Free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)

The ECCE is a scheme designed to give children access to a free Pre-School Year of appropriate programme-based activities in the year before they start primary school. Participation in a pre-school programme provides children with their first formal experience of early learning, the starting-point of their educational and social development outside the home. Children who avail of pre-school are more likely to be ready for school and a formal learning and social environment.

List of services in Galway City and County participating in the ECCE scheme available here.

Click here to link to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA).

ECCE and Children with Special Needs

Where a child has been assessed by the Health Service Executive, or treating consultant, as having special needs which will either delay his/her entry to primary school or make it more suitable that s/he avails of the pre-school year on a pro-rata basis over two years, this will be examined on a case-by-case basis. In such cases, the child may avail of the pre-school year over two years by availing of the ECCE sessions, for example, for two days in the first year and three days in the second year, or vice versa.

All applications for children with special needs must be approved by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in advance. Applications must be received before July 1st and should be addressed to: The Childcare Directorate, Department of Children and Youth Affairs, 43-49 Mespil Road, Dublin 4.