Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 July 2020
720. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if funding will be provided to allow a child of a front-line worker (details supplied) in County Donegal to remain in a childcare setting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18579/20]
View answerThe goal of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE universal pre-school programme and reap the benefits of quality early learning and care. AIM is a child-centred model, involving seven levels of progressive support, moving from the universal to the targeted, based on the needs of the child and the pre-school service.
Additional assistance can be sought in the pre-school room where this is critical to ensuring a child’s participation in the ECCE pre-school programme. In line with emerging best practice to support the integration and independence of children with a disability, AIM does not fund pre-school Special Needs Assistants (SNAs). Rather, it provides financial support to the pre-school provider, which can be used either to reduce the adult-to-child ratio in the pre-school room or to buy in additional assistance to the pre-school room. Accordingly, AIM Level 7 assistance is a shared resource for the pre-school setting.
AIM is intrinsically linked to the ECCE programme and since its implementation in 2016 AIM supports are provided based on the 38 week ECCE programme year from September to June. As the ECCE term 2019/20 is now finished, AIM funding for additional assistance in the ECCE pre-school room is therefore not currently available until the next ECCE programme year recommences in late August.
Funding schemes that provide subsidies for places in early learning and care and school-age childcare services - the National Childcare Scheme and legacy funding schemes (CCSP and TEC) - recommenced on 29 June and continue to operate during the summer months. Information on eligibility is available from my Department's website and from local City and County Childcare Committees.
I am very conscious of the unprecedented environment some children with disabilities are currently facing due to the impact of COVID-19. A key element of AIM is the advice and guidance given by Early Years Specialists in Better Start to service providers who are supporting the participation of children with disabilities in their settings. In recognition of the challenges facing families and service providers at the current time, my Department has worked with Better Start to make the advice and guidance provided by Better Start's Early Years Specialists available to any early learning and care or school-age childcare service that is catering for a child with a disability during the summer months.
