The Green Party introduced a new scheme that began in January 2010 to provide a free Pre-School year for all children, giving young families a helping hand in the crucial early years

Under the scheme, parents can avail of a free pre-school year for their children when they are between 3 and years 3 months and 4 years and 6 months old in September of the relevant year.  At the start of the next pre-school year In September 2011, children will be eligible for the scheme if they were born on or between 2 February 2007 and 30 June 2008.

What is the scheme?
The free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is a scheme designed to give children access to a free Pre-School Year of appropriate programme-based activities in the year before they start primary school. Participation in a pre-school programme provides children with their first formal experience of early learning, the starting-point of their educational and social development outside the home. Children who avail of pre-school are more likely to be ready for school and a formal learning and social environment.

Where can I enrol my child?
Almost every pre-school service is participating in the scheme. A list of services in your area can be obtained from your local City and County Childcare Committee - or look below for a list of services in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. Parents can contact services in their area to arrange for enrolment. If your child is already attending a pre-school service, whether it is a playschool or a full or part-time daycare service, you can also ask the service provider if they are participating in the scheme. The upper age limit of 4 years 6 months will be extended where a child cannot start primary school until s/he is more than 5 years 6 months of age, due to either the enrolment policy of the local schools or having been assessed as developmentally delayed.

How is the Pre-School Year provided?
Children attending a sessional playschool service, typically provided for about 3 hours each day, will normally receive pre-school year sessions for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week over 38 weeks. The standard weekly capitation fee in these cases is €64.50. Children attending a full or part-time daycare service will normally receive pre-school year sessions for 2 hours 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week over 50 weeks. To facilitate parents whose children attend a full or part-time service for only 3 days a week, the service may provide 3 daily sessions of 3 hours 45 minutes each week. The weekly capitation fee in these cases is €48.50. Some sessional playschools may choose to open for 50 weeks in the year rather than 38, in which case they will provide daily sessions of 2 hours 15 minutes, and full or part-time services may choose to also provide sessional playschool services in which case the 38 week model may apply.

How is the Pre-School Year funded?
Services participating in the scheme will be paid a capitation fee for each qualifying child enrolled. In return, the service will be required to provide an appropriate programme of activities in early childhood care and education (ECCE) which will be free to parents.

Do parents have to pay additional charges to the service for the free Pre-School Year?
No, services in the scheme must provide the pre-school year free to parents. A service may charge parents for additional services as long as (a) these are provided on an optional basis and (b) appropriate programme based activities are provided to children not participating in an optional activity. For example, a service can offer an additional activity such as music or dance classes which parents can choose to avail of for a charge. If they do not wish to avail of this activity, their child must continue to be provided with an appropriate alternative activity. Services can also charge for hours which are additional to the free pre-school provision e.g. if a child is in a full-day service for 10 hours, a parent should expect to pay for the 7 hours, 45 minutes per day which are not free. An additional 30 minutes per day, which would be charged for, may be offered to a child in a sessional playschool. Outings, birthday parties, snacks, etc can also be charged for, provided they are optional for parents.

Participating pre-school services in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown:

This is a list of pre-schools in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown constituency. For a longer list of pre-schools in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council area, as well as maps and contact details for the pre-schools listed below, click here.

• Naionra Naithi, Ballybrack
• Naionra Phadraig, Ballybrack
• Startright Preschool, Ballybrack
• Ardagh Froebel, Blackrock
• Blackrock Community Playgroup, Blackrock
• Carbury Place Montessori & Nursery, Blackrock
• Cocos Creche, Blackrock
• Discoveries Creche & Montessori, Blackrock
• Guardian Angels Montessori School, Blackrock
• Hollypark Montessori, Blackrock
• Open Door Montessori School, Blackrock
• Our World Montessori, Blackrock
• Rowan House Montessori, Blackrock
• Simba's Playgroup and Montessori, Blackrock
• Katherine Dunn Montessori Preschool, Booterstown
• The Children's House (IMEB), Booterstown
• The Park Academy, Cherrywood
• Bayview Montessori Ltd, Dalkey
• Dalkey Community Preschool Playgroup Ltd, Dalkey
• Dalkey Montessori, Dalkey
• Dalkey Park Montessori School, Dalkey
• Little Acres Montessori School, Dalkey
• Tarva Playgroup, Dalkey
• Headstart Preschool Montessori, Deansgrange
• Red Robin Montessori, Deansgrange
• The Alphabet Jungle, Deansgrange
• Casa Rosa Dominican Montessori Preschool, Dun Laoghaire
• Koala Childcare, Dun Laoghaire
• Once Upon a Time, Dun Laoghaire
• Petals Preschool Playgroup, Dun Laoghaire
• Poppets Childcare, Dun Laoghaire
• Raglan Child Care Centre, Dun Laoghaire
• Sharavogue Creche, Montessori & Junior School, Dun Laoghaire|Glenageary
• St Nicholas Montessori School, Dun Laoghaire
• St. Joseph's Montessori, Dun Laoghaire
• The Basement Project, Dun Laoghaire|Monkstown
• Tir Na Nog Creche & Montessori, Dun Laoghaire
• York Road Montessori School, Dun Laoghaire
• CJ's Playschool, Glasthule
• Glenageary Montessori School, Glenageary
• Magical Days, Glenageary
• Sharavogue Creche, Montessori & Junior School, Dun Laoghaire|Glenageary
• Brooklands Montessori, Killiney
• Hanahoes Froebel School, Killiney
• Noelle's Montessori, Killiney
• Plays Cool Preschool, Killiney
• Room To Grow, Killiney
• Startright Preschool, Ballybrack|Cabinteely|Killiney
• Giraffe ChildCare Ltd, Loughlinstown
• Mulberry Childcare, Loughlinstown
• Monkstown Day Nursery Community Playgroup, Monkstown
• Monkstown Grove Montessori School, Monkstown
• Monkstown Montessori School, Monkstown
• Naionra Lorcain, Monkstown
• The Basement Project, Dun Laoghaire|Monkstown
• The Crescent Creche and Montessori School, Monkstown
• Wee Care Day Nursery, Monkstown
• Coolevin Montessori, Mount Merrion
• Fontanelles, Mount Merrion
• Childplay, Sallynoggin
• Sallynoggin Community Preschool, Sallynoggin
• The Willows Childcare Centre, Sallynoggin
• Discoveries Creche & Montessori, Shankill
• Eaton Wood Montessori School, Shankill
• Heatherfield Playgroup, Shankill
• Ladybirds Community Playgroup, Shankill
• Meadowbrook Montessori, Shankill
• Naionra Pobail Seanchill, Teo Shankill
• Playdays Playschool, Shankill
• Rathmichael Montessori School, Shankill
• Shanganagh Pk Creche & Playgroup, Shankill
• Toddlers Haven, Shankill
• Beechwood Childcare, Stillorgan
• Busy Bees, Stillorgan
• Glenalbyn Montessori, Stillorgan
• Greenfields Montessori, Stillorgan
• Little Dale Academy, Stillorgan
• Naionra Thaobh na Coille, Stillorgan
• Narnia Nursery School Ltd., Stillorgan
• Oatlands Childcare & Montessori, Stillorgan
• Serendipity Montessori School, Stillorgan
• St Brigids Parish Playschool, Stillorgan