Types of Early Years Services

Childminding Service

A pre-school service which may include an overnight service offered by a person who single-handedly takes care of pre-school children, including the childminder’s own children, in the childminder’s home for a total of more than 2 hours per day, except when the exemptions in Section 58L of Part 12 the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 apply.

Sessional pre-school service

Means a pre-school service offering a planned programme to pre-school children for a total of not more than 3.5 hours per session. Services covered by the above definition may include pre-schools, playgroups, crèches, Montessori pre-schools, naíonraí, notifiable childminders or similar services which generally cater for pre-school children.

Part-Time Day Care service

A pre-school service offering a structured day care service for pre-school children for a total of not more than 3.5 hours and less than 5 hours per day and which may include a sessional pre-school service for pre-school children not attending the full 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, notifiable childminders or similar services which generally cater for pre-school children.

Full Day Care service

A pre-school service offering a structured day care service for pre-school children for more than 5 hours per day and 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.  Where a full day care service also caters for children who do not attend on a full day basis, the adult/child ratio and group size for sessional services should apply.

Pre-school service in a Drop-in-Centre

A pre-school service offering day care which is used exclusively on an intermittent basis. This refers to a service where a pre-school child is cared for over a period of not more than two hours while the parent or 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.

Temporary pre-school service

A pre-school service offering day care exclusively on  a temporary basis.  This refers to a service where a pre-school child is cared for while the parent or guardian is attending a once-off event such as a conference or a sports event.

Overnight pre-school service

A service in which pre-school children are taken care of for a total of more than 2 hours between the hours of 7pm and 6am except where the exemptions provided in Section 58L of Part 12 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 apply.