Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1796.To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the status of a childcare service will be reviewed (details supplied) under the equal start programme to ensure that this service is upgraded to Tier 1 rather than Tier 2 status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31901/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Equal Start is a major new model of Government-funded supports to ensure children experiencing disadvantage can access and meaningfully participate in early learning and childcare. Equal Start was launched in May and the first phase of implementation will commence from this September.

Equal Start will include a suite of universal supports, child-targeted supports and setting-targeted supports to ensure every child and every early learning and childcare setting will benefit from a continuum of supports that reflects a continuum of need.

The Equal Start designation for settings (i.e. Tier 1, Tier 2 and universal) is objectively derived using the Equal Start Identification Model and the following steps:

1. A child level disadvantage score was calculated for all children registered within each setting. This score, a number between 0 (least disadvantaged) and 2 (most disadvantaged), was calculated using the following equation: If the child meets at least one of the following criteria, they were assigned a score of 2:

If the child is from a Roma or Traveller ethnic background.

If the child avails of the National Childcare Scheme through a sponsor referral or a CCSP registration.

If the child is living in a homeless accommodation.

If the child is living in an International Protection Accommodation Centre or EROC.

If the child was none of the above, a score from 0 – 2 was calculated based on the geographic deprivation score, using the Pobal HP Deprivation index, for the small area in which they live:

Score of 0 for any small areas higher than -7.5

Score of 2 for any small areas of -20 or lower

Sliding scale of scores (z-score) between -7.5 and -20.

2. A setting-level disadvantage score was then calculated for all settings. This score, a number between 0 (least disadvantaged) and 2 (most disadvantaged), was calculated using the following equation:

(Sum of Child Disadvantage Scores)/(Number of Scheme Children)

Services with a score of 0.8 and above have been designated as a Tier 1 priority setting

Services with a score of 0.4 to less than 0.8 have been designated as a Tier 2 priority settings

Services with a score of less than 0.4 have been designated as a universal setting.

In line with the rules for Equal Start, Partner Services with a Tier 1 or Tier 2 priority designation under Equal Start in 2024 will retain that designation for a two programme year cycle once they remain in contract for Core Funding (i.e. for programme years 2024/25 and 2025/26).

The Equal Start Identification Model will be rerun in 2026 for the next two-year cycle (i.e. programme years 2026/27 and 2027/28) for all settings, applying the same or similar steps.