Government Schemes
YOUR CHILD'S ECCE FREE PRE-SCHOOL YEAR
The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme provides early childhood care and education
for children of pre-school age. Participation in a preschool programme provides children with their first formal experience of early learning, the starting-point of their educational and social development outside the home. Children who avail of preschool are more likely to be ready for school and a formal learning and social environment.
Children can participate in the ECCE scheme from 2 years 8 months of age from the September of that academic year and continue until they transfer to primary school (provided that they are not older than 5 years and 6 months at the end of the pre-school year).
The total number of ECCE weeks a child can avail of will depend on:
> the child's birth date
> the age at which the child begins primary school
Parents are able to enrol their child/ren for their free ECCE pre-school at any time through the academic year, once their child was 2 years 8 months by the 1st September of that academic year. Please see below for eligible age ranges;
Eligible age range
If born within these dates below: Your child can join the ECCE scheme at the entry point below:
1st January 2015 – 31st December 2015 1st September 2018 + 1st September 2019
1st January 2016 – 31st December 2016 1st September 2019 + 1st September 2020
1st January 2017 – 31st December 2017 1st September 2020 + 1st September 2021
1st January 2018 – 31st December 2018 1st September 2021 + 1st September 2022
1st January 2019 – 31st December 2019 1st September 2022 + 1st September 2023
THE AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE SCHEME
The CCSP Scheme
The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS/P) Programme is a childcare programme targeted to support parents who are availing of specific government benefits to avail of reduced childcare costs at participating community and private childcare services. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) pays for a portion of the childcare costs for eligible children, a payment described as a subvention payment, with the parent paying the remainder.
The CCSP is only available through participating childcare services. The service provider submits an application for CCSP on behalf of the parent to the DCYA.
Eligibility for CCSP
The relevant child must be less than 15 years of age. A child will not be eligible if they are enrolled on any other DCYA childcare programme.
The CCSU Scheme
To qualify for the Universal Subsidy and be entitled for up to €7.00 off your child’s sessional weekly fees or up to €10 off your child’s part-time weekly fees, your child must be above the age of 6 months but below the age when they can start the free ECCE scheme. The subsidy is not means-tested. To receive the Universal Subsidy payment, you are required to provide only the name, PPSNs and date of birth of the parent and child to Playhouse Montessori. The subsidy will be paid directly to Playhouse Montessori and will be deducted from the cost of your childcare.