Operating Schedule

Little Harvard is open for 51 weeks a year, closing only during the Christmas period and on Bank Holidays. On Good Friday, the service will close at 3pm. In the event of an exceptional closure due to circumstances beyond Management's control, full fees for the closure period will still apply. If the service needs to close under exceptional circumstances, Little Harvard will adhere to the Pobal Guidelines regarding fees and force majeure leave.

Holding Fee

A €500 refundable holding fee is payable upon enrolment for each family. The €500 holding fee secures your child's place at the service. This applies to all bookings, except ECCE only bookings.

ECCE Only Holding Fee

For ECCE only bookings, a €100 refundable holding fee is required. This will be refunded once your child is registered for the ECCE programme. The cancellation policy applies to ECCE only bookings as well. Failure to adhere to the cancellation policy will result in the loss of your holding fee. If a booking changes from ECCE only to any other type of booking, the €500 holding fee per family will apply as set out above.

Billing and Payment

Once a booking is confirmed, billing will commence on the agreed start date and cannot be deferred. Childcare fees are payable for 52 weeks of the year, with payments due monthly in advance. Weekly amounts are provided for informational purposes only. All fees are payable by means of direct debit and will be processed on the first working day of each month, or the closest day possible thereafter. A valid direct debit mandate must be completed at the time of enrolment. Each service requires a separate mandate. If you would like to change your direct debit mandate, you must notify your Accounts Executive. The deadline for mandate changes is the 20th of each month. It is each parent’s responsibility to make sure their invoice is correct and ensure sufficient funds are available to cover the direct debit each month. In the event of your child's absence, fees will still apply for any period of non-attendance, including, but not limited to holidays or illness. It is not possible to pause your child’s fees.

Overdue Accounts

If a direct debit is returned unpaid, a €25 administrative fee will be added to your invoice to cover bank charges and administrative costs. In the event of an invalid direct debit mandate, an additional €25 administrative fee will be applied to set up a new direct debit mandate. Failure to pay your child’s fees may result in your child losing their place, and you being billed for the 4- week notice period. All overdue accounts are automatically and routinely referred to a credit management company for collection. If this referral becomes necessary, a collection fee of 20% will be added to the outstanding balance.

Funding

Funding is applied on a provisional basis. Our funding cut-off date is on the 15th of each month. This applies to both online and postal applications. To ensure that funding is applied to your invoice for the upcoming month, all claims must be registered on the NCS Hive and confirmed by a parent, either on the NCS Parent Portal or via post by the 15th of the month. Claims approved after the 15th of the month, will be applied to your invoice for the month after. Any changes to the funding after an invoice has been issued, will be adjusted on your invoice for the following month.

If you would like to avail of the NCS, it's up to you as a parent/guardian:

·       To apply for the subsidy

·       To renew your child’s award

·       To send your CHICK to your Accounts Executive

·       To check the registered hours are correct

·       To confirm your NCS claim, either on the NCS Parent Portal or by post

·       To regularly check the NCS Parent Portal for notifications

Please note, the hours registered for your claim must accurately reflect your child’s actual attendance. Overclaiming hours may result in funding being recouped by Pobal. The NCS cannot be backdated and if we have not received your CHICK, there may be a gap in funding. If you would like more details on the NCS, please visit the NCS website.

Cancellation Policy

A minimum of four weeks’ paid notice is required from the date the cancellation form is submitted. To cancel your booking, you must contact the manager at your service, who will then send you a cancellation form. While informing staff or management of your intention to cancel your child’s booking, this will not be considered official notice until the completed cancellation form is received. All bookings will end on the last Friday of the notice period to align with funding allocations. After the booking ends, your account will be reconciled, and a direct debit will be scheduled to settle any remaining balances and funding adjustments. The contract begins as soon as your child’s booking is confirmed. The cancellation policy applies from that moment. If you wish to cancel your child's booking before the start date, you must do so at least four weeks before the scheduled start. This applies to all bookings, including ECCE-only bookings.

Booking Change Policy

If you wish to keep your child at the same service but would like to change the type of booking or the days they attend, you must contact the manager at your service to discuss your request. All booking changes are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed. If your request for a booking change is approved, you will receive a booking change request form to complete. Booking changes will only be applied once the booking change request form has been received. A minimum of four weeks’ paid notice is required from the date the form is submitted. Booking changes will take effect on the first Monday after the notice period to align with funding allocations. The fees will continue without interruption, with no gap in the fees between the original and the updated booking. The contract begins as soon as your child’s booking is confirmed. The booking change policy applies from that moment.

Booking Transfer Policy

If you would like to transfer your child’s booking from one Little Harvard service to another Little Harvard service, you must contact the manager at your current service to discuss your request. Booking transfers are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed. If your request for a transfer is approved, you will receive a booking transfer request form and a link for a new direct debit mandate, both of which must be completed. The new direct debit mandate will be for the new service. A minimum of four weeks’ paid notice is required from the date both the form and new direct debit mandate is submitted. Transfers will take effect on the first Monday after the notice period to align with funding allocations. Once a transfer is approved, the end date at the current service and the start date at the new service are fixed. The booking at the original service cannot be extended, and the start date at the new service cannot be deferred. The current service’s fee will be billed during the time spent at the current service. The new service’s fee will be billed once the transfer takes effect. There will be no break in fees between the two bookings. The contract begins as soon as your child’s booking is confirmed. The booking transfer policy applies from that moment. It's up to you as the parent/guardian to make sure your child's CHICK is sent to the Accounts Executive at the new service.

Right to Terminate

At Little Harvard, we are committed to providing a safe, nurturing, and respectful environment for all children, families, and staff. To maintain the well-being of everyone, we expect all individuals to adhere to our policies and procedures. Any disruptive or harmful behaviour, including but not limited to aggression, bullying, or disrespect towards others, will not be tolerated. In the event of such behaviour, we reserve the right to terminate your child’s place at the service and apply the 4-week notice period. We also reserve the right to end your child’s booking for reasons beyond those outlined above and may decline care at any or all our services.

Right to Modify Terms
Little Harvard reserves the right to update, change, or replace any part of our policies, including but not limited to our terms of enrolment, fees, schedules, and operational procedures, at our discretion. Continued use of our services following the posting of any changes constitutes acceptance of those changes.