I have responsibility for implementing the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme, which was introduced in January this year and which replaced the Early Childcare Supplement. This scheme provides for a free pre-school year for qualifying children before they commence primary school.
Children will qualify for the free pre-school year place when they are aged more than 3 years and 2 months and less than 4 years and 7 months on 1 September each year. This means that children born between 2 February 2006 and 30 June 2007 will qualify for the free pre-school provision in September 2010. The upper age limit does not apply where children and developmentally delayed and would benefit from participating in the pre-school year at a later age or where children cannot enroll for primary school until they are more than 5 years and 7 months because of the local primary schools enrolment policies and parents can seek exemptions on either of these grounds. There is no provision to waive the lower age limit.