Free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education

What is the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)?

The ECCE is a scheme designed to give children access to a free Pre-School Year of appropriate programme-based activities in the year before they start primary school. Participation in a pre-school programme provides children with their fi rst formal experience of early learning, the starting-point of their educational and social development outside the home. Children who avail of pre-school are more likely to be ready for school and a formal learning and social environment.

Will my child be eligible?

The ECCE is open to all children aged between 3 years 3 months and 4 years 6 months in September each year. To avail of the free pre-school year in August/September 2012 children must have been born between 2 February 2007 and 30 June 2008. View our handy ECCE calculator to see if your child is eligible.

Where can I enrol my child for the free Pre-School Year?

Almost every pre-school service is participating in the scheme. A list of services in your area can be obtained from your local City and County Childcare Committee. Parents can contact services in their area to arrange for enrolment. If your child is already attending a pre-school service, whether it is a playschool or a full or part-time daycare service, you can also ask the service provider if they are participating in the scheme.

The upper age limit of 4 years 6 months will be extended where a child cannot start primary school until s/he is more than 5 years 6 months of age, due to either the enrolment policy of the local schools or having been assessed as developmentally delayed.

How is the Pre-School Year funded?

Services participating in the scheme will be paid a capitation fee for each qualifying child enrolled. In return, the service will be required to provide an appropriate programme of activities in early childhood care and education (ECCE) which will be free to parents. While the pre-school year will normally commence in September of each year, many services will commence in the 2011/12 year on Monday, 30th August 2012.

How is the Pre-School Year provided?

Children attending a sessional playschool service, typically provided for about 3 hours each day, will normally receive pre-school year sessions for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week over 38 weeks. The standard weekly capitation fee in these cases is 64.50. Children attending a full or part-time daycare service will normally receive pre-school year sessions for 2 hours 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week over 50 weeks. To facilitate parents whose children attend a full or part-time service for only 3 days a week, the service may provide 3 daily sessions of 3 hours 45 minutes each week. The weekly capitation fee in these cases is 48.50.

Some sessional playschools may choose to open for 50 weeks in the year rather than 38, in which case they will provide daily sessions of 2 hours 15 minutes, and full or part-time services may choose to also provide sessional playschool services in which case the 38 week model may apply.

Do parents have to pay additional charges to the service for the free Pre-School Year?

No, services in the scheme must provide the pre-school year free to parents. A service may charge parents for additional services as long as (a) these are provided on an optional basis and (b) appropriate programme based activities are provided to children not participating in an optional activity. For example, a service can offer an additional activity such as music or dance classes which parents can choose to avail of for a charge. If they do not wish to avail of this activity, their child must continue to be provided with an appropriate alternative activity. Services can also charge for hours which are additional to the free pre-school provision e.g. if a child is in a full-day service for 10 hours, a parent should expect to pay for the 7 hours, 45 minutes per day which are not free.

An additional 30 minutes per day, which would be charged for, may be offered to a child in a sessional playschool. Outings, birthday parties, snacks, etc can also be charged for, provided they are optional for parents.

What are the birth dates for eligibility?

  • 2 February 2008 - 30 June 2009 - Sept 2012
  • 2 February 2009 - 30 June 2010 - Sept 2013
  • 2 February 2010 - 30 June 2011 - Sept 2014
    *info correct 1/9/2010

View our handy ECCE calculator to see if your child is eligible.

The exemption regarding children with special needs will continue to apply, as will the exemption where the local school admission policy makes it impossible for the child to otherwise avail of the ECCE place.