What's happening at Glemara Early Years

Our new programme year begins on Tuesday 1 September 2026. Rooms reopen at 7.30am as usual and the ECCE work cycle starts at 9am sharp from day one.

If your child is starting with us this term, Laura or your child's key worker will be in touch to book your two free settling-in visits during the last week of August. The first visit is an hour with you staying; the second is a slightly longer visit where you leave for a short while. There is no charge for either.

Please label everything: coats, wellingtons, bottles, comforters. We will send home a short checklist by email the week before you start.

Registration for the 2026/27 ECCE programme year is now open. ECCE is the free, universal two-year preschool programme funded by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality: 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, 38 weeks a year (182 days), running 1 September to 30 June.

To take a place this year a child must have turned 2 years and 8 months by 31 August of the programme year, and must not be older than 5 years and 6 months on or before 30 June of that year. There are no exemptions to the lower age limit. Children with special educational needs may get an exemption from the upper age limit.

Bring your child's PPS number and date of birth to the office and we will complete the registration with you. If you paid a booking deposit, it is refunded once the ECCE registration is approved.

Scheme rates and thresholds correct as of September 2026. Always confirm current rates at ncs.gov.ie and with your service.

The mud kitchen is finished and in constant use. It has a deep sink, a working tap fed from the water butt, two hobs made from cable drums, and a shelf of stainless steel pots donated by families.

Children need a full change of clothes and wellingtons every day now — please do send old clothes rather than new ones. Rain suits live on their pegs and go on whatever the weather.

Thank you to the four families who dropped down utensils, and to Bernie for parting with the good ladle.

Our holiday camp runs weekly from Monday 6 July to Friday 21 August, 9am–3pm, for children aged 4 to 12. Each week has a theme: nature and forest skills, cookery, art and printmaking, sports, and science.

The camp is an optional extra and costs €145 per week, including a hot lunch and all materials. Places are booked a week at a time and go quickly — the office takes bookings from 1 June.

Children already attending our After-School Club get first refusal on places until 15 June.

The crèche will be closed on Monday 1 June 2026 for the June bank holiday, as it is for all bank holidays.

We will also close on Friday 26 June 2026 for a full staff training day. The whole team completes Children First refresher training and paediatric first aid recertification. Fees are not charged for the training day.

As a reminder, we close for two weeks at Christmas. Those dates go out with the November newsletter.

There are three changes worth knowing about this September.

First, the National Childcare Scheme income thresholds rise from 31 August 2026. The lower threshold (at or below which the maximum subsidy applies) increases from €26,000 to €34,000, and the upper threshold increases from €60,000 to €68,000. More families qualify for the income-assessed subsidy as a result, and some families currently on the universal subsidy will be better off switching. It is worth re-checking your entitlement at ncs.gov.ie even if you were told before that you did not qualify.

Second, the multiple child discount for families with three or more children under 15 rises from €8,600 to €11,000 from 31 August 2026.

Third, Core Funding rises to over €480 million for Programme Year 5 beginning September 2026, up from €390 million, and the maximum fee caps reduce across all bands. For a 45-hour full day place the cap falls to €280 per week. After the universal NCS subsidy of €96.30, the highest a parent can be charged for such a place is €183.70 per week — down from around €198. Total State funding for the sector is €1.524 billion in 2026.

Our own full day fee of €255 a week is already below the new cap. Come and talk to Aoife if you would like help working out what you will actually pay.

Scheme rates and thresholds correct as of September 2026. Always confirm current rates at ncs.gov.ie and with your service.