Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

599. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of child care providers who have been trained as link workers on the new AIMS model launched in June 2016, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50475/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Leadership for Inclusion (LINC) higher education programme for early years practitioners was established in 2016 as part of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), with provision for 900 students annually for four years. It is a Level 6 Special Purpose Award designed to support the inclusion of children with a disability in free pre-school provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme.

Pre-school settings employing an Inclusion Coordinator (who has graduated from LINC and has agreed to take on the relevant role and responsibilities) will receive an increase of €2 per child per week in the rate of ECCE capitation payable to that setting.

847 early years practitioners graduated from the LINC programme in October 2017 and the breakdown by county is given in the table provided: