A New Model of Early Childhood Education and Care

A New Deal for Children, Parents, Professionals and Providers

The current model of Early Childhood Education and Care is broken.

• Parents pay the highest fees in Europe, blocking women’s participation in all sectors of society.

• Early Years Professionals are some of the worst paid workers in Ireland

• 38% of all professionals are actively looking for a job in a different profession

• Services are experiencing a recruitment and retention crisis that is undermining the quality of the service for children

That is why SIPTU is proposing a major reform of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). Ireland needs a systemic change from the current market model to a new public service model. In short, private and community ECEC providers would have the choice of opting into a new ECEC funding system whereby the state would fund the pay and conditions of employees, similar the current Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS).

Reduced operating costs will lead to substantial reductions in fees for parents while the new funding system will ensure better pay and conditions of Early Years Professionals. The resulting job security will reduce the current level of high staff turnover and this in turn will mean higher quality services for children and more sustainable services for providers.