Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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118. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason that the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) scheme is restricted by age limits, whereby children must have reached the age of two years and eight months before 1 September, meaning that any children who have not reached this age are met with inflexibility and will be unable to qualify for a further seven months; the further supports that can be provided for children with additional needs who have been informed they can no longer be accommodated in their childcare facility due to their additional needs without the support of AIM and where a child has missed the cut-off point and is now ineligible for supports until they reach the age of three-and-a-half years; the reason that children can be excluded from a childcare facility due to their additional needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50468/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Participation of children with disabilities in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) universal pre-school programme in mainstream early learning and care services is supported by the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), which is delivered by my Department.

The goal of AIM is to create a more inclusive environment in pre-schools, so all children, regardless of ability, can benefit from quality early learning and care. The model achieves this by providing universal supports to pre-school settings, and targeted supports, which focus on the needs of the individual child, without requiring a diagnosis of disability.

As such, AIM operates in tandem with the ECCE programme and provision of AIM supports are directly linked with ECCE participation / hours of operation. The minimum eligibility age of 2 years and 8 months for the ECCE programme was chosen based on national experience and a review of international practice. It also had regard to the regulatory environment for early years’ education and care in this country and issues such as child development readiness and adult-child ratios.

The ECCE programme is available to all children for 2 years although the age at which individual children start ECCE will vary depending on the date of birth of each child.

First 5, A Government Strategy for Babies and Children, committed to undertake an end-of-year-three evaluation of AIM which is due to be published soon. Subject to evaluation findings and other relevant developments, Department officials will be considering enhancements to, and/or extension of, AIM to, for example, all ELC services and/or to children outside of the eligible age range for the ECCE programme.

If any family is having difficulties securing a place in Early Learning and Care and School Aged Childcare Provision, I would strongly advise them to contact their local County Childcare Committee (CCC). Contact details for CCCs can be found at www.myccc.ie.