Real Voices

The ‘Real Voices from the Early Childhood Sector’ campaign identifies the key issues early childhood educators face day in day out and calls for more recognition and reward in line with primary teachers.

In these videos some of our members – early childhood educators, crèche and preschool owners / managers, parents and students from around the country – talk frankly about the real issues they face at the coalface of low pay, little financial support for training in a sector of high expectations and seriously low investment. What is loud and clear in all the interviews is the passion and positivity when interviewees talk about the children under their care and guidance.

Real Voices Campaign video

Staff in Happy Phases, Dublin 12

Staff in Happy Phases give the Full Daycare perspective of working for low pay and the lack of support for children with additional needs.

Jennifer Hatton, Early Childhood Degree Student from Maynooth

Jennifer talks about her passion for her work and her frustration with the lack of investment in the sector.

Parents of Children Attending the Old Schoolhouse, Louth

Parents talk about the benefits for their children attending and their concerns that the preschool is facing closure.

Mag Coogan, Owner Manager at The ABC Club, Meah

Mag talks about her passion for special needs and the difficulties in providing an inclusive service.

Staff at The Old Schoolhouse, Louth

The Old Schoolhouse Preschool in Ballapousta is facing closure due to the way it is funded.

Staff in Before 5 Family Centre, Cork

Staff discuss the issues they face with low levels of pay and high levels of demand.

Ann Macken, Manager, Happy Days, Tipperary

Ann Macken talks about the difficulty in keeping staff due to the poor payment in the sector.

The Real Voices campaign kicks off with interviews from services in Cork and Tipperary. Its launch coincides with the establishment of a seven-department committee which will report by the summer on the key issues of affordability in childcare in Ireland, a subject to be covered this Wednesday afternoon in the Seanad by Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan who will comment in relation to ‘Improving the Quality of Early Years Education’.

The aim of this Real Voices campaign is to literally share the voice of those at the coalface of the early childhood care and education sector in Ireland by asking them about the daily challenges they face. These are the people who must be consulted and listened to in relation to any new Government plans for the sector. We know well that Irish families are paying more than any of their European counterparts on early childhood education services and this must be addressed as a matter of urgency. 

But having identified the key issues and gotten all the facts and figures this Government must show the courage and leadership necessary to raise Ireland up from its low investment level of 0.2% of GDP to the European average of 0.7%. That is what it is going to take to reinforce this sector and to invest in our children in the early years chapter of their education where it matters most.

Throughout the first quarter of 2015, we will publish these video interviews here and share the key messages with policy makers, politicians and parents with a view to promoting more understanding of the Early Childhood sector.

There are 3 ways to support the Real Voices campaign!

Share

You can support the campaign by watching the videos on our website and share with anybody you think might be interested or affected. You can share these videos on Facebook, Twitter, email or even via word of mouth. It all helps.

Join

You can also join in the campaign by recording a video of your own on your smartphone, saying how you are affected by poor pay and conditions in the Early Childhood sector. Upload the video to Youtube and we will share your words online as part of the campaign.

Advocate

Write to your representative to let them know about our campaign. You can find your local representative here: WhoIsMyTD.com/

You can write your own letter or you will find a template letter here.