Extra "free" preschool year

Millem

I am just trying to get my head around this as my boy will be 3 in January 2017.
I read on citizens information that you join the scheme in September, January, or April. I presume it is the 1st? If so my boy can only join from April. Does get more hours per week paid for? (Read something old on a government website that weekly grant is more if starting it later?)

I am viewing a stand alone montesorri in 2 weeks for next year and a crèche (in case he is not toilet trained . Both accept the ECCE scheme.

January

It's not starting until Sept 2016.

Diamond Doll

Millem wrote: »

I am just trying to get my head around this as my boy will be 3 in January 2016.
I read on citizens information that you join the scheme in September, January, or April. I presume it is the 1st? If so my boy can only join from April. Does get more hours per week paid for? (Read something old on a government website that weekly grant is more if starting it later?)

I am viewing a stand alone montesorri in 2 weeks for next year and a crèche (in case he is not toilet trained . Both accept the ECCE scheme.

Millem he'll only be 2 in January 2016! (We were in the January 2014 mums group together.)

Millem

Diamond Doll wrote: »

Millem he'll only be 2 in January 2016! (We were in the January 2014 mums group together.)

Gosh sorry I am getting all confused!! I will edit original post
Sorry he is enrolling in sept 2016 but won't be 3 until January 2017

Primary school is sept 2018.

January

Haha that's ok then, I'm presuming the January 2016 intake will be just for kids that turn 3 on or before January 1st or they may have a mid date of January in mind.

I doubt he'll get more hours paid for though.

Moonbeam

Here it is summed up - http://www.dcya.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=3624

Millem

January wrote: »

Haha that's ok then, I'm presuming the January 2016 intake will be just for kids that turn 3 on or before January 1st or they may have a mid date of January in mind.

I doubt he'll get more hours paid for though.

I think your right January
There was this old link on the Montessori's school website http://www.dcya.gov.ie/documents/childcare/ecce_scheme_pack/guide_for_parents_final_240909.pdf
It says that the gov pay €48.50 per week but if child starts in January they pay €64.50

Ms2011

So my son is doing his ECCE year this year, does that mean he will be able to register for an extra year starting Sept 2016 or is it just new applicant that this applies to??

January

Ms2011 wrote: »

So my son is doing his ECCE year this year, does that mean he will be able to register for an extra year starting Sept 2016 or is it just new applicant that this applies to??

He can also do Sept 2016.

Q. My child is eligible for ECCE this year but as I don’t intend on him/her starting primary school until September 2017 I was waiting until September 2016 to use the ECCE entitlement. If I register my child for the ECCE Programme now will s/he also be eligible for ECCE for the 2016/17 Programme year?

A. Currently, children who are aged between 3 years 2 months and 4 years 7 months (Born between 2nd February 2011 and 30th June 2012 inclusive) are eligible for 38 weeks’ of free pre-school when they register for the programme.

The change announced in Budget 2016 means that, from September 2016, children will be able to register for free pre-school when they are aged 3, and will be able to remain in pre-school until they make the transition to primary school (provided they are not older 5 years 6 months at the end of the pre-school year i.e. the end of June).

The change to the pre-school programme announced in yesterday's budget take effect from September 2016.

Children who are currently enrolled for the free pre-school programme (i.e. on the basis of the eligibility criteria which applied in September this year) will be able to continue in the programme in September 2016 - once they are not older than 5 years and 6 months at the end of the current pre-school year i.e. June 2017)

From September 2016 the minimum enrolment age for free pre-school is age 3. years 7 months (Born between 2nd February 2011 and 30th June 2012 inclusive) are eligible for 38 weeks’ of free pre-school when they register for the programme.

The change announced in Budget 2016 means that, from September 2016, children will be able to register for free pre-school when they are aged 3, and will be able to remain in pre-school until they make the transition to primary school (provided they are not older 5 years 6 months at the end of the pre-school year i.e. the end of June).

The change to the pre-school programme announced in yesterday's budget take effect from September 2016.

Children who are currently enrolled for the free pre-school programme (i.e. on the basis of the eligibility criteria which applied in September this year) will be able to continue in the programme in September 2016 - once they are not older than 5 years and 6 months at the end of the current pre-school year i.e. June 2017)

From September 2016 the minimum enrolment age for free pre-school is age 3.

monflat

So to clarify a child born between 2 feb 2011 and 30 th June 12 can avail of a free year now and another free year in sept 16
They then will start school in
Sept 2017 5 yrs and a few months old?

Ms2011

That's great, was on the fence as to whether or not to start him in primary school at 4.5 or 5.5, was leaning more towards 5.5 but didn't know what to do with him for the year in between, this has definitely helped make my mind up

pwurple

Ah Ffs. So they have changed the starting age from 3 years 2 months to 3 years? Basically shifting the birthday slightly so shedloads of children won't qualify. What a load of complete tripe. We will still only get one year so.

Millem

pwurple wrote: »

Ah Ffs. So they have changed the starting age from 3 years 2 months to 3 years? Basically shifting the birthday slightly so shedloads of children won't qualify. What a load of complete tripe. We will still only get one year so.

Yes pwurple....best case scenario for us is 1 year and from April of previous year. Tbh if you work full time it won't really make a huge saving
I don't see why they couldn't tackle the actual problem of childcare fees ie €1000 per month for a baby in a creche :mad: I work with a girl who had a baby then twins a year later...she has been on career brea because her childcare bill was going to be €2,400 :eek:

pwurple

I'm grasping, but Maybe the 'termtime' of play school will cover the summer? Starting in April for a few weeks and then summer off could be unsettling for a child that age.

cyning

I think the whole thing is they want to stop kids going to school until they are 5 or just 5...

S was born in March so will start in April and get two years and 3 months: she won't be starting school until she's 5. Which we had decided anyway even before this.

yellow hen

cyning wrote: »

I think the whole thing is they want to stop kids going to school until they are 5 or just 5...

S was born in March so will start in April and get two years and 3 months: she won't be starting school until she's 5. Which we had decided anyway even before this.

My son is the same as your little one cyning. I had already decided he'd start school at 5.5 so this just makes the financial pain a little easier.

strongback

cyning wrote: »

I think the whole thing is they want to stop kids going to school until they are 5 or just 5...

S was born in March so will start in April and get two years and 3 months: she won't be starting school until she's 5. Which we had decided anyway even before this.

I'm a bit confused. It seems to me that the length in weeks of the second free pre school year is dependent on what month a child is born.

My boy was born in February 2014 so it seems he will get to errol in the 3 rd term of 2017 and the 12 weeks April to June will be one of his preschool years. His second free preschool year will be Sept 2017 to June 2018.

The government said the average length of the new free preschool year will be 23 weeks. If a child is born in the summer they will get the full two years.


Here's an explanation I read on one of the big cresches website.

Some examples of how we expect it will work from September 2016:

• If a child turns three in August 2016, they will join the ECCE programme in September 2016 and will remain in pre-school until they choose to start school in either September 2017 or September 2018.

• If a child turns three in November 2016, they will join the scheme in January 2017 and stay until they start school in September 2018.

• If a child turns three in February 2017, they would join pre-school in April 2017 and stay in the ECCE programme until they start school in September 2018.

cyning

That's completely unfair... I had read it differently. So basically a few extra weeks? Fantastic altogether.

John Mason

this is all speculation, the finer details haven't been pinned down yet.

I think this is great, my monkey wont be starting until he is 5.5, I had planned on deferring his free year until the year before he went to big school!

Professionally this is a nightmare for me, I am dying a little inside just thinking about all the additional meetings and arguments this is going to cause. LOL

pwurple

Yes, looks like a birthday lottery. If the child is born in May, June, July or August the parents get the most benefit from this.

New random edict:
Henceforth, the population is to have procreative sex only in September, October, November or December. All children conceived outside this window will be penalised accordingly.

:pac:

Spread the love

So glad they brought in a 2nd year. My daughter is an August baby and I don't think she'll be ready for school when she's just turned 4. The only thing is for variation, I want her to do the 2 years in 2 separate preschools. My local Naionra are great but she'd just be doing the same thing 2 years in a row and I obviously don't want that. I'm thinking of sending her to another preschool further away for her first year in September 2016. I'm wondering how this might work and does anyone know if she was in for the full week, how much approx would this cost?

Neyite

It's worked out well for us. Toddler is in his ECCE year since last month, but I'd also made the decision to hold off school until he was just gone 5, which would have meant that I'd have had another year of full crèche fees. I know I wont get a full year out of it, but it will make a nice dent in the overall crèche bill.

John Mason

Spread the love wrote: »

So glad they brought in a 2nd year. My daughter is an August baby and I don't think she'll be ready for school when she's just turned 4. The only thing is for variation, I want her to do the 2 years in 2 separate preschools. My local Naionra are great but she'd just be doing the same thing 2 years in a row and I obviously don't want that. I'm thinking of sending her to another preschool further away for her first year in September 2016. I'm wondering how this might work and does anyone know if she was in for the full week, how much approx would this cost?

there is no problem in changing crèches. you just get the old crèche to complete a leavers form (well that is the situation at the moment, who knows what will happen next year).

the cost would depend on the facility

Lucuma

Neyite wrote: »

It's worked out well for us. Toddler is in his ECCE year since last month, but I'd also made the decision to hold off school until he was just gone 5, which would have meant that I'd have had another year of full crèche fees. I know I wont get a full year out of it, but it will make a nice dent in the overall crèche bill.

Does the creche charge you less if your child spends part of the day in pre-school then?

John Mason

Lucuma wrote: »

Does the creche charge you less if your child spends part of the day in pre-school then?

you get a reduction of 62.50 or 48.50 each week. Depending on whether you are on 38 or 50 week

cyning

Here it seems to be what I was saying originally alright: https://www..ie/briefing-for-members-budget-2016/

Basically a child born Jan - March will get two full years and 3 months of 3 hours per day...

Millem

cyning wrote: »

Here it seems to be what I was saying originally alright: https://www..ie/briefing-for-members-budget-2016/

Basically a child born Jan - March will get two full years and 3 months of 3 hours per day...

Can't get link to work! But I presume that is if I delay sending him to primary school? I work full time so I would have an extra years (big)bill of childcare after ECCE scheme payment

pwurple

cyning wrote: »

Here it seems to be what I was saying originally alright: https://www..ie/briefing-for-members-budget-2016/

Basically a child born Jan - March will get two full years and 3 months of 3 hours per day...

I think that's only if you keep them out of school until they are nearly 6.

cyning

https://www.earlychildhoodireland.ie/briefing-for-members-budget-2016/

Sorry right link there now I hope!

S will be starting at 5.5... I think 4.5 is too early but I know lots of people don't so she will get a decent amount of time.

RentDayBlues

My second is a Feb baby so we're in the process of deciding what to do. She's wel beyond her age as it is and I can't imagine keeping her off any form of school until September 2017, because although the scheme allows enrolments in April no where will be able to take her as they will all be full! It's ridiculous, it should have been an extra year with the same conditions

Suucee

My daughter was doing 2 days a week in preschool since sept. I was paying. She would have been eligible for free yr since she was 3yrs 4mnths in sept but i had planned on starting school at 5.4. So now we are going to get a refund for what we paid already. The preschool doesnt have space for 5 days but will give her 3 under the ecce. Im happy with that though. Then next yr she will do it again 5 days a week.

My son was a march baby. He will be 3 march 2017. I had planned on starting him sept 2017 but now you have me a lil confused cyning. I dont think they could really get that extra out of it. I was planning sept 2017 and sept 2018 and school 2019. Its confusing now with the april intake. No way will i send him to school at 4.
Ill ask As preschool next week. Its so far away anyway sure it will probably have changed by then again.