Four year olds
If your child’s date of birth is on or between 1 March 2019 and the 29 February 2020 he/she will be eligible for a funded early learning and childcare place in August 2023.
Three year olds
If your child’s date of birth is on or between 1 March 2020 and the 28 February 2021 he/she will be eligible for a funded place as set out below.
Eligibility Information
| Children born between | Will be eligible for 1140 hours of funded early learning and childcare from |
|---|
| 1 March 2020 – 31 August 2020 |
August 2023 |
| 1 September 2020 – 28 February 2021 |
The month after their third birthday |
Places are available from the first Monday of the month after the third birthday (Tuesday if there is a public holiday). However, staggered entry dates may be required due to the number of eligible children in any given month. Where this applies, early childhood centres and funded providers will have 10 days to admit all eligible children.
Children whose third birthday falls on or between 1 March 2021 and 31 August 2021 will be eligible for a place in August 2024.
Where the service available
A list of centres offering funded three and four year old places can be found in A Guide to Early Learning and Childcare.
Deciding priorities for admission
Every effort will be made to meet your first choice of setting and preferred pattern of attendance however, this will be dependent on the number of places available and the priority given to applications in line with East Ayrshire Council ELC Allocations Policy.
Dates of birth or length of time on the register of applications does not affect priority to four year old children. Three year old children will be eligible for a place in the month after their third birthday according to set dates. Eligible two year olds can access a place the term after their second birthday.
All places for children aged 3-5 years are allocated to centres and funded providers through a central allocation process. This ensures that all eligible children have access to a place.
If a centre is oversubscribed, a ballot will take place to allocate places and/or pattern of hours.
Please note: If your child is allocated a place in an Early Childhood Centre where there is an associated primary school, there is no automatic right to a place in the primary school.
Ballot
Ballots may be necessary in some ELC settings if there is an oversubscription for places and/or patterns of hours.
Each ELC setting is registered with the Care Inspectorate for a maximum number of places, therefore it is not possible to satisfy all requested patterns of attendance. You will be asked to state a preferred pattern of attendance when you complete the application form. Places and patterns of attendance will be allocated according to the allocation criteria set out in the ELC Allocation Policy Priorities 1 to 9.
If your application for a place is not allocated in the ELC setting of your first choice, then your application will be considered for a place in the ELC setting of your second choice.
If your second choice of ELC setting cannot provide a place, then you will be offered an alternative place for your child.
Please note: If your child is allocated a place in an early childhood centre where there is an associated primary school, there is no automatic right to a place in the primary school.