Inclusion has been at the heart of Daisychain since we first opened our doors in 2006.

We believe that every child should have the opportunity to belong, participate, build friendships and enjoy their childhood, regardless of their abilities, developmental needs or the level of support they may require.

For us, inclusion does not mean expecting every child to do the same thing in the same way. It means getting to know the individual child — understanding their strengths, interests, communication, sensory needs and development — and finding ways to help them participate meaningfully in everyday life at Daisychain.

Our Inscludion Coordinator

At Daisychain, we have a trained Inclusion Coordinator (INCO) who helps to support and develop inclusive practice throughout our service.

Our Inclusion Coordinator works alongside our Early Years Educators and families to help identify ways in which the environment, routines, activities and experiences can be adapted to support individual children.

The Inclusion Coordinator can also support families through the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) process where appropriate and help to coordinate communication with Early Years Specialists and other professionals involved in supporting a child.

Having an Inclusion Coordinator within our team helps us to ensure that inclusion is not something separate from everyday practice — it is part of how we plan our environments, support our educators and respond to the individual children in our care.

Access and Inclusion Model - AIM

Daisychain participates in the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), Ireland's national model designed to support children with disabilities to access and meaningfully participate in the ECCE preschool programme.

AIM is a child-centred model, which means that the support provided is based on the individual needs of the child and the preschool environment.

Importantly, a child does not need to have a formal diagnosis in order to access targeted AIM supports where these are considered necessary.

Depending on the individual child, AIM supports can include specialist advice and guidance, equipment or adaptations, therapeutic support and, where appropriate, additional assistance within the preschool environment.

Where an application for targeted AIM support is appropriate, we work closely with parents throughout the process.

Working Together With Families

Families know their children best.

We believe that supporting a child begins with listening to their family — learning about their strengths, interests, routines, communication, things they enjoy and anything they may find difficult.

Where appropriate, and with parents' involvement, we can also work alongside other professionals supporting the child.

Sometimes a child may require additional support. At other times, a relatively small change to the environment, routine, communication or pace of the day can make a significant difference to their ability to participate.

Our aim is always to find the approach that works for the individual child.

Seeing the Child First

Most importantly, an additional need or diagnosis does not define a child.

We want to discover what makes each child laugh, wonder, communicate, explore and feel confident.

We want children to develop friendships, make choices, experience success and know that their contribution to our Daisychain community matters.

At Daisychain, inclusion is not about asking a child to fit into our environment.

It is about continually asking how our environment can respond to the child.

Useful Resources for Families