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

149. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the budget allocated to the access and inclusion model of early education and childcare provision under each of the levels four to seven of this scheme for 2017; the amounts drawn down for 2017 in respect of each of the four levels, in tabular form; the number of children in each county that have benefitted from funding under each of these four levels in 2017; the areas of support in which this funding under each of the four headings have been applied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3540/18]

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

AIM supports children with disabilities to reap the full benefits of free pre-school education. Its goal is to support 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 and strengths 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 pre-school 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 pre-school 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 2017 to levels 4, 5 and 7 of AIM by my Department is set out below. 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. 

*Figures rounded to the nearest thousand.

The number of children in each county who have benefitted from supports under AIM Levels 4, 5 and 7 in 2016 and 2017 is shown in the tables below. It should be noted that these figures relate to separate ECCE programme years (i.e. 2016/17 and 2017/18). Therefore, they may include double-counting of some children who were supported in both ECCE programme years.

Number of Children receiving AIM support in the ECCE Programme 2016/17 over the period January 2017 - June 2017

Number of Children receiving AIM support in the ECCE Programme 2017/18 over the period September 2017 - December 2017