There are three childcare funding programmes available to parents in Ireland:
The Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE) Programme - this programme gives children access to a free preschool year of appropriate curriculum-based activities in the year before they start primary school.
The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Programme - this programme is available through community childcare services and offers parents who are in receipt of social welfare payments a reduction in their childcare fees.