Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

815. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will expand AIMS to support school age care in afterschool, as recommended by the recent evaluation, in Budget 2026 to ensure a level of support for children with additional needs is retained post-ECCE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52076/25]

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

The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a programme of supports designed to ensure that children with additional needs can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Since its introduction in 2016, AIM has had a major impact on the lives of children with additional needs and the overall quality of early learning and care. To date, over 38,000 children have received more than 88,000 targeted supports across over 4,800 early learning and care services nationwide.

AIM is a child-centred model, providing a suite of universal and targeted supports across 7 levels. Measures include staff training, specialised equipment, therapeutic supports and the facilitation of a lower ratio of children to staff in pre-school rooms or funding for an extra staff member as a shared resource, where a child with additional needs is present. Importantly, access to AIM does not require a diagnosis. Further detail on AIM supports can be found at: www.aim.gov.ie

In line with a commitment in First 5: A Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families 2019-2028, an independent evaluation of AIM was undertaken in order to inform an extension of AIM beyond the ECCE programme as well as any potential enhancements to the model.

Since September 2024 AIM has expanded beyond time spent in the ECCE programme, allowing ECCE eligible children to access AIM targeted supports for an additional 3 hours a day during the ECCE term and 6 hours outside of the ECCE term.

It is intended that over time, all children with disabilities registered in early learning and childcare services will have access to supports under AIM. In line with the Programme for Government commitment, the next phase of expansion focuses on a redesign of AIM for children under three, to meet the specific needs of this younger age cohort. It is also intended to give consideration at a later date to an extension of AIM for children attending school-age childcare. Both extensions will require a redesign of AIM to ensure that it meets the different needs of children in these two separate cohorts and will also require funding through the annual Budget process.