Quick summary
- AIM supports children with a disability to meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme.
- It's structured across 7 levels: Universal Supports (Levels 1-3) and Targeted Supports (Levels 4-7).
- Level 1 rewards services with a qualified Inclusion Coordinator with increased capitation.
- Levels 4-7 are applied for jointly by the service and parent, based on the individual child's needs.
- Rates, thresholds and exact application steps change, verify current detail directly at aim.gov.ie or with Pobal before applying.
What AIM is for
The Access and Inclusion Model exists to enable children with a disability to meaningfully participate in the ECCE free preschool programme, alongside their peers, in a mainstream setting. It isn't a single grant. It's a layered system: some supports apply automatically to every setting, and others are applied for on a child-by-child basis depending on what that particular child needs to participate fully.
Universal Supports: Levels 1-3
The first three levels are described as universal because they benefit the whole setting rather than any one child. They're built around continuous professional development for staff, an inclusion charter and general guidelines for pre-schools, and access to a Level 6 qualification in inclusion for staff, the LINC (Leadership for Inclusion in Early Years) programme.
A service that employs or trains a graduate of the LINC programme, and has them take on the role of Inclusion Coordinator, can apply for an increased ECCE capitation, reported at €2 pro-rata per week per approved registration, though this figure should be confirmed at application time since capitation rates are reviewed periodically.
Targeted Supports: Levels 4-7
Where a service, working in partnership with a parent, considers that a child needs additional support beyond the universal layer, they can apply jointly for one or more of the targeted supports.
| Level | What it provides |
|---|---|
| Level 4 | Expert advice and mentoring from Early Years Specialists (Access and Inclusion), based within the national Early Years Quality Development Service |
| Level 5 | Equipment, appliances, or a capital grant toward minor alterations to the setting |
| Level 6 | Therapeutic intervention supports, delivered through the HSE, where therapy is assessed as critical to the child's participation |
| Level 7 | Additional capitation that can be used to reduce the adult-to-child ratio in the ECCE room where approved |
Because each targeted level is assessed against an individual child's circumstances, the exact application process, evidence required and turnaround time varies. Services applying for the first time should go through the current guidance on aim.gov.ie rather than relying on a general summary.
How this plays out for a service day to day
In practice, most services encounter AIM gradually: training staff and putting inclusive practices in place under the universal supports, then applying for a targeted level when a specific child enrols and a specific need is identified. It's rarely urgent in the way a Tusla notification is, but early conversations with parents about what supports might help, well before term starts, tend to produce smoother outcomes than reactive applications once a child has already started.
Practical advice
- Consider training a staff member through LINC if inclusion is a recurring part of your intake, it unlocks both the coordinator role and the associated capitation.
- Start conversations about targeted supports with parents early, ideally before the child's first day, since assessment and approval takes time.
- Keep a record of what supports are in place for each child and when they were approved, useful both for your own planning and for any future Tusla inspection touching on individual care arrangements.
- Re-check current levels, rates and application routes at aim.gov.ie before applying, this is one of the areas of Irish early years funding that's reviewed most frequently.
How Tot Tracker helps
Tot Tracker's care plan feature lets you record the specific supports and adjustments in place for a child, including AIM-related supports, alongside parent e-signature, so the information is visible to every staff member working with that child, not just the one who set it up.