Results of our 1 Question Survey

Prior to the announcement of the budget we sent a survey to all members. We got the biggest response we have ever had for any of our surveys, so thank you very much for that. 

We offered a prize of one year’s free membership of Early Childhood Ireland and the lucky winner was Bluebells Playgroup in County Waterford. A big congratulations to them!

We asked: What is an absolute necessity for inclusion in Budget 2016?

When we took all the responses and gave them scores, members said very clearly that the top two priorities are:

• To increase capitation.
• To increase supports for children with additional needs.

Based on the findings of the survey we issued a press release to media outlets throughout Ireland.

Budget Must Deliver Real Childcare Investment

Affordability for parents, sustainability for early childhood educators and quality for children are all absolute necessities for real investment in childcare in next week’s Budget.

This is according to Teresa Heeney, CEO of Early Childhood Ireland, based on a survey published today which asked crèches and preschools nationwide to rank their absolute priorities for the budget.

The 746 respondents (representing a 21% response rate) to Early Childhood Ireland’s member survey rank increased capitation for the ECCE free preschool year as the top priority, followed closely by increased supports for children with additional needs.  Click here to read the full press release >>

The Survey in the Media

Our survey results, the voice of our members, and the press release were picked up by various news outlets. 

RTE news came into our Tallaght offices on Wednesday to record a piece for the Six One news.

Mary Wilson, on Drivetime (starts around 1:42:10), referenced our press release extensively in her interview on childcare with Arthur Spring of the Labour Party.

And the Irish Independent subsequently picked up on this coverage for an article in Thursday’s paper.

What to listen out for in Budget 2016

We have made a graphic of what we will be listening out for during the Budget speech next Tuesday. (Please click on the image below for larger view)