Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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540. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the budget allocated to the access and inclusion model of early education and child care provision under each of the levels four to seven of this scheme annually since its introduction to date in 2017; the amounts allocated under these levels, in tabular form; the amounts drawn down for 2016 and 2017 on a quarterly basis respectively; the number of children in each county who have benefitted from funding under each of these four levels to date in 2017; the areas of support in which this funding under each of the four headings has been applied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49045/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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AIM supports children with disabilities to reap the full benefits of free pre-school education. Its goal is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience. AIM is a child-centred and evidence-based 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 setting.

Where a pre-school provider, in conjunction with a parent, considers that some additional support is needed in order to meet the needs of a child with a disability in an inclusive way, an application can be made for a suite of targeted supports, namely:

Level 4: Expert Early Years Educational Advice and Support

This level provides access to mentoring for early years practitioners from a team of dedicated Early Years Specialists. To avail of this support, pre-school providers and parents are requested to complete an online Access and Inclusion Profile. This looks at the strengths, abilities and needs of the child, as well as the strengths and needs of the pre-school setting.

Level 5: Equipment, Appliances and Minor Alterations Capital Grants

This level provides for access to specialised equipment, appliances, assistive technology and/or minor alterations capital grants for early years settings to ensure children with a disability can participate in the ECCE programme. A short report from a designated professional is required confirming that the specialised equipment or minor building alterations are necessary.

Level 6: Therapeutic Intervention

This level provides access to therapeutic services where they are critical to enable the child to be enrolled and to fully participate in the ECCE Programme. To avail of this support, pre-school providers and parents are requested to complete the online Access and Inclusion Profile. The Early Years Specialist will review the profile and, where therapeutic input is likely to be required; the Specialist will initiate contact with the HSE. The HSE decides on the appropriate level of therapeutic intervention.

Level 7: Additional Assistance in the Pre-School Room

This level provides additional assistance in the pre-school room where this is critical to ensuring a child’s participation in the ECCE Programme. It is estimated that pre-school providers may need Level 7 in the case of approximately 1% to 1.5% of all children. In line with emerging best practice to support the integration and independence of children with a disability, AIM does not fund 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, Level 7 assistance is a shared resource for the pre-school setting.

AIM was launched in June 2016. The total funding allocated and outturn in 2016 and 2017 to levels 4, 5 and 7 of AIM by my Department is set out in the table. Funding for AIM Level 6 comes from the Department of Health Vote.

The Inter-Department Group, which developed AIM, recognised that it would take approximately three years to fully develop and implement the Model. It is expected that demand for all levels of support under AIM will increase in years 2 and 3 and the budget available for AIM makes provision for this.

The number of children in each county who have benefitted from supports under AIM Levels 4, 5 and 7 for the 2016 and 2017 ECCE programme years is shown in the following tables.

Number of Children receiving AIM support in ECCE 2016

Number of Children receiving AIM support in ECCE 2017 as at 14 November 2017