The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme provides early childhood care and education for children of pre-school age.
Children can start ECCE when they are 2 years and 8 months of age and continue until they transfer to primary school (provided that they are not older than 5 years and 6 months at the end of the pre-school year).
The State pays participating playschools and daycare services a set amount per child for the ECCE service. In return, participating centres and playschools provide a pre-school service free of charge to all children within the qualifying age range. The service is for a set number of hours over a set period of weeks.
You may get financial support from the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) towards the cost of childcare for the hours spent outside of ECCE. Your child cannot be enrolled in the ECCE Programme and Early Start Programme at the same time.
The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) offers financial support to families for early learning and childcare costs. It provides two types of subsidies for children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years:
To apply for the NCS, you can use the official NCS portal with a verified MyGovID or request a postal application through the Parent Support Centre at 01 906 8530. Once approved, the subsidy is paid directly to your chosen Tusla-registered childcare provider, reducing your overall childcare costs.
Our childcare funding options aim to alleviate financial pressures and foster a nurturing environment where children can explore, learn, and grow. Contact us to learn more about eligibility and how to apply.