‘The Budget was a great day for childcare but this is only just the first step of the ladder’

Local community childcare providers have welcomed last week's Budget and hope it will help address the staffing crisis in the sector which is struggling to retain staff due to low pay.

Crann Support Group CEO Marie Daly said it was a "huge milestone" that the sector was finally being acknowledged but said it was the first step in a much-needed overhaul of the sector.

The Crann Support Group is responsible for 11 childcare facilities across the county and employs 323 staff.

Ms Daly said: “I am delighted with the Budget. For 20 years I have been advocating, along with lots of people, about staff wages and the insult they were to them.

"If you look at the Budget last year, it never mentioned childcare. The difference this year is that it is in the top three concerns. That is a huge milestone.

"For me, the Budget was a great day for childcare. But it is only the first step of the ladder. There is a lot more to be done but at least we got on that rung of the ladder."

Ms Daly acknowledged that fees were still too high for parents but feels this year’s Budget is the first step in a much-needed overhaul of the sector.

“For parents, there will be no increase in fees. I do accept that fees are way too high and parents will be looking for a reduction but it is a first step until we get the rest of the sector right and then we can start looking at parents," she said.

It is only recently that Ms Daly said they can say all their staff are on the living wage, despite the fact that many of them have degrees and are highly trained professionals. Many staff in the sector are still on minimum wage or just above it.

"At last our Government has realised our childcare professionals are professionals and do deserve a professional wage."

She said there is a chronic shortage of staff in the sector and the investment would help retain staff.

“They will know that if they do their degree and go into childcare, there is a ladder they can climb and that there is a career and a future. They are not going to spend four years getting a degree to get a pittance and see no career path. It will encourage people to join the sector and help promote the sector as a decent career."

She explained that work will begin next year on negotiating a payscale for staff in the childcare sector.

Marian Cross, Manager of KC Childcare in Kilmainhamwood also welcomed the Budget and said finally it was being acknowledged that there is a crisis in the sector and "that something needs to be done".

Recruitment and retaining staff in childcare continues to be a huge challenge and they are continually losing staff to other careers because the pay is so low.

“We are aware that fees are quite costly and can like be like a second mortgage to some parents but on the other hand, as a manager and working in the childcare sector and with staff and on the ground, it is quite difficult to recruit.

“The minimum wage is €10.20, and the starting wage here is €10.50 which isn’t a huge difference from the minimum wage.

“Trying to recruit staff is crazy. It is great that the Government is giving us extra money and are trying to increase the wage some way, but I would have liked to see a definite payscale put in place," she said adding that they still didn't know how the funding would be "divvied up".

In the meantime, they have to keep services going at a time when expenses like heating and electricity are going up. "We haven’t been told how the money will be broken down and how much can we can allocate towards wages and how much running of business.

“It is great that fees are frozen but will there be enough coming in to meet the outgoings. That is my concern. And whether I will be able to retain the staff I have."

She told how two of her staff members are doing SNA courses and she lost two level eight staff members last year who took up roles as SNAs in schools as they can offer more money.

For Ms Cross, it is imperative for the sector that a payscale is introduced to create a level playing field for staff.

"It is great that we are being acknowledged but I have been in childcare since 1990 and they are still talking about a payscale 30 years later."