AQW 45154/11-15

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 28/04/2015
Answered On Date: 12/05/2015
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education what departmental funding is available to sustain early childhood services, aside from the Early Years closed fund.

Answer:

Apart from the Early Years Fund, the main programmes relating to early childhood services funded by my Department to support early years’ education and learning are outlined in the following table. These programmes are in place to provide high quality curriculum based early years educational experiences and to help address barriers to learning in the early years, rather than to sustain early childhood services.

Pre-School Education Programme

Sure Start Programme

Toybox

Extended Services for non statutory pre-school providers and Extended Schools*

SEN Early Years Interim Capacity Building.

* - schools and settings are deemed eligible for ES funding