Parents in Cloughmills and Armoy, County Antrim, report their children cannot secure funded pre-school places at local settings for September. Stacey Smyth lives 0.2km from Cloughmills Early Years. Her three-year-old son Oran did not receive a place there. She stated her son would stay home for the year without it, which would hinder his primary one start due to missing pre-school experience.

Emma Houston's son Rory qualified for a statutory pre-school place but has no spot at Cloughmills Early Years. Houston called the situation unacceptable and said children in the community face penalties. She noted offers exist in nearby villages but logistics prevent use, given family ties to the local primary school.

In Armoy, Linda McBride's twin daughters Maisie and Tilly lack funded places at Armoy Cross Community playgroup despite prior attendance. McBride said the playgroup holds 24 spaces but receives funding for 13. She plans to pay privately for their spots.

Cloughmills Early Years chair Karen Forsythe stated the setting received 18 first-choice applications from village children for 10 allocated places in September 2026. She said some children live less than half a mile away and have siblings at the adjacent primary school. Forsythe noted 46 pre-school leaders wrote to Education Minister Paul Givan and the Education Authority requesting changes to allocation methods.

Forsythe explained allocations rely on past numbers rather than current demand. A low year sets future limits. She said this pulls children from communities, affecting families and local childminding businesses.

The Education Authority stated a funded pre-school place exists across Northern Ireland for every eligible child. It described allocations as planned for stable provision. The authority noted alternative funded places lie within reasonable distance of Cloughmills. It rejected the request for more spots there.