Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme
The free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme, was introduced by the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA) in January 2010.
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 pre-school place in this highly important developmental year before they commence national school. Children will be eligible if they are aged between 3 years 3 months and 4 years 6 months on 1 September each year.
All voluntary and commercial pre-school services are being invited to participate in the scheme and it is hoped that as many as possible will do so. While the primary focus of the scheme is to support children in their pre-school development, it is also hoped that the scheme will provide stability to service providers, many of whom are suffering badly from the current economic downturn.
The scheme will support developments across a range of fronts, including the implementation of Síolta and Aistear, the new framework and curriculum in ECCE, the implementation of a Workforce Development Plan, which will be published shortly, and a more rational approach to training and qualifications and to accredited quality systems. All of these developments will take place over time and in incremental stages and the OMCYA proposes to work with service providers and continue to provide supports to the sector through the National Voluntary Childcare Organisations and the City and County Childcare Committees.
Services participating in the scheme will be paid a capitation fee for each eligible child enrolled. In return, services will be required to provide a free pre-school year of appropriate programme based activities in early childhood care and education (ECCE). The pre-school year will normally commence in September of each year.
Applicants can participate in the scheme on the basis of a 38 week per year (183 days) model, running from September to June.
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 €62.50. Where, for good reason, a sessional playschool service cannot operate for 5 days a week, consideration may be given to allowing it to participate on the basis of providing 3 hours 30 minutes per day, four days a week over 41 weeks (157 days).
While services must offer the pre-school provision free to parents in return for the applicable capitation fee, they may charge parents for optional additions providing they inform parents that any such charges are optional and appropriate programme based activities are provided to children not participating in an optional activity.
Pre-school year Leaders will be required to have a qualification in early childhood care and education at level 5 in the National Framework of Qualifications or an equivalent nationally recognised qualification or a higher award in the childcare/early education field. During the first two full years of the scheme, other levels of certification may be accepted.
Latest Updates
Optional Extras and Enrolments (pdf, 32kb)
Level 5 and 6 Info
The ECCE Scheme Qualifications - Update October 2010 (pdf, 754kb)
Forms to Download
Preschool Calendar pdf (45kb)
List of Services taking part in Kildare
coming soon…
Kildare County Childcare CommitteeUnit 14, Clane Shopping Centre
Clane, Co. Kildare
Tel: 045 861307
Fax: 045 982411
Web: www.kildarechildcare.ie
E-Mail: info@kildarechildcare.ie
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