Thousands without a place says Early Childhood Ireland
As Budget 2025 approaches, the Government is being urged take action to reduce the number of Cork children on waiting lists for early years and school age care.
According to Early Childhood Ireland, there are currently thousands of Cork children under the age of three on waiting lists to access the care and education they deserve.
The organisation said new data shows there are 534 children under the age of 1 on crèche waiting lists in Cork with just 17 places available for them; 1,124 children aged 1-2 years on waiting lists with 36 places available; and 1,110 children aged 2-3 years on waiting lists with 291 places available.
Early Childhood Ireland believes that every child in Ireland should have the right to access to high-quality early years and school age care, however, because of a lack of proper planning, the organisation said this need is currently going unmet for children across the country.
Proper planning
Frances Byrne, Director of Policy at Early Childhood Ireland, said Ireland needs a system of national and local two-year and five-year planning cycles to ensure that there are enough places for children in their communities.
“We hear stories of parents putting their child’s name down for a crèche place before they’re even born. We know how many children are born in the state every year, and we need the Government to enact a proper capacity planning system to meet the needs and rights of young children,” said Ms Byrne. She added: “Our 2024 Barometer, based on a national opinion poll, shows that an overwhelming majority (76%) of people in Ireland agree that every child should be guaranteed access to high-quality and inclusive early years and school age care in their community. It’s time that the Government put a plan in place to make this happen.”
Recognition of childminding
To further support capacity planning, Early Childhood Ireland is asking the Government to fully implement the National Action Plan for Childminding which seeks to provide greater recognition and support for childminders, improve access to high-quality early years and school age care, and offer families the chance to access financial supports.
Ms Byrne continued: “Childminding is an essential early years and school age care service for families and children. In other countries, families get a choice between a place with a childminder or one in an early years centre and this should be our ambition for children here too.”
Elevate the status
Ahead of Budget 2025, Early Childhood Ireland is also calling on the Government to improve family leave entitlements in order to prioritise the pay of graduates who work in early years and school age care settings, and to publish a five-year plan with a new investment target. The organisation’s budget submission offers a radical new approach to elevate early years and school age care to the same status as primary education in Ireland.