECCE_Review_Final_Report

The ECCE programme year has 182 days, i.e. 3 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 38 weeks per year. The pre-school year generally runs in line with the primary school year, which is September to June.

From September 2018, children may avail of 76 weeks of pre-school over a 2 year period.

Children may enter the ECCE Scheme from age 2 years and 8 months.  See below table.

The Early Years (Childcare) Service must provide the parent with a copy of the following:

Service Fees Information Letter –  This details how much the service charges full fee paying parents (i.e. parents of children not eligible for free ECCE) and the charges that are applied for children who attend part-time and full-time. It also shows if the service charges a deposit and/or optional extras.  Parents must sign the ‘Parental Acceptance’ at the end of the letter.

ECCE Calendar Letter – this states the first and last dates of the ECCE programme, and lists the dates on which the programme is open and closed.

The service can charge for additional hours and optional extras such as school tours, but parents are not obliged to avail of these. If a service charges for optional extras, they must provide details in the Service Fees Information Letter.  The DCYA has listed the following as options which the service cannot charge for under the ECCE Scheme.

• Booking Fees (N.B. A refundable booking deposit may be taken, but it must not exceed four weeks’ capitation, and must be refunded by the end of October where the child has attended the service and DCYA has confirmed the child’s eligibility for the programme)
• Arts & Crafts materials
• Worksheets
• School trips which incur no cost (e.g. walking to a nearby park)
• Report cards
• Graduation diploma
• Insurance
• Claims to have higher quality, or to have lower staff ratios than other participating services
• Different curricula
• Unspecified “flexibility” in drop-off and collection times
• Dancing (as opposed to programme-based dance instruction)
• School plays/concerts
• Anything which, in practice, is required for effective participation in the class

Subject to availability, children may enter the scheme in September once they are at least 2 years and 8 months of age. Parents contact an early years service which operates the ECCE Scheme (full list at bottom of each page on this website) and enroll their child. The service will provide them with a Registration Form. The service, via its access portal, applies directly to the DCEDIY for a place for the child. The operating system checks the child’s date of birth against their PPSN, to ensure they are eligible. The service then prints a parental declaration form for the parent to sign.

Exceptions to the upper age limit may be granted where a child has special/additional needs. Applications for such exemptions must be submitted in writing to EYQueries@equality.gov.ie and must include a letter of recommendation from a medical specialist (not a GP/Public Health Nurse) specifically recommending why an ECCE service would meet the child’s specific needs in a more appropriate way than a primary school. Please note, applications will only be accepted from a child’s parent/guardian and not from an approved provider.

Details on the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) are available from www.aim.gov.ie

Parents can also transfer their child from one service to another during the year, by giving one month’s notice to their Early Years Service.  The first service needs to provide the parent with a leaver form, which will be printed from the PIP system and the parent must then take this to the new service.

The DCEDIY has published 2024-25 ECCE Programme Rules 28.06.2024 which covers all aspects of the scheme and, while aimed primarily at Early Years Services, it also provides useful information for parents.