Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 March 2021
726. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the provisions being made by his Department to ensure that children born in January of a particular year can avail of a second free early childhood care and education, ECCE, year given that at present many children born in the early part of the year are excluded from a second free year. [17121/21]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme is a universal free two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range.
The minimum eligibility age for the ECCE programme was revised in September 2018 when it was reduced from 3 years to 2 years and 8 months. The revised minimum of 2 years and 8 months was chosen based on national experience and a review of international practice.
Some children will not be able to commence their ECCE in September of the programme year as they will not have reached the age of 2 years and 8 months on or before 31st August. However, they will be able to commence ECCE the following September, and will be eligible for two years of ECCE.
Parents may prefer for their children to start school at age 4 rather than 5 years and may therefore choose to avail of one year of ECCE only. This is the parents choice to make. ECCE is not a mandatory scheme and a parent may choose to send to their child for one year only, or not at all.
