Key statistics in relation to the goals of First 5

A Statistical Spotlight that illustrates key trends in relation to the goals and objectives of First 5: A Whole of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families 2019-2028 was recently published. This follows on from the 2022 edition and is based on available data. The Spotlight is structured into three sections corresponding to Goals A, B and C in the First 5 Strategy:

• Goal A: Strong and supportive families and communities
• Goal B: Optimum physical and mental health
• Goal C: Positive play-based early learning

The three objectives (objectives 7,8 and 9 in the study) being analysed under Goal C are:

• Positive home learning environment
• Affordable, high quality “Early Learning and Care”
• Supported transitions

We provide an outline of the data with a focus on Goal C.

Child population

The following table provides population estimates of children aged under one to five years throughout 2022-2025.

The at-risk of poverty, consistent poverty, and deprivation rates among this age group all increased from 2020 to 2024 from 11.8% to 14.3%, 4.7% to 7.6% and 15.8% to 17.6% respectively. Over the same period, the percentage of children in this age group experiencing food poverty rose from 1.3 to 2.7 while those experiencing energy poverty increased from 3.0 to 6.1.

Objective 7: Positive home learning environment

Parents, families, and communities are supported to provide a nurturing and stimulating environment for children’s early learning, starting from birth.

Data provided in the study shows that in 2023, parents were much more likely to report engaging in “reading books” with girls at 75%, compared to 67% with boys. Although the differences were smaller, parents were slightly more likely to report engaging in “read aloud signs and labels”; “play with alphabet toys”; and “play word games” with girls. In contrast, in 2023, parents were more likely to engage in “play with building blocks or construction toys” with boys at 78%, compared with 70% for girls.

Objective 8: Affordable, high quality “Early Learning and Care (ELC)”

Babies and young children have access to safe, high-quality, developmentally-appropriate, integrated ELC (and school-age childcare), which reflects diversity of need.

Qualification levels

The following table taken from the study provides an overview of the qualification levels of Early Years and School Age Care staff between 2018 and 2024:

As can be seen above, the percentage of staff with NFQ Level 6 as their highest qualification level decreased from 41.8 to 34.8 between 2018/19 and 2024/25. The percentage of staff members with NFQ Level 8 or above as their highest qualification level increased during this time, from 17.5% to 23.9%.

Fees

The average weekly fees charged by services varies depending on the age of the child and the type of service provision. The study looks at the weekly costs of places before state subsidies. From 2018-2024, full day care costs were highest, ranging from an average of €184.78 in 2018/19 to €200.22 per week in 2024/25. Sessional care had the lowest fees ranging from an average of €75.83 in 2018/19 to €75.00 per week in 2024/25. Across both full-time and part-time provision, fees were highest for children under two and lowest for children over four.

Capacity

The number of children aged five and under enrolled in Early Years and School Age Care services has increased from 124,971 in 2021/22 to 136,650 in 2024/25. Waiting lists numbers have largely increased from 37,568 in 2021/22 to 73,658 in 2024/25, with 19,536 of the latter being children aged between one and two. The study does however note that children may be on multiple waiting lists. Children aged between four and five were the most commonly enrolled age group across the three years, ranging from 46,945 (2021/22) to 51,596 (2024/25).

Diversity in settings

Between 2020/21 and 2024/25, the percentage of services providing care to children with additional needs increased from 75% to 85%, while the percentage of services providing care to children with a diagnosed disability increased from 55% to 63%. The percentage of services in receipt of AIM (Access and Inclusion Model) support during this time increased from 41% to 59%.

Between 2019/19 and 2024/25, the number of Traveller children attending settings decreased from 2,601 to 2,404. The number of Roma children attending increased from 681 to 802 during this time. The proportion of services with Traveller children attending saw a slight increase from 17 percent in 2018/19 to 19% in 2024/25. This was similar for Roma children which saw an increase from 7% to 9%.

Transitions

Children will be supported in their transitions to (and through) ELC settings and onwards to primary schooling.

The percentage of children in mainstream junior infant classes who transitioned from an Early Years setting was 93.1 in 2018/19, which increased to 94.1 in 2024/25. This percentage was typically slightly higher among female children. Between 2019/20 and 2024/25, the percentage of children starting junior infants aged four and under decreased from 19.5 to 15.5. For children aged five and over, this percentage increased from 80.5 to 84.5.

Conclusion

While it is positive to see improvements related to some of the goals and objectives set out in the First 5 strategy, it is evident that further progress is needed to improve capacity issues and to increase diversity and inclusion within the Early Years system. In our 4 Asks for children, Early Childhood Ireland called on the government to initiate a system of national and local two-year and five-year planning cycles, to ensure there are enough Early Years and School Age Care places for all children. We will continue to advocate for this to be implemented. We will also continue to monitor the implementation of Equal Start which aims to ensure equitable access for all children, along with the First 5 strategy.

If you have any feedback on the first two years of Equal Start or if you have any questions or queries about our work, please contact [email protected].