During the first 2 full years of the
scheme, as an interim measure the Pre-school Leader must be able to demonstrate
that he or she has achieved a certification for an award in ECCE that includes
significant content relating to early childhood education/early learning and
child development, health and welfare and has at least 2 years experience of
working in a position of responsibility with children in the 0-6 age
range.By September 2012 every
Pre-school Leader must have at least a full FETAC Level 5 qualification in
childcare.
Birth
Dates for eligibility to ECCE
The birth dates for children to be eligible for entry to the ECCE scheme
on
1 January 2010
are from
2 February 2005
to
30June 2006.The eligibility dates for children for entry
to the ECCE scheme on
1
September 2010 are
2
February 2006 to
30
June 2007.Please note that
children born between 2 February 2006 and 30 June 2006 are eligible for entry to
ECCE in both January and September 2010 but parents must decide which free
pre-school year they wish to avail of as only one free pre-school year
applies.The
exemption regarding children with special needs will continue to apply, as will
the exemption where the local school admission policy makes it impossible for
the child to otherwise avail of the ECCE place.(See Exemptions below)
Exemptions
Exemptions can be made where children are over
the eligibility age requirement due to special needs or by virtue of the local national
school’s entry age policy requires the child commence junior infants aged over
5 years and 7 months.Parents of children
with special needs should write to the OMCYA seeking an exemption enclosing either
a
HSE assessment or that of a
consultant (N.B. a G.P.’s note will not suffice).The other exemption will require parents to
provide a letter from the Principal of the local national school specifying
their entry age policy and the enrolment of the children in their school.Where exemptions are being sought please inform
parents of these requirements and that applications for an exemption should be
made as soon as possible to OMCYA for early decisions.Otherwise ECCE payments based on an exemption
not previously applied for cannot be guaranteed.
Processing
applications
Providers should return the Electronic Fund
Transfer form (EFT), current tax clearance certificate, pre-school leaders
qualifications and any supporting documentation relating to a 4 day service
where it applies.Contracts will issue
to providers during October.
New capitation rate for higher quality services
In keeping with the commitment of the Government
to increasing standards in the pre-school sector, sanction has been obtained
for a higher rate of capitation in sessional playschool services where (a) all
the pre-school leaders have a childcare / early years educational qualification
at FETAC level 7 or 8 (i.e. degree level) and 3 years experience of working in
the pre-school sector, and (b) all the pre-school assistants have the
qualifications required for a pre-school leader under the general provisions of
the scheme. (Full FETAC level 5) The
higher rate amounts to €75 per week (€2,850 p.a.), and applies to sessional
services operating under the 38 week (and 41 week) option(s) of the scheme,
although these can be co-located with a full-day 50-week service (which will
not qualify for the higher rate).
The ratios applicable generally to the ECCE
scheme apply to the higher capitation rate i.e. there must be 1 leader to 1
assistant.Each childcare worker can
deliver the pre-school year at a ratio of 1 leader/assistant to 10
children.This means that for 10
children there must be 1 leader, for 20 children there must be 1 leader and 1
assistant, for 30 children there must be 2 leaders and 1 assistant, and so on.
N.B.To
avail of the higher capitation rate, all childcare staff in a service must hold
qualifications which meet the requirements set out above.This includes childcare staff in a service which
is providing a sessional playschool service to children outside of the ECCE age
range.For example, if a sessional
playschool caters for forty children aged 3 to 5 years and engages four
childcare staff for this purpose, two of the staff must hold a childcare/early years educationqualification at level 7 or 8 and two must hold a childcare/early years eduction qualification
equivalent to FETAC level 5.
Rates exemption for sessional services
The Valuation Office has agreed that, from
January, ECCE funded sessional services which are funded "wholly or
mainly" from Exchequer funds are exempt from commercial rates under the
Act, provided they are used exclusively for educational purposes, such as ECCE.This does not include services which are
mainly funded from parental fees.
The Valuation Office is particularly insistent
that mandatory ("top-up") fees can not be levied by exempt services,
and that measures must be in place to ensure compliance with this, and the role
of the CCCs in ensuring compliance with the scheme was of particular importance
in their decision.Services however, who
give the parents the option of the extra half hour and charge an appropriate
fee can avail of the exemption.
The OMCYA will supply the Valuation Office with
a schedule of services which would, from the information supplied to us,
qualify for this exemption, although they will reserve the right to inspect
premises to ensure the exemption has not been granted in error.
The Valuation Office also confirmed that
community based childcare facilities can be considered for exemption, but this
is done on a case-by-case basis.
Number
of weeks/days for January 2010 ECCE scheme
The following are the levels of service
required under the various options:
(a)3 hours per day for 5 days a
week over 23 weeks (111 days) during the period January to June 2010
(b)subject to agreement, 3 hours 30
minutes per day for 4 days a week over 25 weeks (95 days) during the period
January to July 2010
(c)2 hours 15 minutes per day for
5 days a week over 34 weeks (148 days) during the period January to August 2010
(d)subject to agreement, of 3
hours 45 minutes per day for 3 days a week over 34 weeks (89 days) during the
period January to August 2010.
Contact Galway City & County Childcare Committee
at 091 752039 or email mail@galwaychildcare.com
if you have any queries about the above information
