Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) the criteria used by his Department’s Sure Start programme, to identify children under the age of four, and their families, with demonstrable need, who live outside electoral wards that are currently designated as disadvantaged areas, to provide targeted outreach support; and (ii) any additional programme funding that has been made available for 2025, to enable all of the Sure Start projects to expand their services in this way.
Minister of Education: A family living outside current catchment areas may be referred to Sure Start via a new Outreach model if a child of the family is of Sure Start age (0-3 years) and has a significant developmental support need, is known to Social Services, is a Child Looked After, is from a minority or marginalised group or is a child of a parent experiencing antenatal or postnatal mental health issues or a disability.
Additional funding of £1.56m was made available in 2025-26 to enable the 38 Sure Start projects to implement the new Outreach model.
ENDS
Your MLA 