Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1334. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if funding streams are available for afterschool services in order that they can hire additional staff for children with additional needs (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11113/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Funding for Tusla registered School Aged Childcare (SAC) is provided through a number of measures including the National Childcare Scheme and Core funding.

Core Funding, the funding scheme introduced in 2022, allocates funding for providers based on the cost of delivery.

The National Childcare Scheme is the first ever statutory entitlement to financial support for childcare. It establishes an equitable and progressive system of universal and income-related subsidies for children up to the age of 15 to reduce the fee paid by parents to services.

Services funded through these measures provide School Aged Childcare to children with a range of needs.

Equal Start, which commenced from last September, is a funding model and a set of associated universal and targeted measures to support access and participation in Early Learning and Care and School Aged Childcare for children and their families who experience disadvantage. Equal Start has adopted a tiered approach, which incorporates universal supports, child-targeted supports and setting-targeted supports. A key element is the provision of additional staffing to services with higher concentrations of disadvantage.

Since September 2024, these settings receive funding for additional staff hours that can be used to support engagement between the settings and families/other child and family support services and the provision of ELC and SAC to children with higher levels of need.

For children with disabilities who may require extra supports, the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a programme of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Its goal is to empower Early Learning and Care (ELC) providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE Programme and reap the benefits of quality early years care and education in any mainstream ELC service. AIM resources are allocated based on a child’s individual needs.

An independent evaluation of AIM was published in January 2024. The findings from the evaluation have already informed the phased extension of AIM announced in Budget 2024, which commenced with the extension of targeted AIM supports to ECCE-age children beyond time they spend in the ECCE programme, both in-term and out-of-term from September 2024. Children can now access these supports for up to an additional 3 hours per day during the ECCE term and up to 6 hours per day outside of the ECCE term (in holiday periods).

It is intended that over time, all children with additional needs registered in early learning and care (ELC) services will have access to supports under AIM. To this end, a tailored model is under design which would enable the extension of AIM to children under three. It is also intended to give consideration at a later date to an extension of AIM for children attending school-age childcare.

Families who require advice are advised to contact their local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC). Contact details are available at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/52b71-support-for-parents-city-and-county-childcare-committees/