ECCE Scheme

ECCEimage

Introduction of a free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)

As part of the April 2009 Budget, a new scheme to provide for a free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) was announced by the Government.

The announcement of a free pre-school year for all children is a landmark development in the provision of early childhood care and education services for young children in Ireland. The new scheme will be implemented by the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA) and will be open to all private and community pre-school services which meet the requirements of the scheme.

Downloads

ECCE Leaflet for Parents [English] (PDF – 260KB)
ECCE Leaflet for Parents [Irish] (PDF – 404KB)
Impact of ECCE Scheme in Donegal (PDF – 52KB)

ECCE in detail

Guidelines regarding Qualification (Free Preschool Scheme)