ESRI Report on Afterschool care in Ireland

The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) recently published a report Afterschool care for school-aged children in Ireland. It uses data from the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study to look at the take-up of School Age Care for two cohorts of children born a decade apart – 1998 and 2008 – ( with each studied at ages nine and 13. The report examines the arrangements that parents use to provide care for their school-aged children outside of school hours during term time, taking formal afterschool clubs and centres, childminders and relative care into consideration. The study considers the factors that influence which care type is used and whether the type of afterschool care received impacts a range of outcomes such as peer relationships, social activities, and socio-emotional and cognitive development. The report uses this information to highlight important issues that need be considered in future policy development.

Participation in School Age Care
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Usage

The most common type of School Age Care among both cohorts was parental, with over seventy percent of nine-year-olds and over eighty per cent of 13-year-olds in both cohorts being looked after by their parents. For both cohorts of nine-year-olds, the most common type of non-parental care was by relatives, followed by childminders, however the length of School Age Care was longer in the case of childminders. Overall, the weekly average of non-parental care was relatively low at 11-12 hours. The most common type of non-parental care at age 13 was being cared for by siblings or looking after themselves, followed by relative care. At both age nine and age 13, afterschool centre/club care was used most often where mothers were working longer hours, where parents had a professional job and where the family was in the top income quintile. In addition, migrant-origin families were less likely to use group-based School Age Care at age 13.

Predictors of use

Maternal employment was the strongest predictor of use of non-parental care. The costs of School Age Care rose more than the rate of inflation over the decade examined, especially for childminders and afterschool clubs or centres, meaning income became an important predictor of use of childminders or group-based settings. Childminders were more commonly used by those working longer hours. A rural-urban divide was evident in care type, with the use of School Age Care centres more common in urban areas and use of childminders more common in rural areas, most likely reflecting the availability of places in group-based settings and/or differential access to transport.

Capacity

The below table is provided which gives a breakdown of the number of children per age group enrolled in School Age Care places funded by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE) in May/June 2024, taken from Pobal. The figures also highlight a mismatch between supply and demand within areas.

Impact of School Age Care participation

The study finds that formal care arrangements, such as childminders or centres, are linked to greater participation in sports, while informal care by relatives or siblings is associated with lower engagement in reading for pleasure and cultural activities like music lessons or clubs. For 13-year-olds, being cared for by relatives—often outside their neighbourhood—appears to disrupt friendship formation, with these children reporting fewer overall and close friends compared to those cared for by parents.

Among the 1998 cohort, reading and maths scores at age 13 were higher for those who had a childminder at age nine, and attending an afterschool club at age 13 was positively related to reading ability. However, greater externalising difficulties were observed at age 13 among children who had attended group-based settings four years earlier. For the 2008 cohort, relative care at age nine was negatively associated with cognitive scores at age 13. Overall, School Age Care arrangements at age nine explained little variation in cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes at age 13, with child and family characteristics exerting a much stronger influence.

Policy considerations

• It is important that the impact of developments which have taken place since the data was collected is tracked, such as the National Childcare Scheme (NCS), in order to measure whether they have resulted in increased choice for low-income parents/guardians, those in rural areas and those working longer hours.
• This research finds that the use of School Age Care centres remained very low in 2017, and the gap between take-up for low- and high-income households had widened. Costs for childminders and afterschool centres had increased beyond inflation, which is likely to influence the care decisions and labour market choices of parents. Improvements to afterschool care will also have a gender equality impact, allowing mothers to engage more fully in the labour market.
• The study stated that the privatised nature of School Age Care provision restricts the government’s ability to standardise the system and implement change. Efforts such as setting minimum standards and eligibility rules can link state support to the implementation of practices, however private-sector incentives will limit the level of change that can be achieved in a privatised system.
• Childminders, who remain a significant part of School Age Care provision, are being encouraged into the regulated system however low pay and poor working conditions remain key barriers.
• Specific needs per region need to be examined to ensure that the disparity in provision is addressed. Additional incentives to encourage staff to remain in the workforce, particularly in rural areas, could also be beneficial.

Conclusion

Early Childhood Ireland will use the report’s findings to inform policy analysis and continue monitoring developments in relation to School Age Care in Ireland.

You can read the report in full on the ESRI website. If you have any questions about our work, please email policy@earlychildhoodireland.ie.