AQW 43531/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 31/03/2026
Answered On Date: 14/04/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education whether his Department has carried out any assessment of the impact on (i) schools; (ii) families; and (iii) children, when his Department's funding for Tiny Life ends on 31st March 2026.

Answer:

The Executive has not yet agreed a budget for 2026-27, however, to provide clarity for affected organisations, I have agreed an Interim Resource Budget for the first three months of the 202627 financial year. As a result TinyLife has received an interim three-month resource funding allocation in respect of the administration and delivery of the TinyStart Programme from 1 April 2026 to 30 June 2026.

Any decision regarding future funding will be considered in the context of my Department’s 2026-27 budget allocation, the allocation of earmarked funding for the Executive Early Learning and Childcare Strategy and wider financial pressures.