National Pyjama Day 2023

Our response to capital funding announcement

Our response to capital funding announcement

Capital funding announcement leaving 70% of sector out in the cold

CEO of Early Childhood Ireland opens conference in Croke Park today (Saturday 5th April) with criticism of capital funding scheme announced yesterday by the Minister for Children & Youth Affairs, which leaves 70% of the early childhood sector out in the cold.

Calls for the reallocation of funds to make the scheme more equitable for the entire early childhood education sector.

Commenting on the new scheme announced yesterday (4th April) totaling €3 million for community childcare services, parent and toddler groups and childminders, Teresa Heeney, CEO of Early Childhood Ireland said:

“This scheme is unfair and short sighted, totally ignoring private providers of early childhood care and education in Ireland, who make up 70% of the sector.  While we welcome wholeheartedly the €2.5 million allocation for the repair, maintenance and upgrade of community and not-for-profit childcare services, private providers face the very same cost challenge when it comes to repair work and they can’t be expected to fund this work when the money simply isn’t there.

“A scheme which only looks after parent and toddler groups, childminders and community services ignores the rest of those  hard working professionals holding up this sector.  It just doesn’t make sense economically or morally and we’ve received many complaints overnight.

“We have already been in contact with the Minister’s office to express our dissatisfaction, and that of our members. Furthermore, we propose, as a matter of urgency, that a separate strand of funding is immediately ringfenced to fund similar projects for private providers. What everyone agrees on is that this sector needs further investment, particularly as we need to increase the number of childcare places available across the country to support parents returning to work and to prepare the path for a second year of the free preschool scheme.

“We can’t create a two tier system where funds are directed at community services only, and this Government must reinforce its commitment to all early childhood education providers, many of whom are on the brink of coping financially.   The Minister and her department must be reminded that many private facilities were also built with the aid of State investment and the same issues are emerging in terms of repair and upgrade which must be addressed to  ensure  that  quality childcare services can continue to be provided and to protect the State’s previous investment.

“We recently embarked on a nationwide consultation process with members and what we are hearing across both community and private services is that capitation is insufficient to sustain many of their services, that pay and conditions are insufficient to retain qualified staff and that the way Government schemes are administered just adds to the paperwork, time and stress on childcare professionals, many of whom are saying it is just too hard to keep going.  This most recent announcement will serve to make the going another bit harder again. In particular, providers who are solely reliant on the Government’s ECCE scheme are under huge financial pressure to meet salary bills and keep afloat.  The Government has all the figures through Pobal and knows the financial challenges our members face every day.”

Early Childhood Ireland represents over 3,300 childcare professional members who support over 110,000 children and their families through preschool, afterschool and full daycare provision.  Its work includes quality enhancement, publications, advocacy, training and information for a sector that employs over 24,000 people today.

Ends

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