The Minister for Children has marked the Day of Hope and Recognition for early learning and care and school-age childcare by committing to continue increasing Government investment into the sector and supporting early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners.
The Government has set out wide-ranging reforms for the sector. These
include an overhaul of how the sector is funded; commitments to strengthen professional
development and career pathways for educators and practitioners; and support for
improvements in pay and conditions.
Over the last twelve months the following changes and frameworks have been established in the sector:
- Announcement of a new ‘core funding stream’ for services. This funding, worth
over €207 million in a full year, aims to enable providers to attract and retain qualified
staff.
- Launch of Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and
School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028, setting out plans for a graduate-led workforce
and strengthened career pathways.
- A process that led to the establishment of a Joint Labour Committee for Early Years
Services, providing a mechanism to help address issues of pay and conditions in
the sector.
Read more: Government Report Finds 27% of Early Years Staff have Level 7 or Higher
Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman T.D has said the ambition is for Ireland to have world-class early learning and care.
“During Covid-19, we all gained a much better appreciation of the work done by the
professionals who work in early learning and care and school-age childcare. Through some of
the darkest days of the pandemic, they kept their doors open, and made sure that our children had a safe and supportive environment in which to learn and develop.
“As early years educators and school-age childcare professionals mark their day of hope and
recognition, I want to reiterate that I am committed to making sure their pay and conditions
reflect the importance of the work they do.
“Our ambition is for Ireland to have world-class early learning and care and school-age
childcare, which helps children thrive, is affordable for parents and values those who work in
it. We are embarking on wide-ranging reform of the sector, and by working in partnership
with providers and professionals, we can achieve that ambition," he said.
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