Childcare workers call for greater investment ahead of national rally

Childcare workers call for greater investment ahead of national rally


Anton McNulty

CHILDCARE workers say they are being treated like ‘glorified babysitters’ and are calling on the Government to invest more in early childhood provision.
A number of childcare-service providers in Mayo will be closed today (Tuesday) as childcare workers travel to Dublin to take part in a national rally organised by the Association of Childhood Professionals (ACP).
The rally will take place outside the DΡil and the ACP will be calling for greater investment in early childhood education and care and highlight the importance of the role played by childhood professionals.
In Ireland, the Government invests 0.4 percent of GDP in early childhood, while the EU average is 0.7 percent and UNICEF recommends spending 1 percent.
Karen Hoban O’Brien of Woodland Park Preschool in Westport said that one of the rally’s key messages is that workers are subsidising, by virtue of their low wages, the early childhood education and care system in Ireland.
“We are demanding that the Government steps in and recognises and accepts their responsibility to provide sufficient funding to adequately resource all areas of high-quality provision. Many members of our profession are on little more than minimum wage, and we are losing qualified, experienced personnel who can no longer afford to remain in the profession.

‘A good investment’
“Money invested in early childhood is a good investment. Irish studies show that the Government can expect to save €7 for every €1 spent in high-quality early childhood provision, because getting it right from the start costs less than fixing problems later on,” she said.
Elaine Malone, who works in the Aughagower Community Pre-School, will be taking part in the rally. She says the current government funding only covers the time childcare workers are with the child and does not cover preparation of the curriculum and school planning.
She said that childcare workers are highly trained professionals, a reality that is not reflected in their wages or the Government’s attitude to early childhood education.
“At the moment the Government gives €62.50 per child, but after the wages, heat and food is looked after there is not really a lot left. If there was an increase of €2 or €3 per child that would be a huge difference. Some of us have degrees, but a lot of workers are only working 15 to 20 hours per week and not coming out with a real wage.
“I don’t think there is a realisation of the amount of work that goes into it at all, and you feel like you are a glorified babysitter. Ireland is among the lowest in Europe in terms of investment in early childhood education. It is nothing like the emphasis that is placed on childcare in countries like Finland and Sweden. The Government here doesn’t really see the importance of it,” she said.