The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. The programme is provided for three hours per day, five days per week over 38 weeks per year. A child must have reached 2 years and 8 months of age on or prior to 31 August of the relevant programme year to be eligible for the September start date and a child cannot turn 5 years and 6 months of age during the course of the ECCE programme year. Children who age out of ECCE will be of primary school age. All children, including those with additional needs, are entitled to two years on the ECCE programme. The ECCE programme is not mandatory, and a parent may choose to send their child to ECCE for just one year, or not at all.
Supports are available for children with additional needs through the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) to enable them to take part in two years of ECCE. AIM is a programme of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the ECCE Programme in mainstream pre-school settings. Its goal is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every child can meaningfully participate in their full two years of the ECCE Programme alongside their peers and can reap the benefits of quality early years care and education.
With regard to other financial supports available to help parents with the costs of childcare, the National Childcare Scheme provides both universal and targeted supports to parents, based on their income levels. For more information on eligibility and entitlements, parents can contact the NCS Parent Support Centre on 01 906 8530 or visit www.ncs.gov.ie.
