Under the scheme an eligible child is entitled to 3 hrs per day for a maximum of 5 days a week for 2 years. This is paid directly to the school by the Department of Children Youth and Affairs (DCYA)

Funding is available for 38 weeks only from the beginning of the school year

To be eligible for the scheme your child must turn 2 years 8 months on or before 31st December. 

To calculate if your child is eligible just add 3 years to your child's year of birth and that will be the year they start their funding.  Ex. born 2016 plus 3 years = start ECCE funding September 2019.  Your child will be eligible for 2 years funding from this date.

If you wish to enrol your child in September on a part-time basis e.g. 3 days per week, you will not be guaranteed that your child can increase to 5 days at any point during the year as places fill at the beginning of the school year.  Funding will cover the part-time place but lost days and funding cannot be made up at a later time

A parent is required to fill out a ‘Parent Declaration Form’ in September with their child’s PPS number.  This is returned to the school who will apply on your behalf.  If the form is not returned by the required deadline your child will not be registered and will miss their funding

If you do not register your child by the required time they will not receive funding and it will not be backdated.   A monthly fee will be required in this case until your child is registered for funding

You cannot join two services under the ECCE scheme at the same time as this will cancel your application

Under the terms of the ECCE scheme your child is required to attend 5 days a week and cannot be absent for more than 20 consecutive days during the school year.  If this is the case our school is obliged to inform the DCYA and your funding will be revoked.  You will then be required under the schools Policies and Procedures to pay fees to cover the funding until your child’s funding is reinstated by the DCYA on the return of your child to school

Under the terms of the ECCE scheme your child has to start the first day of school.  If they do not start on this day they will not be entitled to funding and a fee to hold your child's place will be required to be paid until they officially start  and are registered as entering the service.  Therefore if you are away on holiday or out of the country and do not start on the required first day of school you will have to pay a fee to hold your place until you start in school and then the funding will be granted