Madam, – As Jamie Smyth reported (Home News, February 4th), it is welcome that the new Early Childhood Care and Education scheme will benefit 51,000 children this year.
However, if, like my daughter, you were one of 18,000 children born in quarter three of 2007 you will not be be able to avail of the Government’s “generous” new scheme in September 2010, despite being eligible to start primary school a year later.
Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Barry Andrews recently confirmed that there are no plans to review the age limits of the scheme; so tens of thousands every year will lose out on the developmental, and indeed financial benefits of what should be a very positive initiative for all children and their parents. – Yours, etc,