Support for Care by Inclusive Early Childhood Educators and Psychologists

In Carinthia, the state supports the increase of specialized staff in early childhood education and care facilities through a continuously available grant. Funding is provided for inclusive early childhood educators and psychologists to strengthen the care of children with identified disabilities. Eligible for funding are non-profit interest groups or associations such as the Carinthian Social Welfare Association (AVS), which submit the application and act as intermediaries. The aim of the measure is to address individual support needs at an early stage and to sustainably improve the participation of children with disabilities in group-oriented educational daily life.

Eligible expenses include personnel costs for inclusive early childhood educators as well as fees for psychologists. A prerequisite is the identification of one or more disabilities of the children being cared for and the submission of the corresponding billing documents by the AVS. The initiative is exclusively aimed at non-profit organizations and is available without a deadline – applications can be submitted at any time. Through financial support, additional capacities for individual support and psychosocial accompaniment are created in the facilities. This helps to remove barriers and sustainably anchor social inclusion already in early childhood.