Olwyn Enright
Question:183 Deputy Olwyn Enright asked the Minister for Health and Children the actions she has taken to advertise the early childhood care and education scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2366/10]
View answerWednesday, 20 January 2010
Questions (132)
Written answers
I have responsibility for the implementation of the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme which commenced earlier this month.
Following the announcement of the ECCE scheme in the April 2009 Supplementary Budget, information in relation to the scheme has been available from my Office either through direct contact or from the website www.omcya.ie. From May 2009, information in relation to the scheme has also been available from the 33 City and County Childcare Committees which assist my Office in implementing the scheme and are well placed to provide additional information and local details to parents. The City and County Childcare Committees have also been proactive in promoting the scheme at local level including holding information nights for parents and pre-school service providers.
In June of last year, my Office wrote to all pre-school services notified to the Health Service Executive (HSE) and registered with the Irish Montessori Educational Board (IMEB) with further details of the scheme and inviting them to apply. This was followed in July 2009 by the issue of an information leaflet entitled "Guide for Parents to the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)" and covering letter to all parents of children who would qualify for the scheme in January 2010. The leaflet provided information in relation to the scheme to inform parents and assist them with enrolling their children in their local participating pre-school services. Contact details for the 33 City and County Childcare Committees were also included.
Approximately 4,000 pre-school services are participating in the scheme and many of these have actively advertised that they would be participating in the scheme and providing free pre-school year places. Participating services are currently making a return to my Office giving details of the children enrolled with them for the pre-school year. To ensure that parents of qualifying children are fully aware of the scheme and the deadline for enrolment, advertisements highlighting the fact that the scheme is closing to January 2010 applicants, were recently placed by my Office in 2 Sunday and 42 regional newspapers. In addition, I was interviewed by local, regional and national radio about the scheme in the first two weeks of January. National television and the national print media also carried interviews with me and features on the scheme.
The first full year of the ECCE scheme will commence in September 2010 and I would anticipate that a further information leaflet for parents of qualifying children will be issued by my Office in May of this year.