Donegal County Childcare Committee Ltd.

English Parents Guide to Free Preschool Year

Irish Parents Guide to Free Preschool Year

Polish Parents Guide to Free Preschool Year

French Parents Guide to Free Preschool Year

Spanish Parents Guide to Free Preschool Year

Hindi Parents Guide to Free Preschool Year

Russian Parents Guide to Free Preschool Year

Please note the ‘ECCE Programme Guide to the Programme and the Administrative Procedures for Service Providers and Parents’ can be accessed on the DCYA website at www.dcya.ie under Childcare and Free Pre-school year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme.

Deadline for Exemptions
Any parent who may need a waiver for a child born before 2^nd February 2007 for entry to the ECCE scheme in September 2011 either on the grounds of Special Needs (2 yr pro-rata or 1 yr overage) or on School Policy grounds (seeking 1 yr overage), and who has not already applied must do so before the 1 July 2011 deadline. Applications are made in writing with supporting documentation to the Childcare Directorate, Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Hawkins House, Dublin 2.

Pre-school Calendars

ECCE Calendars are due to DCCC by 1 July 2011; however leeway may be given to services until the first week of September if the Department of Education School Calendars is required for you to complete your own Pre-school Calendar.  Please bear in mind however, that calendars should be distributed by providers to parents before the start of the pre-school year.
Please note there is an amendment to the note at the bottom of the Pre-school Calendar.  The completed transfer forms for children transferring between ECCE services should be received 4 weeks before the beginning of the following term.   (This has been reduced from the 6 weeks previously indicated).

Pre-school Calendar 2011

Pre-school Calendar Guidelines

ECCE Fee Policies

ECCE Fees Policies are currently being approved and forwarded to the OMCYA. Please note the following information with regard to approved fee policies

°         The fees shown on the Fees Policy submitted to DCCC, once approved should not be increased during the year.  If it is necessary to do so during the academic year, please notify DCCC in advance and we in turn will forward it to the OMCYA for advice before approval.

°         Higher Capitation Rates, where approved, apply to sessional services only.  With regard to Fees Policies this will mean that no Part-time care or Full-Day care sections of the Fees Policy form may have a deduction of  €75 (under the 38 week model) from the non-ECCE rate.

°         For those services on higher capitation (38 week) and also running a 50 week model the sessional service may be co-located – i.e. in a room dedicated to a sessional service and notified to HSE as a sessional service, but must not include full or part time daycare children.

°         Where voluntary donations are requested by your service- a mechanism must be provided for this to be made anonymously, e.g. you must supply your bank account details and the amount requested to all parents in the service.

ECCE Information Pack 2011

An information pack for the ECCE scheme for childcare providers is available to download from http://www.dcya.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=1623

ECCE Clinics

DCCC will be holding clinics to support services in completing their electronic return for the ECCE scheme on Monday 12th September at 11.00am, 2.00pm and 4.00pm in DCCC offices. Services need only attend one session and a computer will be available to complete your return for those with no computer/Internet access.

To book a place on one of the three clinics contact DCCC on 074 914 32416.

ECCE Documents

ECCE New Entrants Form
ECCE Transfer Form

Capitation grant

Parents who avail of the scheme in a pre-school will be entitled to a free pre-school provision of 5 weekly sessions of 3 hours per day for 38 weeks per year. This amounts to a weekly capitation grant of €64.50.

Parents who avail of the scheme within a full- or part-time childcare service, will be entitled to 50 weeks of free pre-school provision of 5 weekly sessions of 2 hours and 15 minutes per day. This amounts to a weekly capitation grant of €48.50 and the service must reduce the weekly childcare fee for parents by this amount. (OMCYA)

In keeping with the government’s commitment to increasing standards in the pre-school sector, a higher rate of capitation is available to services where

(a) all the pre-school leaders have a childcare/early years educational qualification at FETAC level 7 or 8 (i.e. degree level) and 3 years experience of working in the pre-school sector,

and

(b) all the pre-school assistants have the qualifications required for a pre-school leader under the general provisions of the scheme. The higher capitation rate amounts to €75 per week, and applies to sessional services operating under the 38 week and 41 week options of the scheme, although these can be co-located with a full-day 50-week service (which will not qualify for the higher rate).

The free Pre-School Year normally runs from September to August each year.

Birth Dates for Eligibility to ECCE

The scheme is intended to benefit children in the year before they start primary school. Children who are aged between 3 years and 2 months and 4 years 7 monts on the 1st September qualify for entry to the scheme for that year . This means that the ECCE scheme is open to children who, on the 1st September, are at least 1 day older than 3 years and 2 months old and at least 1 day younger than 4 years 7 months old.

Parents are advised to coincide their take-up of the scheme in line with the admissions policy of their local national schools. If cases arise where a national school does not admit children until they are more than 5 years and 6 months at 1 September each year, the OMCYA will look at these cases to ensure that they are not excluded for this reason alone.

Children with delayed development, who as a result will be accepted into their local national school at a later age than normal, will be able to access the free pre-school year to coincide with their school starting date.

Eligibility of Services

Pre-school services which are notified to the HSE, and services which are registered with the IMEB, can apply to participate in the scheme. Services are, normally,  required to have an enrolment of at least 8 children in the pre-school year. Exceptions will be made in some cases e.g. a small rural service may be considered eligible where, due to small numbers of pre-school children in the area, it is necessary for it to have some children in their pre-school year and some who are a year younger.

Services participating on the scheme are required to provide a sessional pre-school service for 5 days a week. Where, for a reason outside their control, a service cannot provide a sessional pre-school service for 5 days a week, applications to provide the same level of service over a 4 day week will be considered. This will be done on a case-by-case basis.

Childminders who are notified to the HSE and who have an enrolment of at least 5 children in the pre-school year will be considered for entry to the scheme if they:

• hold a childcare qualification at FETAC level 5 or 6 (or equivalent thereof),
• operate a programme-based, pre-school service which is compliant with the pre-school regulations and which adheres to the principles of Síolta, and
• are recommended by Childminding Ireland as an appropriate setting for delivery of the pre-school year.

Participating services must be notified to the HSE under the Child Care (Pre-School Services) Regulations 2006 and meet all other statutory requirements. The HSE Pre-School Inspectorate is already implementing Regulation 5 of the Regulations which relates to the development of the child. The Regulations set the ratio of staff to children in their pre-school year at 1 to 8 in the case of a full-time or part-time service and at 1 to 10 in the case of a sessional playschool service.

• Síolta: The Pre-School Year will be guided by the principles of Síolta, the early years framework which the OMCYA is implementing. As a framework to assist services to progress towards quality early childhood care and education provision, Síolta is not specific in relation to the educational format or content of the pre-school year’s programme content.

The pre-school year is supported through a network of mentors and Síolta co-ordinators through a range of agencies which work with the OMCYA, including the National Voluntary Childcare Organisations. This model of delivery of free preschool places has been successfully implemented and positively evaluated internationally.

To participate in the scheme, the Pre-school year leader must have a FETAC level 5 or 6 qualification in childcare, or its equivalent. Over 50% of all childcare staff currently have this level of qualification. In the initial phase of the scheme, year leaders may also be accepted where they have completed at least part of the level 5 modules, are in the process of working to complete this training and have experience and expertise in working with pre-school children. The OMCYA will be looking at ways to maximise training supports for this sector including flexible training delivery to facilitate staff out of service hours.

A Workforce Development Plan for the sector has been developed and a national consultation process on this issue is expected to take place very shortly. In addition, many practitioners in the current workforce have many years of experience and have acquired considerable skills in supporting the wellbeing, learning and development of young children. Processes to recognise and accredit such learning will be an important part of this plan.

Payment of Capitation

Participating services are asked to make an electronic return of their enrolments to the OMCYA in September each year. This is processed and determins the grant level by reference to the number of capitation fees payable for that term. An interim payment is made to services pending the outcome of this process if any significant delay is expected. A second payment is then made in respect of the following term.

The OMCYA helpline is 1890 30 30 39 and queries can also be directed to childcare_mail@health.gov.ie. General information on the new scheme, together with answers to the most frequently-asked questions, can be accessed through the OMCYA website at www.omcya.ie.

In addition to meeting the requirements regarding staff ratios, as provided for under the Child Care Regulations, the pre-school year Leader must hold a certification for a major award in childcare/early education at a minimum of level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications of Ireland (NFQ) or an equivalent recognised qualification in the childcare/early education field.

Interim measure

In recognition of the complex nature of educational attainment of staff within the early childhood care and education workforce in Ireland, in the first two full years of the scheme, where the pre-school year Leader has an award in early childhood care and education that includes significant content relating to early childhood education/early learning and child development and has at least two years experience of working in a position of responsibility with children in the 0-6 age range, she/he will meet the requirement.

Evidence

Valid evidence of staff members’ certification and experience will be required at contract stage.

Some additional information on the qualification requirements for the Free Preschool Scheme is provided below in the form of questions and answers:

What is the National Framework of Qualifications and what is a Major Award?

The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) is a 10 level Framework that incorporates qualifications from the very initial stages of learning to the most advanced. A major award is a qualification with a large volume of knowledge, skill and competence associated with it, which is recognised through the National Framework of Qualifications. This is distinct from smaller pieces of learning such as minor or component awards, which go together to make up a major award.

How do I know if my qualification is currently recognised through the National Framework of Qualifications as at least a Level 5 Major Award?

A list of the most common qualifications in childcare that are recognised through the National Framework of Qualifications as being at least a Level 5 Major Award is available at Appendix 1.

I have achieved certificates for minor awards at level 5 in early childhood care and education/ childcare but I have not achieved a FETAC Level 5 or 6 Major award, can I still take on the role of leader?

In the start up phase of the new preschool scheme, where a practitioner can provide evidence that he/she has achieved an award in early childhood care and education that includes significant content relating to early childhood education/early learning and child development and has at least two years experience of working in a position of responsibility with children in the 0-6 age range, she/he will meet the requirement.

What should I have completed in order to be awarded a FETAC certificate for the achievement of a major award in Childcare at level 5 or 6?

Information on the number and type of components that must be obtained in order to be awarded a major award FETAC Level 5 or Level 6 Certificate in Childcare qualification will be available through your Childcare Committee.

I have a childcare award made by a UK awarding body. How do I know if that is equivalent to a Major Award at Level 5 of the NFQ?

If you have an award made by a UK awarding body you will need to check the UK database of qualifications http://www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk/index.aspx to find out (i) the name of the awarding body that made your award (ii) the type of qualification you obtained and (iii) the level of the qualification in the UK framework of qualifications. You can then use the document at the following link www.qualificationsrecognition.ie/recognition/int_qual_databse/uk/documents/CrossBoundaries.pdf to establish how the level of this qualification compares with the Irish NFQ levels. You should include this information at contract stage. The OMCYA will then notify you whether or not this qualification is considered comparable to a Level 5 or Level 6 Major Award.

I gained my childcare qualification abroad. How do I find out if it is equivalent to a Major Award at Level 5 on the Irish NFQ?

If you have gained your qualification abroad, you should provide as much information on the qualification as possible to the OMCYA at contract stage, including the name of the awarding body and the institution in which the qualification was attained. Having checked that all other aspects of the application are in order, the OMCYA will then refer the information on the international qualification to the Irish authority which deals with the recognition of international awards. It will then provide advice to the OMCYA on the equivalence or otherwise of the qualification to an Irish Level 5 Major Award and the OMCYA will then notify you whether or not this qualification is equivalent to a Level 5 or Level 6 Major Award.

I have additional questions on the eligibility of my qualifications. Who do I contact?

You should direct any additional questions you have on these qualification requirements to the OMCYA to which you are making your application. It will be best placed in the first instance to discuss these with you.

Appendix 1

Title Awarding Body NFQ Level

Certificate in Childcare FETAC NFQ Level 5

Certificate in Childcare FETAC (NCVA) NFQ Level 5

Childcare Practitioner Traineeship FETAC (FÁS) NFQ Level 5

Advanced Certificate in Childcare Supervision FETAC NFQ Level 6

Supervision in Childcare FETAC (NCVA) NFQ Level 6

Childcare Supervisor FETAC (FÁS) NFQ Level 6