What it costs, and what the State pays.
Two national schemes cover most Irish families. Here is what each one actually does, in plain English, without the acronyms doing the work.
The ECCE scheme, or free preschool
ECCE stands for Early Childhood Care and Education. It is the State's free preschool scheme, and almost every Irish child uses it.
It pays for a set number of preschool hours a week during the school year. For those hours you pay nothing. If your child is with us for longer than the funded hours, you pay for the extra time only, which the sector calls wraparound.
Who qualifies
A child starts ECCE in the September after they reach a minimum age, and can use two full programme years before starting primary school. [VERIFY the current minimum age, the cut-off date and the number of programme years against gov.ie before publishing.]
How you apply
You apply through the setting rather than directly to the State. You will need your child's PPS number and date of birth. [VERIFY our own enrolment process and paperwork, and whether we are a registered ECCE provider.]
Every figure in this section still needs checking against gov.ie. The research behind this page could not reach the official pages directly.
How much time ECCE pays for
The three numbers that decide how many hours of your week the scheme covers.
- Hours a week
- Three hours a day, five days a week [VERIFY against gov.ie]
- Weeks a year
- Thirty-eight weeks of the year, following the school year [VERIFY against gov.ie]
- Programme years
- Two programme years in total, before primary school [VERIFY against gov.ie]
The National Childcare Scheme
The NCS is the subsidy that comes off your bill. It is separate from ECCE, it covers a much wider age range, and most families qualify for something.
There are two kinds of subsidy. The universal one is available to every family regardless of income. The income-assessed one is larger, and how much you get depends on your household income, your child's age and how many children you have in childcare.
The August 2026 changes
Changes to the income thresholds and the multi-child discount take effect on 31 August 2026. If you applied before then, your award may be worth more from that date. [VERIFY the detail of these changes against gov.ie.]
Can you use both schemes?
Yes, but not for the same hours. ECCE covers the preschool hours; the NCS can subsidise the hours around them. [VERIFY the current rule against gov.ie.]
What the NCS is worth
Every figure below is the national scheme rate, not our own price list.
- Ages covered
- Children from 24 weeks old up to 15 years [VERIFY against gov.ie]
- Universal subsidy
- About €2.14 an hour, for up to 45 hours a week [VERIFY the current rate and hour cap against gov.ie]
- Income-assessed
- Higher income-assessed rates for many families [VERIFY the current thresholds against gov.ie]
How the CHICK code and the Early Years Hive actually work
This is the part that confuses everyone, and it is simpler than it sounds.
You apply on the NCS website. When your application is approved you are given a CHICK code, which is just a reference number for your award.
You hand that code to us. We enter it on the Early Years Hive, which is the provider system the scheme runs on. Once it is registered, the subsidy comes straight off your invoice. You never pay it and claim it back.
[VERIFY the exact Early Years Hive registration wording, and our own provider registration, with Sharon.]
Which scheme, which child
- ECCE, in one line
- Free preschool hours during the school year, for children in the two years before primary school. [VERIFY ages and dates]
- NCS, in one line
- An hourly subsidy off your bill, from 24 weeks to 15 years, for any registered service. [VERIFY ages and rates]
- The Nursery
- The NCS applies from 24 weeks of age. [VERIFY our provider registration]
- The Willows
- The ECCE preschool year would run here, with the NCS covering hours either side. [VERIFY our ECCE registration and sessions]
- After-School Club
- The NCS runs to 15 years. [VERIFY whether the after-school club is registered for it]
- What we charge
- Our own fee list is not published yet. [VERIFY with Sharon whether she wants fees on the site, and what they are.]
Nothing on this page is official guidance. Check your own entitlement on gov.ie or with the National Childcare Scheme directly.
Ask us for
the real number.
Tell us the days and hours you need and we will work out what you would actually pay, after both schemes. A comparison site will not have our numbers and neither will a general guide.