To ask the Minister of Health whether his Department provides additional financial support to nursery and preschool settings with children looked after on their enrolment.

Health and Social Care Trusts have confirmed that they do not directly provide additional financial support to nursery and pre-school settings. However, HSC Trusts provide a range of additional supports to looked after children of pre-school age.

Examples include a Sponsored Day Care Scheme in the Belfast Trust area, which enables Trust Children’s Community Services staff to secure day care provision to support families they are working with, including kinship carers. This service is purchased at the rate set by providers and operates through a range of existing childcare providers across the Trust area. The Southern Health and Social Care Trust funds day care placements for looked after children and the Northern Health and Social Care Trust also enables looked after children to access daycare/nursery support in its area.