guide to the ecce programme and administrative procedures · guide to the ecce programme and...

Guide to the ECCE Programme and

Administrative Procedures

Most of the information in this Guide relates to administrative

procedures and is primarily aimed at service providers. However,

parents will find some sections helpful, particularly the information

of Optional Additional Charges (Section 2.10), Eligibility Criteria

(Section 3), the procedures which must be followed when moving

children from one service to another (Section 6), and the rules

governing the waiving of the upper age limit and the two year pro-

rata option for children with special needs (Section 7). The forms

referred to in the text are available for download at Appendix 1.

In this document, “the Department” means the Department of

Children and Youth Affairs. “Local CCC” means your local City or

County Childcare Committee. A list of the CCCs, together with their

telephone numbers, can be downloaded at Appendix 2.

Contents

1. Overview of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)

Programme

2. Applications by service providers to enter or re-enter the

programme

2.1 Minimum size of service

2.2 Staff Qualifications

2.3 Higher Capitation Fee

2.4 Staff Ratios

2.5 HSE Compliance

2.6 Contract

2.7 Electronic Fund Transfer

2.8 Tax Clearance

2.9 Outstanding Debts to the Department

2.10 Optional Additional Charges

2.11 Closure of services, moving premises, or transfer of ownership

3. Eligibility Criteria

4. Electronic Returns

5. Payments

6. Changes in enrolment details after the Electronic Returns

have been submitted

6.1 New/Late Entrants

6.2 Transferring from one Service Provider to another

6.3 Settling-In Period

6.4 Child ceasing to avail of the ECCE programme

6.5 Transfer from the ECCE programme to the CCS programme,

and vice versa

6.6 Transfer from the ECCE programme to the CETS programme

6.7 Transfer from the CETS programme to the ECCE programme

6.8 Change in level of service

6.9 Deferral of ECCE place to the following year

6.10 Appeals

7. Compliance

8. Applications to waive the upper age limit and for pro-rata

arrangements

1. Overview of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme

The free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education

(ECCE) programme was introduced with effect from January 2010.

The programme is administered by the Childcare Directorate of the

Department of Children and Youth Affairs, with the local operation

of the programme managed by the City and County Childcare

Committees (CCCs).

Children qualify for the free pre-school year where they are aged

more than 3 years 2 months and less than 4 years 7 months at 1

September in the relevant pre-school year.

To avail of the programme at any stage during the pre-school year commencing

Children must have been born between the following dates

(both dates inclusive)

September 2013 2 February 2009 and 30 June 2010



The objective of the ECCE programme is to make early learning in a

formal setting available to eligible children in the year before they

commence primary school. To achieve this, services participating in

the pre-school year are required to provide age-appropriate

activities and programmes to children within a particular age

cohort. For this reason, it is necessary to set minimum and

maximum limits to the age range within which children will qualify

to participate in the programme.

Both community and commercial service providers can apply to

participate in the ECCE programme.

Payment under the ECCE programme is by way of capitation fees

which are paid directly to the service provider. A capitation fee is

payable in respect of each eligible child enrolled in the free pre-

school year, on a pro-rata basis if applicable. A higher rate of

capitation is payable in respect of certain pre-school services with

more highly qualified staff.

The free pre-school year is delivered on the basis of 3 hours per

day, 5 days per week, 38 weeks per year. It is not mandatory that

children attend every day but, where they do not, the capitation fee

will be reduced on a pro-rata basis.

It is a fundamental principle of the programme that the pre-school

year is available free to parents, and all participating services are

obliged to meet the costs of the free pre-school year out of the

capitation fees. Services may, however, charge parents for

additional services provided, including additional hours and

additional activities, provided that certain rules are followed in

relation to such charges.

Specific, up-to-date forms must be completed in respect of various

elements of the programme. These forms are specified in the

relevant area of this Guide, and can be downloaded at Appendix 1.

Back to table of contents

2. Applications by service providers to enter or re-enter the programme

The deadline for applications for entry or re-entry to the

ECCE programme from September 2013 is 29th March 2013.

Services which are already participating in the programme will be

sent a Re-Entry Application form by their local City/County

Childcare Committee (CCC). This form must be completed and

returned to the CCC by 29th March 2013. Services which are not

currently participating in the programme but wish to enter should

contact their local CCC to request an application form. This form

must be completed and returned to the CCC by 29th March 2013.

The CCC carries out an initial appraisal of each application and

liaises with the local HSE Pre-school Inspector regarding the

service’s regulatory compliance. The CCC will compile and collate

all relevant information in relation to applications and, provided the

HSE requirements are met and the CCC has no reservations, the

CCC will recommend the application. The collated information and

hard copies of the applications are returned to the Childcare

Directorate.

When received by the Childcare Directorate, the applications are

examined for (a) staff qualifications, (b) notification to the HSE,

(c) Tax Clearance, and (d) outstanding debts to the Department.

If everything is in order, the applications are submitted for approval

of the contract.

2.1 Minimum size of service

Services are expected to have a minimum enrolment of at least 8

eligible children to participate in the programme, and a service that

does not have this level of participation has no entitlement to be

funded under the programme. Exceptions to this minimum

requirement will be considered where, for good reason, a service

which is an appropriate setting for the pre-school year has (a) an

enrolment of at least 8 children of whom at least 3 qualify for the

programme and the remainder will qualify in the following year, or

(b) is a smaller service which has an enrolment of not fewer than 5

children in their pre-school year.

When applying to participate in the ECCE programme for the first

time, or applying to continue to participate in the ECCE programme,

service providers will be required to declare on the application form

that they will have a minimum of five children of pre-school age

(i.e. 2½ to 6 years) in their service during the pre-school year, to

enable them to deliver an appropriate ECCE programme.

Compliance with this requirement will be checked by

representatives of Pobal in the course of their on-site compliance

visits.


2.2 Staff Qualifications

Pre-school leaders in the programme must hold a nationally

accredited major award in Childcare / Early Childhood Education at

Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) or

equivalent).

The content of all relevant major awards must include significant

content on child development 0 – 6, early childhood curriculum and

child health and welfare. The course must also have included

supervised practice in an early childhood care and education

setting.

2.3 Higher capitation fee

A higher capitation fee is payable to pre-school service providers

where all the pre-school leaders delivering the pre-school service

hold a nationally accredited major award in Early Childhood Care

and Education at Level 7 on the National Framework of

Qualifications (NFQ) or equivalent and have 3 years experience

working in the sector, and where all the pre-school assistants in the

service hold a relevant major award in childcare/early education at

level 5 on the NFQ or its equivalent. To apply for Higher Capitation

please use ECCE form 10 – Application for Higher Capitation .

Please note that not all Level 7 or 8 awards are acceptable as

qualifying for the higher capitation fee. In order for an award to

qualify, it must include significant content in core knowledge areas

such as child development 0-6 years and early childhood education

theory and practice. For example, secondary school teaching

qualifications are not acceptable as they do not cover these core

knowledge areas.

Higher qualified staff attracting the higher capitation rate must work

directly with the children at all times during the ECCE sessions. If

this rule is not observed, services are in breach of their contractual

obligations, and will lose the higher capitation rate.

A document containing the responses to frequently-asked questions

concerning qualifications is at Appendix 3.


2.4 Staff Ratios

With effect from September 2012, new staff ratios apply in respect

of the pre-school session element of services for service providers

participating in the ECCE Programme. This also affects the space

ratios and sanitary accommodation requirements.

The minimum number of pre-school leaders and assistants in the

free Pre-School Year service is as follows:

Up to 11 children: 1 pre-school leader

12-22 children: 1 pre-school leader and 1 pre-school assistant

23-33 children: 2 pre-school leaders and 1 pre-school assistant

34-44 children: 2 pre-school leaders and 2 pre-school assistants

and so on.

For each maximum group size of up to 22 children in an ECCE

setting there must be at least 1 pre-school leader who meets the

qualification requirements outlined above (i.e. minimum NFQ Level

5 or equivalent).

Where the programme is provided to pre-school children in different

rooms, a qualified pre-school leader must be present in all the

rooms. For example, if the programme is being delivered to 14

children in one room, and to 15 children in another room, there

must be a pre-school leader and a pre-school assistant in both

rooms.

The staff ratios outlined above apply to the sessional pre-school

element of the service only, and only where all of the children in

question are within the eligible age-range (i.e. where the children

are between the ages of 2.5 years and 6 years).

Outside of the pre-school session, providers must apply the staff

ratios in respect of full-time, part-time or sessional services as

outlined in the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No 2) Regulations

2006.

Space/area ratios per child

In order to allow for the implementation of the new adult:child

ratios, a new space/area requirement of 1.818m2 per child applies.

This allows service providers to cater for additional children as set

out below:

Current number of children/places in a

setting

Additional children/places under new

arrangements

Fewer than 10 0

10 – 19 1 additional place

20 Up to 2 additional places

The space/area requirement per child in all other instances remains

unchanged.

Sanitary Accommodation

Where service providers are in a position to apply the new

adult:child ratios outlined above, the number of WC/WHBs required

will also change in line with the new ratios, i.e. for every 11 toilet-

using children there must be 1 toilet and 1 wash hand basin.


2.5 HSE compliance

Participating pre-school services are required to be notified to the

Health Service Executive (HSE). A list of all applicants for entry or

re-entry to the programme is forwarded by the CCC to the local Pre-

School Inspector. The Inspector will advise the CCC where an

applicant is not notified to them. In addition, where a pre-school

service is being prosecuted by the HSE for non-compliance with the

Pre-School Regulations, the HSE will advise the Childcare

Directorate of the position. A service which has been closed for

reasons of child welfare and protection, or which has been

successfully prosecuted, may not be admitted to the programme.

Where these circumstances apply to a service already participating

in the programme, the contract may be terminated.


2.6 Contract

A list of all the applicant services which meet the requirements for

entry to the programme will be submitted for approval of contract.

Two copies of the programme contracts will be issued to approved

applicants. The applicant is required to sign both copies of the

contract and return them to their local CCC. In the case of

commercial providers, the contract must be signed by the owner of

the service. In the case of community providers, including School

Boards of Management, the contract must be signed by a member

of the Board of Management.

The CCCs collate all the signed contracts and return them to the

Childcare Directorate. Where all requirements have been fulfilled

(e.g., copies of qualifications received and approved, tax clearance

in order etc.) both copies of the contracts are signed by an

authorised signatory in Childcare Directorate. One copy is returned

to the applicant and the other is placed on the applicant's file. In

general, this process is completed by the end of July each year.

However, a later date may be accepted where the Childcare

Directorate considers this appropriate.


2.7 Electronic Fund Transfer

Payments under the ECCE programme are made via electronic fund

transfer. To facilitate this, service providers must advise the

Childcare Directorate of their bank account details using ECCE Form

8 – New Applicants EFT Form. If a provider changes his or her bank

account for any reason, s/he must notify the Childcare Directorate

as soon as possible, using ECCE Form 9 – EFT Form, Change in

Bank Details.

Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA)

From 1st February 2014, bank sort codes and bank account numbers

will be replaced by Bank Identifier Codes (BIC) and International

Bank Account Numbers (IBAN). For this reason, from September

2013 any service notifying the Department of its bank details will be

required to provide the BIC and IBAN. This requirement is included

in the current version of EFT Forms 8 and 9. The BIC and IBAN will

be shown on your bank statement.


2.8 Tax Clearance

Services are required to demonstrate tax compliance by providing a

valid, up-to-date Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) from the Revenue

Commissioners when returning their application form to the CCC.

The TCC must be in the name of the provider or the service;

certificates in the name of another person will not be accepted.

Services participating in the programme are responsible for

ensuring that a renewed TCC is provided to the Childcare

Directorate when it falls due.

Where a service is awaiting a TCC at the time of application to enter

the programme, this should be noted on the application form.

Contracts will not be entered into with service providers who cannot

prove their tax compliance. Where contracts are in place, payments

in respect of ECCE services cannot be issued in the absence of an

up-to-date Tax Clearance Certificate.


2.9 Outstanding Debts to the Department

Each application is checked against the Childcare Directorate's

database to confirm whether there is an outstanding debt due from

the provider in respect of the ECCE programme, and contracts may

not be entered into with services which have outstanding debts.

Where a contract is issued to such services, the debt will be

automatically deducted from future payments due.


2.10 Optional Additional Charges

It is a fundamental principle of the ECCE programme that

participating service providers must operate the pre-school

provision free to parents in return for the applicable capitation fee,

and parents should be given access to the service where their child

only attends the pre-school element. However, service providers

may charge parents for optional additional services as follows:

* hours which are additional to the free Pre-School Year

requirement. A sessional service provider,may offer an additional

30 minutes per day as an optional addition which can be charged

for.

This applies to sessional services only. In the case of a full or part-

time service, the service provider will offer additional hours to the

pre-school provision which they will charge for. A full day care or a

part-time service may choose to give a free pre-school place to a

child who will be availing of a full or part-time place over another

child who only wishes to avail of the free pre-school element of the

service, or may choose to only provide the free pre-school service

to children attending either full-time or part-time, as applicable.

This information should be included in the service’s Enrolment

Policy.

* optional additional services can also take the form of various one-

off or on-going activities or services such as outings, specific

teaching resources such as dance or music, and food, but must not

include activities which would generally be regarded as a normal

part of a pre-school service, e.g. general arts and crafts activities.

In all cases, service providers must ensure that parents are aware

that their agreement to additional hours or to any optional charge is

not compulsory, and that agreement to additional hours or optional

charges is not a condition of initial or continued enrolment (except

in the case of full-time or part-time services as outlined above). In

addition, appropriate programme-based activities must be provided

to children not participating in an optional activity where such

activities take place during the required period of pre-school

provision.

Booking deposits may be taken from parents provided that the

required deposit does not exceed four times the weekly capitation

fee applicable to the service, and provided it is repaid to parents by

the end of October 2013 (where the Childcare Directorate has

confirmed that the child is entitled to participate in the programme).

The service provider may seek voluntary donations from parents,

provided that such donations are not a condition of enrolment in the

ECCE programme, and are anonymous.

The Guide to completing the ECCE fees policy, which will be sent to

participating service providers by the local CCC, includes details

relating to the rules governing optional additional charges and

voluntary donations.


2.11 Closure of services, moving premises, or transfer of ownership

Closure of service

Where a participating pre-school service closes in the course of a

pre-school year, the provider must notify the Department and the

local CCC immediately. The CCC will advise in relation to placing

the children in another service and the completion of transfer

forms. Any funding that has already been paid to the closing

service for providing the pre-school year for a period beyond the

date of closure must be repaid to the Department. Capitation fees

in respect of any children transferring to a new service will be

transferred to the new service with effect from the date the child

commences in that service.

Moving premises

Where a participating pre-school service moves premises in the

course of a pre-school year, the provider must notify the

Department and the local CCC immediately. The Department and

the CCC will require details of the new address and any changes in

other contact details, such as telephone number or e-mail address.

A new contract will issue to the provider. As a new reference

number will be assigned to the service, transfer forms must be

completed in respect of all children in the service, even where all of

the children are transferring to the new premises. The transfer

forms must be returned to the Department.

Change of Ownership

Where there is a change of ownership of a service in the course of a

pre-school year, this change must be notified to the Department

and the local CCC as soon as possible. A Change of Ownership form

(ECCE Form 12 – Change of Ownership Form) must be completed,

requiring input from and the signatures of both the original owner

and the new owner. In addition, the new owner must complete an

ECCE application form and be approved for entry to the

programme. Both forms will be available from the CCC. On

approval, a new contract will be issued to the new owner. As the

new owner will be assigned a different reference number, transfer

forms must be completed in respect of all children in the service,

and returned to the Department.


3. Eligibility Criteria

Children qualify for the free pre-school year where they are aged

more than 3 years 2 months and less than 4 years 7 months at 1

September in the relevant pre-school year. This means that

children born between 2 February 2009 and 30 June 2010 (both

dates inclusive) will qualify for the programme in September 2013.

To avail of the

programme at any stage during the pre-school

year commencing

Children must have been born between

the following dates (both dates inclusive)




The objective of the ECCE programme is to make early learning in a

formal setting available to eligible children in the year before they

commence primary school. To achieve this, services participating in

the pre-school year are required to provide age-appropriate

activities and programmes to children within a particular age

cohort. For this reason, it is necessary to set minimum and

maximum limits to the age range within which children will qualify

to participate in the programme.

There are no exceptions to the lower age-limit.

The upper age limit of 4 years 6 months may be extended where a

child is not in a position to commence primary school until s/he is

more than 5 years 7 months of age, due either to the enrolment

policy of the local school or because s/he has been assessed as

developmentally delayed. Applications for an extension of the

upper age limit will be examined on a case-by-case basis (see

Section 8 of this Guide for more details).

Please note that under the Education and Welfare Act 2000 all

children must be enrolled in a primary school by the time they

reach their 6th birthday. Therefore, a child who will reach the age

of 6 in the course of the pre-school year commencing September

2013 will not be permitted to participate in the ECCE programme.

Parents should contact their local primary school or Special

Education Needs Organiser (www.ncse.ie).

Each eligible child is entitled to one free pre-school year, which

must be availed of in one continuous provision (e.g. from

September 2013 to June 2014). Children with special needs may

avail of a pro-rata provision over two years, provided they fulfil

certain conditions (see Section 8 of this Guide for more details).

The eligibility of each child enrolled in the ECCE programme will be

verified through the Department of Social Protection by reference to

the child’s date of birth and Personal Public Services Number

(PPSN). It is in the interest of service providers to request proof of

a child’s date of birth and PPSN, as any errors in these details on

the electronic return will result in payments being delayed while the

details are being validated manually. Proof of a child’s PPSN can

take the form of a copy of an official document or card showing the

child’s name and PPSN, e.g. a Drug Payment Scheme card, a

Medical Card, or a letter from the Department of Social Protection.

The Department of Education and Skills provides an Early Start

programme for pre-school children at risk of educational

disadvantage. Eligible children may be enrolled in either the Early

Start programme or the ECCE programme. Children are not eligible

to be enrolled in both programmes.

Where a child is availing of the Home Tuition programme

implemented by the DES, the total number of hours


4. Electronic Returns

Services who are contract to deliver the ECCE programme must

make an electronic return to the Childcare Directorate giving details

of all the children participating in the programme. Applicants who

have entered into contract will receive a Returns Information Pack,

normally in August. This pack contains blank Parent Declaration

forms / letters, instructions for completing and submitting the

return, and the Service Declaration Form. Services are required to

distribute the letters and forms to parents early in September.

Parents should be instructed to return the completed forms to the

service by a specified date, prior to the date on which the return is

required to be completed. The date by which the electronic return

must be submitted will be indicated in the Returns Information

Pack.

The service’s unique e-form password and user ID, enabling the

electronic return to be made, will be issued to the service by e-mail

prior to the date on which the return is required.

The information required to be included on the return includes

details of each child’s date of birth and Personal Public Service

Number (PPSN).

When the service has submitted its electronic return, the provider

should check with the CCC to confirm that the return has been

received by the Childcare Directorate.

The completed Parental Declaration forms and the completed

Service Declaration form must be returned to the Childcare

Directorate as soon as possible following submission of the

electronic return and after the service has confirmed with the local

CCC that the electronic return has been received by Childcare

Directorate.

The electronic returns from services are collated and examined by

the Childcare Directorate. The PPSNs of the children included on

the return are sent to the Department of Social Protection for

verification of the dates of birth.

On return from the Department of Social Protection, the verified

data is transferred to the ECCE database. The level of funding due

to each service is calculated, and each service is sent (by e-mail) a

list which includes details of the children included in their return,

the level of service for each child, and the status of their

verification. This process is normally completed by the end of

October each year.

If a child has been registered by a service on the electronic return,

but has never actually attended the service, Childcare Directorate

should be notified and no payment will be made in respect of that

child. The deposit received from the parent should cover any loss

to the service.


5. Payments

Because the actual amount due in respect of capitation fees for the

first term of the pre-school year will not be available until at least

the end of October each year, an advance payment to services is

made in late August. The advance payment covers the capitation

fee for the first 8 weeks of the September term. In the case of

services which participated in the programme during the previous

year, the advance payment is calculated (as a maximum) on the

basis of an 8 week payment for the number of children enrolled in

the programme in that service in the previous year. In the case of

services new to the programme, the advance payment will be

limited to an 8 week payment in respect of up to 5 children. The

issue of an advance payment is at the discretion of Childcare

Directorate.

Following verification of the data provided in the electronic returns,

a balancing payment is issued. This payment covers the total

amount due to the service for the first pre-school term based on the

number of children actually attending the service, and verified by

the Department of Social Protection as eligible for the programme,

minus the advance payment already made and minus any

overpayment carried forward from the previous contract period.

This balancing payment is usually made before the end of October.

Payment in respect of the January term is issued as early as

possible in January; payment in respect of the April term is issued

in early April.

Details of the pre-school terms and the expected payment dates for

the ECCE contract period commencing in September 2013 will be on

this website www.dcya.gov.ie closer to the time.

Service providers should note the following:

* Payments will not be made to services where the tax clearance

certificate provided is out-of-date; it is the responsibility of the

service provider to ensure that a current TCC has been submitted to

Childcare Directorate.

* The main term payments (i.e. the payments in October, January

and April) may not include adjustments in respect of children

moving into or out of the service for any reason. These

adjustments have to be processed manually, and may not have

been processed by the time the main term payment is calculated,

which is usually about a week before the payment issues. Where

an additional payment is due to providers in respect of a transfer,

this will be paid as soon as possible. Where a decrease in payment

applies, this amount will be deducted from future payments due.

* Where it is not possible to deduct overpayments from future

payments due within a particular contract period (i.e. if the funding

due to the provider will be insufficient to recover the overpayment),

service providers will be required to repay the amount by refunding

the funds directly to the Childcare Directorate. Contracts will not be

issued to providers in respect of future contract periods where

outstanding overpayments have not been refunded, or where

arrangements for repayment have not been agreed with the

Childcare Directorate.


6. Changes in enrolment details after the Electronic Returns have been submitted

6.1 New/Late Entrants

Where a child joins the pre-school service after the beginning of the

September term, and has not been included on the electronic

return, a new entrant application form must be completed (ECCE

Form 1 – New Entrant Form). The completed form, which requires

input from both the service provider and the parent, must be sent

to the Childcare Directorate, together with a copy of the child’s birth

certificate or passport and a copy of official proof of the child’s PPSN

(i.e. a copy of an official document or card showing the child’s name

and PPSN, e.g. a Drug Payment Scheme card, a Medical Card, or a

letter from the Department of Social Protection). When the details

have been checked and verified, the additional payment due to the

service provider will issue as soon as possible.


6.2 Transferring from one Service Provider to another

Parents may choose to transfer their children from one service to

another at any stage in the pre-school year. However, in order to

exercise this option, the parent must give notice of the transfer

request to the first provider at least 4 weeks in advance of the date

of transfer. (Please note that the 4 week notice period must be

ECCE programme weeks, i.e. they cannot include Christmas, Easter

or mid-term breaks.) Parents are required to complete a transfer

form (ECCE Form 2 – Transfer Form) which should also be

completed by the manager of the existing service, and then by the

manager of the new service. The form must then be submitted to

the Childcare Directorate so that the capitation fee for the child can

be transferred. The capitation fee will be transferred from the first

service provider to the second service provider with effect from the

date of the transfer. For this reason, both the first and the second

service providers should ensure that the correct date of transfer is

recorded on the form. Any capitation fee already issued to the first

service provider in respect of that child for a period following the

date of transfer will be deducted from future payments due to that

service.

If the form has not been fully and properly completed, processing of

the transfer request will be delayed. Parents and service providers

are advised to ensure that the transfer form is fully completed and

signed by all relevant parties.

If a child is registered as transferring into a service under the ECCE

programme, but never actually attends that service, Childcare

Directorate must be notified and no payment will be made in

respect of that child.

Where a child has not attended a service for a period of 4 weeks,

the provider must contact the Childcare Directorate to advise them

of the position, by completing and returning ECCE Form 3 - Child

Leaving ECCE Programme form.


6.3 Settling-In Period

Cases may arise where a parent, having enrolled his/her child in the

ECCE programme with a particular service provider, may

subsequently decide either that the child is not ready to start pre-

school, or that s/he would prefer to enrol the child with a different

service provider. To facilitate this, a “Settling-In Period” is

permitted at the beginning of each contract period. During this

period a parent may remove his/her child from a service and either

(a) defer the child’s place to the following year or (b) transfer the

child to a different service provider. In such circumstances, the

following arrangements relating to capitation fees will apply:

* The Settling-In Period covers the first four weeks of the

September term only. This means that, in relation to the

September 2013 contract period, the Settling-In Period finishes on

Friday 27th September 2013.

* If the parent decides to defer the ECCE place to the following

year, a deferral form (ECCE Form 7 – Deferral Form) must be

completed, signed by both the parent and the service provider, and

returned to the Childcare Directorate. The arrangements regarding

the capitation fee in cases of deferral are outlined in section 6.9.

* If the parent decides to transfer the child to another service

provider within the Settling-In Period, a transfer form (ECCE Form

11 – Settling-In Transfer Form) must be completed, signed and

dated by all parties ON OR BEFORE FRIDAY 27th SEPTEMBER 2013

and returned to the Childcare Directorate. In these circumstances,

the first service provider will receive a capitation fee in respect of

that child for not more than the first four weeks of the term, with

the second service provider receiving the capitation fee for the

remainder of the term.

If a child is registered with the new service but never actually

attends that service, Childcare Directorate must be notified and no

payment will be made in respect of that child.

Once the Settling-In Period has concluded, all transfers must be

dealt with in accordance with the procedures outlined in section 6.2

above.


6.4 Child ceasing to avail of the ECCE programme and

Child returning to the ECCE programme

Where a child leaves a service and is not enrolled in a new service,

the provider must contact the Childcare Directorate within 4 weeks

to advise them of the position, by completing and returning ECCE

Form 3 – Child leaving ECCE Programme. This situation will

normally arise where the child is leaving the country, or starting

primary school. Where the circumstances are known to the service

provider, they should be noted on the form.

Where such circumstances arise, any ECCE funding already paid by

the Childcare Directorate in respect of the child will be deducted

from future payments due. The amount of the deduction will

depend on the date on which the child ceased attending the pre-

school service.

Where a child enrolled in the ECCE programme has not attended the

service for four consecutive weeks for any reason other than the

circumstances outlined in the previous paragraphs, the service

provider must contact Childcare Directorate immediately to notify

them of the position by completing and returning ECCE Form 3. If

the child returns to the service to resume participation in the ECCE

programme, payment will be restored following submission by the

service provider of a completed and signed ECCE Form 13 – Child

returning to ECCE programme. The date from which the payment is

restored will be determined by the Department, and will depend on

the circumstances of the case. If the parent wishes to defer the

child’s place to the following year, this will be subject to the

procedures outlined in section 6.9.


6.5 Transfer from the ECCE programme to the

Community Childcare Subvention Programme (CCS), or from the CCS to the ECCE programme

There is no entitlement to transfer from the ECCE programme to the

CCS, or vice versa in the course of the September to August period

other than in the circumstances described in paragraphs 6.5.1,

6.5.2, and 6.5.3 below.


6.5.1. Settling-In Transfer from the ECCE programme to the CCS programme

Where a child has commenced the ECCE programme in September,

but the parent decides to avail of the CCS programme instead, a

CCS Form 3 – Settling In Transfer form must be completed by the

ECCE service provider and the parent. Such transfers must take

place before 27th September 2013. A CCS Parent Declaration form

must also be completed by the parent during the CCS snapshot

week. If the child does not appear on the CCS electronic

return, the transfer will not be permitted.

If the child will still be within the eligible age-range to avail of the

ECCE programme in the following pre-school year, ECCE Form 7 –

Deferral form (see section 6.9 below) must be completed in order

for the child to be permitted to avail of the programme the following

year.


6.5.2. Transfer from the CCS programme to the ECCE

programme between January and March 2014

A CCS to ECCE transfer, from a CCS service provider to an ECCE

service provider, will be permitted between 1st November 2013 and

11th April 2014 provided the CCS provider agrees to the CCS

funding in respect of that child being stopped with effect from the

date of transfer. If eligible, the child will then be permitted to

participate in the ECCE programme. A CCS Form 5 – CCS to ECCE

transfer form must be completed and returned to Childcare

Directorate together with a copy of the child’s birth certificate or

passport, and official proof of the child’s PPSN. If the CCS provider

refuses the transfer request, no ECCE funding in respect of that

child can be paid to the new provider.


6.5.3. Transfer from the ECCE programme to the CCS

programme between January and March 2014

A child may leave the ECCE programme at any time. However there

are no new places allowed in the CCS programme after the e-return

has been completed in October 2013. Therefore, no transfers

between the ECCE programme to the CCS programme are

permitted after the e-return has been submitted.


6.6 Transfer from the ECCE programme to the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS)

programme

Where a child who was included in the ECCE programme return

takes up a new place under the CETS programme, either within the

same childcare service or in a different service, his or her

entitlement to ECCE should immediately be transferred to CETS by

completing and returning ECCE Form 4 – Transfer from ECCE to

CETS Form to the Childcare Directorate. If the CETS placement

ceases, and the child is to be transferred back to the ECCE

programme, ECCE Form 5 – Transfer back to ECCE from CETS must

be completed and returned to the Childcare Directorate.

Where the child is taking up a CETS place in a different childcare

service, the childcare service where the child had been enrolled for

the ECCE programme is entitled to continue to receive the ECCE

capitation fee for a period of four weeks after the commencement of

the CETS place. Where the child is taking up a CETS place in the

same childcare service, the ECCE capitation will cease with effect

from the date the CETS place starts.


6.7 Transfer from CETS programme to ECCE programme

If a child is in a CETS place from the start of the pre-school year

and the placement ends at a later point in the pre-school year, he

or she may enter the ECCE programme in the same service or a

different service on submission to Childcare Directorate of the

completed ECCE Form 1 – New Entrant Form. The service provider

of the service where the child was availing of the CETS place should

notify the local CCC that the CETS place has ceased.


6.8 Change in level of service

Where a parent wishes to increase or decrease the number of days

a child is attending per week, ECCE Form 6 – Change in Level of

Service Form must be completed and returned to Childcare

Directorate. The resulting increase or decrease in capitation will be

applied to the service provider’s payments with effect from the date

on which the change in level of service took place, as noted on the

form and signed off by both the service provider and the parent.


6.9 Deferral of ECCE place to the following year

Where a parent, having enrolled a child in the ECCE programme,

subsequently decides that it would be more beneficial for the child

to defer the pre-school year until the following year, s/he may apply

for a deferral. Such applications require completion and submission

of ECCE Form 7 – Deferral Form and can only be made where

the child will still fulfil the eligibility criteria for admission to

the programme in the September of the following year. If the

deferral application is approved, any capitation fees already paid to

the service provider in respect of that child will be recouped from

the service provider by the Department. For this reason, the

deferral application form must be signed by the service provider as

well as the parent.

Please note that applications for deferral will only be accepted in the

course of the first two terms (i.e. up to Easter) of the pre-school

year.

Example: A parent starts their child in the ECCE programme in the

first week of September, and then decides in the 5th week of the

first term that his/her child is not ready for pre-school, and notifies

the service immediately.

As this child will already have benefited from the pre-school service

for five weeks, it will be up to the service provider and the parent to

agree arrangements in respect of fees due. Such arrangements

may need to take account of the provider’s terms and conditions of

enrolment with regard to the giving of notice, refund of deposits

etc. A deferral form is then completed and signed by both parties

and submitted to the DCYA. On receipt of the completed form, the

DCYA will deduct any funding already paid to the service in respect

of the child.

It should be noted that, once the deferral form has been signed by

both parties, the DCYA will proceed on the basis that agreement in

respect of any fees due to the service has been reached.


6.10 Appeals

Where it has not been possible for the Childcare Directorate to

verify the eligibility of a child for the ECCE programme (generally

due to the provision of an incorrect PPSN), capitation fees will not

be paid to the service provider in respect of that child. Parents or

service providers may appeal this by writing to the Childcare

Directorate, providing evidence of the child's date of birth and PPSN

(i.e. a copy of the child’s birth cert and a copy of an official

document or card showing the child’s name and PPSN, e.g. a Drug

Payment Scheme card, a Medical Card, or a letter from the

Department of Social Protection). The correspondence should be

marked “ECCE Appeals”.

Each appeal is examined and, where entitlement is established, the

child is approved for participation in the programme and the

appropriate payment will issue to the service provider.


7. Compliance

Services participating in the ECCE programme must permit

representatives and agents of the Department to visit the facility

and inspect financial and other records for the purpose of

confirming the service’s compliance with the Terms and Conditions

of the programme. From September 2013, all such inspections will

be unannounced. In addition, the Parent Declaration Forms will

include provision for the parent to agree that a representative or

agent of the Department may contact him/her to discuss issues

regarding the delivery of the programme to their child. Such issues

may include the notification to parents of optional additional

charges, or the pattern of attendance of their child.

8. Applications to waive the upper age limit and for pro-rata arrangements for children with special needs

Children with special needs

Parents who wish to apply for a waiver of the upper age limit or to

avail of the pre-school year on a pro-rata basis over two years (e.g.

2 days per week in year 1 and 3 days per week in year 2) on the

grounds that their child has special needs, must apply in writing to

the Childcare Directorate not later than 1st July of each year.

The Childcare Directorate will require the following details before

making a decision:

i) a copy of the child's Birth Certificate

ii) evidence of the child’s PPSN (i.e. a copy of an official document

or card showing the child’s name and PPSN, e.g. a Drug Payment

Scheme card, a Medical Card, or a letter from the Department of

Social Protection).

iii) the name and address of the pre-school service in which the

child will be enrolled,

AND

(iv) a detailed assessment report from the HSE, or treating

consultant confirming that the child has 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.

School admission policies

Parents may apply for a waiver of the upper age limit where their

child will not be able to commence primary school until they are

aged at least 5 years and 7 months, due to the local primary

schools' admissions policies, on condition that the child has not

already availed of the ECCE Programme.

Applications should be made to the Childcare Directorate not later

than 1st July each year. The Directorate will require the following

details before making a decision:

i) a copy of the child's Birth Certificate

ii) evidence of the child’s PPSN (i.e. a copy of an official document

or card showing the child’s name and PPSN, e.g. a Drug Payment

Scheme card, a Medical Card, or a letter from the Department of

Social Protection).

iii) the name and address of the pre-school service in which the

child will be enrolled,

AND

(iv) a letter from the Principal of the local primary school

confirming the age admissions policy.

Please note that under the Education and Welfare Act 2000 all

children must be enrolled in a primary school by the time they

reach their 6th birthday. Therefore, a child who will reach the age

of 6 in the course of the pre-school year commencing September

2013 will not be permitted to participate in the ECCE programme.

Parents should contact their local primary school or Special

Education Needs Organiser (www.ncse.ie).

Childcare Directorate

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

July 2013


Appendix 1 – Forms

ECCE Form 1 – New Entrant Form

ECCE Form 2 – Transfer Form (from ECCE to ECCE)

ECCE Form 3 – Child leaving ECCE Programme

ECCE Form 4 – Transfer from ECCE to CETS Form

ECCE Form 5 – Transfer back to ECCE from CETS

ECCE Form 6 – Change in Level of Service Form

ECCE Form 7 – Deferral Form

ECCE Form 8 – New Applicants EFT Form

ECCE Form 9 – EFT Form, Change in Bank Details

ECCE form 10 - Higher Capitation

ECCE Form 11 – Settling-in Transfer Form (from ECCE to ECCE)

ECCE Form 12 – Change of Ownership Form

ECCE Form 13 - Child returning to the ECCE Programme

CCS Form 4 – Settling in Transfer Form (from ECCE to CCS)

CCS Form 6 - CCS to ECCE Transfer form

Appendix 2 – City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs)

Contact details for City/County Childcare Committees

Appendix 3 – Qualifications – Frequently Asked Questions


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