Ratoath preschool manager says services will face cuts due to staff leaving sector

Childcare services face closure or cuts due to staff leaving the sector, a Ratoath preschool manager has warned.

The comments come as a survey published today revealed that 39% of early years educators are actively looking for work outside of their profession with low pay cited as the main reason.

The SIPTU Early Years Staffing Survey also found found that 64% of managers and owners of childcare facilities believe that challenges recruiting and retaining staff will affect the quality of services with 39% of them saying it could lead to service closures.

68% of managers and owners said they were finding it "extremely difficult" to recruit staff with poor pay identified as the "biggest obstacle" to recruitment.

Manager of Happy Days Preschool in Ratoath and Labour party local representative Eilish Balfe says staff are highly skilled but poorly paid and are finding careers with better prospects as a result. She added:

"The worst thing as a manager is to get a text or a staff member member say can I speak to you in private. You immediately feel sick that they are going to hand in their notice. My staff members know now to quickly follow with “everything is ok I’m not leaving.”

"For the last four years every year I have lost staff member to different sectors. This year I lost a staff member to go work in a gym, as the high levels of stress for 12€ an hour just wasn’t worth it.

"She had a place in college to complete the degree but she said she couldn’t see it as a long term career due to the low pay."

Balfe says it is getting harder each year to keep the doors open due to staff leaving.

"If we don’t replace that staff member we can’t remain in ratio and the fall out from the is less places to offer parents.

"Each year recruiting is getting harder and harder and it raids quality for children.

"As a manager my main issue is burn out and stress. Being in ratio, doing the admin, CPD to make sure we are compliant for all the different departments that inspect us, some times is a huge burden to bear.

"I love my job but that doesn’t pay the bills."

Despite the worrying survey results there is light at the end of the tunnel according to the childcare professional who said:

"I have represented employees as a SIPTU activist in the JLC talks that took place this year. We negotiated minimum rates of pay for each grade. We are just waiting on the Labour Court to sign off where it will make its way to Minister Damien English to sign into legislation.

"But we need a promise from government each year to invest in higher rates of pay. I have a degree and returning to college this year to obtain a masters. Our educators are highly skilled which is no less than children deserve in their formative years."

Darragh O’Connor, Head of Strategic Organising and Campaigns, SIPTU said:

"After years of campaigning by SIPTU and other groups, the Department of Children is significantly increasing investment in Early Years to address low pay. A new ‘Core Funding’ scheme is due to be introduced in September 2022. This investment will support an historic first pay deal for Early Years Professionals negotiated by SIPTU.

"A large majority of managers and staff believe that this pay deal, together with ongoing improvements in pay, will address the recruitment and retention crisis."