Guide to parents to the Free Pre School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme

Q. How do I apply?
A. Details of pre-school services which have entered the scheme will be available from Limerick City Childcare Committee at the bottom of this page. You can contact a local service on the scheme to enroll your child. If you are using a service already you can ask your provider if they plan to enter the scheme.

Q. Is it only for community providers?
A. No, all pre-school services which are notified to the Health Service
Executive or registered with the Irish Montessori Education Board can apply to participate.

Q. I am a parent. Can I get the money sent to me instead?
A. No. The capitation fee will be paid to the provider

Q. What age do children have to be to be eligible?
A. To avail of the scheme in September 2011 child is born between
2nd February 2007 and 30th June 2008

Q. What if my child is eligible in January 2010 and again in September 2010 can I send my child for January to June and then from September to December?
A. No, you must decide what is best for your child. If you apply for the scheme in January then you cannot apply again in September.

Q. What if my childcare provider is not taking part in the scheme?
A. The scheme is not obligatory so it is up to childcare providers to apply if they so wish.

Q. Do I have a right to free pre-school for my child? My local centre says it is booked out. Do they have to take my child?
A. The scheme is subject to availability and a free pre-school place cannot be guaranteed in every case. However, it is expected that almost all parents will be accommodated. If you have difficulty finding a place for your child you should contact Limerick City County Childcare Committee for advice.

Q. Will the scheme be means-tested?
A. No, it will not be means tested, and will be available to all parents based on local availability

Q. What happens if a child is not eligible but the parents wish to pay for the place?
A. Priority should be given to children who are eligible for the scheme as they will be attending national School the following year

Q Can my child start mid-term/mid year?
A. To avail of the ECCE children should be enrolled and commence their preschool year in September of each year (and/or in January in the case of 2010). The capitation will be paid to services in respect of children enrolled, on a term basis. Where a parent needs to transfer a child to another service in the course of the year, this will be accommodated at the start of the next term (e.g. if a parent needs to transfer a child in October, he or she will be able to take up a free place from the following January). The childcare service at which the child originally attended will retain the capitation provided for that child until the end of the term.

Q. Do I have to leave my child for the five mornings?
A. The scheme is being offered for three hours over 5 days for 38 weeks of the year. Alternatively it may be offered over 3hrs 30 minutes for 4 days over 41 weeks of the year

Q. My child is in full day care and is the correct age, is he/she eligible for the scheme?
A. Yes, Full day care services that are participating on the scheme will be required to provide a pre-school service for 2hr 15 mins 5 days a week over
50 weeks

Q. The service I attend is offering additional hours for an additional cost am I obliged to send my child?
A. No, additional hours and cost are optional and can not be a condition of initial or continued enrolment.

Q. I have been asked for a booking deposit do I have to pay this?
A. A booking deposit may be required. However it cannot be more than twice the weekly caption fee applicable to the service. So for a sessional service
operating 3 hours, 5 days over 38 weeks the deposit can not be more than €129.
The deposit must repaid by the end of January 2010.

Q. How much is the capitation Grant?
A. Playschools in the scheme – will receive a grant of €2,425 per annum per child who is eligible.
This equates to €64.50 for those doing 3 hours, 5 days for 38 weeks
Or
€48.50 for those doing 2 hours 15 minutes for 50 weeks
Q. If I have further questions who do I contact?
A. Limerick City Childcare Committee 061-407525 or hryan@limerickcity.ie

List of Pre-schools in Limerick City with the ECCE Scheme

The ECCE scheme was introduced at the earliest possible date (January 2010) after its announcement, rather than waiting until September 2010. As a result children who participated in the scheme in this first pre-school year benefited from a shorter pre-school year than those who will participate in forthcoming academic years. Had the Office for the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA) delayed the introduction of the scheme until September 2010 it would have been too late for many children to gain any benefit from the free pre-school provision. 

The OMCYA is committed to supporting children with special needs within its early childcare and education programmes. For this reason the exemption from the upper age limit for children with developmental delay and the pro-rata option for parents of children with special needs was introduced.

In addition in February 2010, the OMCYA requested the Office of Disability and Mental Health, the body with responsibility for support services for pre-school children with special needs, to set up a working group to review the existing arrangements.

As the scheme is a universal one year free pre-school year, there never was a second year entitlement for any child. However, given the need for a broader review of services, and having regard to the fact that the first free pre-school year was a "short year", in March 2010 the OMCYA undertook to consider, on a case by case basis, allowing a second pre-school year in September 2010, to children who had been assessed by the HSE or a treating consultant as having a significant disability and having the potential to benefit significantly from a second year in a mainstream setting. Some children were approved under this additional and discretionary measure. As this provision applied in 2010 only it will not be available to children in September 2011. The options for children with special needs are, from September 2011.

1 full year during the year the child qualifies by age or 1 full year if the child applies under the exemption from the upper age limit or pro rata i.e 1 full year spread over two years (e.g. 3/2 days first year and 2/3 days the 2nd year)

 All applications for children with special needs must be approved by the OMCYA in advance so applications must be received prior to the commencement of the scheme in September 2011.  Applications should be addressed to the Childcare Directorate, Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Hawkins House, Dublin 2