The Learning Tree is an Early Learning Centre based within the Father McGrath Family Resource Centre, it was officially opened in February 2004 funded by the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP) as part of the National development plan. We are a not-for-profit centre, managed by a voluntary management board. We operate 3 rooms, a junior pre-school room and 2 senior pre-school rooms.

Aim:
We aim to provide accessible, affordable, quality early education and care to all children and their families. We are a community service and are classified as a full day care service under the Child are Cat 19961(early years Services) regulations 2016.

At The Learning Tree Early Learning Centre, we believe that education is not just a part of what we do – it’s at the very heart of everything we do. Our mission is to provide your child with the foundational learning tools they need to embark on their educational journey with confidence and enthusiasm.

Central to our approach is a carefully structured curriculum that emphasises emergent and inquiry-based learning. We recognise that every child is unique, with their own interests, strengths, and areas for growth. Our curriculum, rooted in emergent and inquiry-based learning, is designed to nurture these individual differences, fostering a love of learning that will last a lifetime.

But education is more than just what happens in the classroom. It’s about the trusting relationships that our dedicated early years educators build with each and every child. We believe that when children feel safe, valued, and supported, they are free to explore, experiment, and learn at their own pace.

We also understand the vital role that parents play in their child’s early learning journey. That’s why we strive to create a strong partnership between home and school, working together to support your child’s development every step of the way.

We offer two schemes:

ECCE – The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme provides early childhood care and education for children of preschool age. The scheme is offered for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, 38 weeks of the year. All children are entitled to 2 full academic years on the ECCE scheme.

Check what year your child is eligible for ECCE

NCS – The National Childcare Scheme provides financial support to help parents meet the cost of quality Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare. Under the National Childcare Scheme, subsidies are available for families with children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years who are attending any participating Tusla registered childcare service, including any Tusla registered childminder and school age childcare services.

There are two types of subsidy’s: A universal subsidy which is not means tested and an income-assessed subsidy which is means tested.

You can apply online for the subsidy here using your MyGovID on the following link:

Apply here for the subsidy

Fees:

To determine your weekly fee depends on the hours you need and the subsidy you receive from the NCS, please contact Karen the early years manager to discuss this further.

This table below shows the eligibility for ECCE by year of birth.

Should you have any uncertainty regarding your child’s eligibility, we encourage you to utilise the ECCE calculator available at the following website: Ecce Calculator

Policies and Procedures:

To comply with current legislation and maintain quality professional standards we have an extensive range of policies and procedures, which are available on request. These are reviewed and up-dated annually. To view the policies please contact the manager.