Clare Fm - Podcasts

It's claimed the Government's early childhood care and education scheme is failing children with additional needs in Clare. Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman has been requested to visit a creche in Shannon to observe the plight of one child who has been cut off from accessing essential equipment and daily supports. The ECCE scheme allows qualifying parents to avail of free pre-school service for children aged from 2 years and 8 months to 5 years and six months. But there's one slight catch; participating children must reach the age threshold before enrolment on September 1st. Alex in Shannon, who began her term aged 2 years and 5 months, is just outside the cut-off point. Alex is also living with cerebral palsy and requires a wide array of additional supports, as she cannot sit unattended and requires specialised seating to keep her head and upper body in place, along with a walker. As Alex cannot qualify for ECCE, she's also not eligible for the Access and Inclusion Model (AIMS), which would provide