Ms Gillian O'Connor:

I will start with the children whose parents are not working needing a place in community after-schools. Community-based after-schools are an equality measure. They are not childcare. What we are trying to do is bridge the gap in marginalised communities caused by generational poverty and educational disadvantage. Currently, we are working to keep children within primary and secondary education; we are working to keep children in the system and in the classroom. The most marginalised children are dropping out of the system. As stated, we are not childcare, but an educational and developmental support that we believe all children, and particularly those most at risk, should be able to access within their communities.