Significant number of children on waiting lists for crèches in Tipperary
Next Government needs to address staff shortages in early years education says Early Childhood Ireland
Early Years graduates need pay parity with primary school teachers to address staff shortages and tackle waiting lists in Tipperary says Early Childhood Ireland.
The data revealed that there are 129 children under the age of 1 on crèche waiting lists in Tipperary and 11 places available for them, 282 children aged 1-2 years on waiting lists and just eight places available and 447 children aged 2-3 years are on waiting lists and 138 places available.
Early Childhood Ireland is calling on the next government to show its commitment to Tipperary children and their families by setting a date to bring Early Years and School Age Care graduates into the public pay system.
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According to the organisation, a vital first step to moving further towards a publicly funded model is to guarantee parity of pay and conditions between Early Years and School Age Care graduates and their equivalents in primary education.
Frances Byrne, Director of Policy at Early Childhood Ireland, said: “Recruitment and retention of staff are two of the biggest concerns we hear about from our 156 member settings in Tipperary. We have seen election proposals from some political Parties about reducing fees and improving affordability for parents, however, without a stable workforce these proposals will just not be feasible”.