Written answer
Special Educational Needs
The Minister said AIM is being phased beyond ECCE, with an additional 3 hours daily during term and 6 hours outside term, and policy work is under way in 2026 to extend supports to under-threes. AIM requires no diagnosis, but providers control admissions; parents facing access difficulties should contact their local County Childcare Committee.
3048. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department plans to review the Access and Inclusion Model to ensure that children with additional needs can access early learning services without delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59176/26]
Comment on this
The Access and Inclusion Model or AIM is a programme of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities or additional needs can access the Early Childhood Care and Education or ECCE programme and early learning and care more broadly. The goal of AIM is to empower early learning and care 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 learning and care in any mainstream service participating in the ECCE programme.
A core feature and strength of AIM is that it does not require a diagnosis. Instead, resources are allocated based on a child’s individual needs.
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.
The findings from the evaluation were published in January 2024 and have informed the phased extension of AIM. Since September 2024, AIM has been expanded beyond time spent in the ECCE programme for ECCE-aged children. This allows children to access early learning and care for up to an additional 3 hours per day in term and 6 hours per day out of term.
It is intended that, over time, all children with additional needs registered in early learning and care services will have access to supports under AIM.
Officials in the Department are engaging in a comprehensive policy development process during 2026 to extend AIM to children aged under three in future years, underpinned by consultations with key stakeholders.
It is also intended to give consideration at a later date to an extension of AIM for children attending school-age childcare.
It is critical that both policy responses are strongly evidence-based and reflective of the needs of children. This requires tailoring of AIM and differentiation of approaches for each age cohort. Funding will also be required through the annual budget process.
AIM is supported by Better Start, who work with settings providing advice and guidance to support the needs of the child concerned.
While this Department oversees AIM, early learning and care providers are private entities and are responsible for their own admissions policies, which are outside the Department’s remit.
Where there is issues in accessing early learning and care services, parents are encouraged to contact their local County Childcare Committee (CCC), which is funded by this Department to support parents and providers. CCC can help in finding a suitable place and can address any issues of concern. They can assist in identifying vacant places in services for children and families who need them and engage proactively with services to explore possibilities for expansion among services, particularly where there is unmet need. A full list of CCCs can be found at: gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/city-and-county-childcare-committees/