Types of Childcare
Sessional Services: Services which offer the ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) programme to pre-school children for a total of not more than 3.5 hours per session. Services covered by the definition may include pre-schools, playgroups, crèches, Montessori pre-schools, Naíonraí, registered childminders or similar services which generally cater for pre-school children in the 0-6 year age bracket.
Part-time day care: Services offering a structured day care service for pre-school children of more than 3.5 hours and less that 5 hours per day and may include a sessional pre-school service for pre-school children not attending the part-time day care service. The service must provide the same physical environment, including rest, play and sanitary facilities, as for full day care. Services covered by the above definition may include pre-schools, playgroups, crèches, Montessori pre-schools, naíonraí, registered childminders or similar services which generally cater for pre-school children in the 0-6 year age bracket.
Full Day Care Services: Services offering a structured day care service for children in the 0-6 year age bracket which may include a sessional pre-school service for pre-school children not attending the full day care service. Services such as those currently described as day nurseries and crèches are included in this definition.
School Age Childcare (SAC): SAC refers to the care of school going children, after school ends or before school starts. There is sometimes an option to attend SAC on a full-time basis outside of the school term.
Drop–In Centres: Services offering day care which is used on an intermittent basis for a period of not more than two hours while a parent/guardian is availing of a service or attending an event. Such services are mainly located in shopping centres, leisure centres or other establishments as part of customer/client service.
Childminding: A childminding service involves an individual taking care, by themselves, of children under the age of 15 years, for payment, in the childminder’s home. Children are welcomed as individuals, they are offered affection and respect and their developmental and recreational needs are met. Childminders offer a flexible service, tailored to each child, thereby helping parents and guardians to balance their work and family commitments. The child’s welfare must be the prime consideration of the Childminder. Childminders have sole responsibility for the health, safety and wellbeing of each child entrusted to their care.
Overnight Childcare Service – Services that care for children overnight in a crèche type or childminding service to facilitate parents’/guardians’ working arrangements for a total of more than 2 hours between the hours of 7pm and 6am.