The ECCE Approved Provider shall have a minimum daily enrolment of 8 children in preschool
room sessions who are eligible for the ECCE Programme. Subject to compliance with all other
contractual requirements, exceptions will be considered by the Minister (through the CCCs) in the
case of:
a) ECCE Approved Providers who have a daily enrolment of at least 8 children, but for good
reason, only 3 or more are in the ECCE Programme and the remainder are between the ages
2½ years and 6 years.
b) Services limited by capacity but are considered appropriate settings for delivery of the
preschool programme and have a daily enrolment of not fewer than 5 ECCE eligible children in preschool room sessions.
c) A service that has a full ECCE room and has additional children eligible for ECCE in another room that is delivering the ECCE preschool programme to a daily enrolment of not fewer than 5 children subject to the requirement that ECCE staff qualification criteria are met.
d) Tusla-registered childminders with a daily enrolment of 5 children between the ages of 2½ years and 6 years.
e) A Service has a minimum of 4 children in a childcare service, who are all eligible for the ECCE Programme and is based in an area where no other ECCE provision is available to Parents/Guardians.
All staff working with children in early year’s services will have to have a minimum Level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework qualification in early years care and education, or an equivalent qualification by December 2016.
In addition, by December 2016, Preschool Leaders delivering the free Pre-School Year programme will have to have a minimum Level 6 qualification, or equivalent.
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 acceptable. Services which are already participating in the programme are required to ensure that a renewed TCC is provided to the Childcare Directorate when it falls due. Contracts will not be issued to a service until the TCC is received by the Childcare Directorate. No payments in respect of ECCE services will be issued in the absence of an up-to-date Tax Clearance Certificate.
For further information on the ECCE Programme including the Rules for ECCE Programme, Valid for the 2025/2026 Programme Year and Information on Minimum Enrolment Exemptions: Click Here
Old Mullingar Area Office (inside gates at right of Arts Centre),
Mount Street, Mullingar,Co Westmeath
Tel: 044 9335454
info@westmeathchildcare.ie
CHY NO: 14993
© 2021 Westmeath County Childcare Committee
Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Designed by Click Media
