A nonverbal three-year-old boy in Cork has had his access and inclusion (AIM) support withdrawn following the sudden closure of his preschool.

Last week, Before Five Family Centre in Churchfield, Cork suddenly closed its doors after over 20 years of business, citing issues with finances, staff shortages and paperwork.

The preschool had been expected to reopen next week after the summer break, but staff and parents were informed on Wednesday of the centre’s immediate closure.

Almost 100 children have been affected by the closure, including Donna Cambridge's non-verbal three-year-old son Jaxon Cambridge Healy.

Speaking to The Pat Kenny Show, Ms Cambridge said her family is now grappling with the sudden loss of resources and education.

The family had recently secured an AIMS teacher for Jaxon, which would increase the number of teachers per student in the classroom.

"So, if there are kids with special needs, they can have that extra bit of attention," she said.

"Not every school does that and unfortunately, if it's a board of education school, the AIMs is not facilitated there."

AIMs withdrawal

Ms Cambridge said she received an email telling her Jaxon’s level seven AIMs support had been withdrawn after the preschool closure was announced.

"Even though Jaxon was awarded level seven, because the childcare shut, obviously there's no place for him to use the level seven," he said.

"Even though I could get him into a different preschool, it's the case that that level seven won't go with him.

"We have to start from scratch with the reapplication and that's only if the school would accept them.

"To be honest with you, around this area, very few do."

Jaxon, Donna Cambridge's son (Photo by Donna Cambridge)

In meetings with local TDs, Ms Cambridge said she was told there was no guarantee Jaxon would get level seven AIMs support again.

"It's absolutely crazy," she said.

Ms Cambridge said many other children have been left in "way worse situations" than Jaxon following the closure.

"There are kids that don't feed themselves; they can't change themselves, they can't walk, they're in buggies," she said.

"The school over there facilitated everybody ... there's kids over there that depend solely on that school."

ECCE

According to the Department of Children, Equality and Disability, the AIMs model is designed to ensure that children with disabilities can meaningfully participate in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) free programme in mainstream preschool settings.

Ms Cambridge said although her son is entitled to two years of free early childhood education under this programme, access comes with "so many ties attached to it".

"You need to find a spot [and] you need to make sure that the child has the needs to go into that creche," she said.

"My Jaxon, he's not potty trained, because he's nonverbal.

"Every school that I've gone to, to try to get him in, it's a requirement to be potty trained."

'Hard day'

Ms Cambridge said she had a "hard day" trying to explain to her son why he could not attend his old creche where his younger brother is now a student.

"Jaxon was having a meltdown ... he could not understand why he wasn't allowed go," he said.

"We had a TD tell us that [Before Fives] is a Government-funded preschool ... if the Government are funding it, they're just not funding it enough.

"There's so many kids in this area, in this community, fighting for the additional needs help."

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