Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 March 2021
159. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will urgently address a situation which has arisen in which children who do not return to take up their ECCE place within four weeks of 8 March 2021 will lose their place on the scheme; and if families who choose to care for their children at home during this continued period of risk will not lose their qualification for ECCE. [12326/21]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range.
Children who do not return to take up their ECCE place within four weeks of 8 March 2021 will not lose their eligibility/qualification for the scheme as consequence of this non-attendance.
My Department has continued to provide funding to providers whilst the scheme has been suspended. It has been open to providers from January 1st to March 7th to access ECCE funding (some of which was subject to certain terms and conditions) throughout this period regardless of whether the child was attending during the period. Many ECCE providers received a substantial proportion of their ECCE funding even though they were closed.
With the full resumption of the ECCE scheme from March 8th, the normal scheme rules apply. If a child stops attending an ECCE service, the Department will continue to provide payment to the service for four weeks. If the family is not availing of the service after that point, funding will cease until the child returns. If and when the child returns, funding will resume.
It is a matter for the provider to decide whether to hold the place in the interim.
If a provider is experiencing sustainability issues, additional supports may be made available under the Covid-19 sustainability fund to ensure services can continue to operate.
For further information please see the ECCE Programme Rules for 2020/2021 available on the Department's website.
