The ECCE is a new 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

The introduction of the free pre-school year is a major development in the area of early childhood care and education. As a universal scheme, it is hoped that all children will be able to benefit from a preschool place in this highly important developmental year before they commence national school.

Child Eligibility

Children will be eligible if they are aged between 3 years 3 months and 4 years 6 months in September. A child can become 3 years 3 months in the course of September and still qualify for entry that year (as well as a child becoming 4 years and 7 months between 2nd and 30th September).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        This means that the scheme is open to children who, on the 1st September are at least 1 day older than 3 years and 2 months and at least 1 day younger than 4 years 7 months.

Children, therefore, that are born between 2nd February 2005 and 30th June 2006 may enter the scheme in it’s initial year begining the 1st January 2010

Service Eligibility

All voluntary and commercial pre-school services have been invited to participate in the scheme.

For the full list of General Terms and Conditions governing participation in the scheme click here

Capitation Rates

Services participating in the scheme will be paid a capitation fee for each eligible child enrolled. Applicants can choose to participate in the scheme on the basis of a 38 week year running from September to June or over 50 weeks running from September to August.                                     

The 38 week model will require provision of 3 hours per day for five days a week and, in return, the service will receive a weekly capitation fee of €64.50 per child.

The 50 week model will require provision of 2 hours 15 mins per day for five days a week and, in return, the service will receive a weekly capitation fee of €48.50 per child.

In some cases, where for good reason, a sessional preschool service cannot operate for 5 days a week ,consideration may be given to allow it to participate on the basis of providing 3 hours 30 mins per day, four days a week over 41 weeks.

A higher rate of capitation will be provided to sessional services operating under the 38 week and 41 week options where (a) all the preschool leaders have a childcare / early years educational qualification at FETAC Level 7 or 8 (i.e Degree Level) and 3 years experience working in the preschool sector, and (b) all the preschool assistants have the qualifications required for a preschool leader under the general provisions of the scheme. 

This higher rate amounts to a weekly capitation of €75 per child.

Further Information

For further information on the ECCE scheme you can visit the OMCYA website