Crèche owners issue dire warning of staff shortages
Staff shortages is a factor for many childcare providers
THE ISSUE of waiting lists for early-years childcare in Carlow has continued to rise, with over 70 babies under the age of one on crèche waiting lists, with no available spaces for them.
Toddlers between the ages of one and three face the same outcome, with 147 children on waiting lists for crèches across the county and only 17 places available.
Brenda Hanely of Dolmen Nursery and Montessori School told : “We stopped our waiting lists because of how huge the numbers have gotten. Because of staff shortages and the pressures we’re under, we have stopped taking babies under one and we were one of the few places in Carlow offering that.
"But we can’t sustain it anymore. It’s not feasible to have one member of staff with three babies under one anymore.
“Its not a surprise at all. These issues are across the board in every county now and the department isn’t relieving the stress off us at all.
"The ratios and paperwork and expectations we face in work do not reflect the pay we’re given.”
Staffing shortages persist in early-childhood care facilities across the county, with the average staff turnover standing at 28.6% according to Early Childhood Ireland’s latest report.
Barbara Byrne of Rathoe Community Childcare said: “The staffing issue is ongoing since Covid. It’s an issue of work-life balance for a lot of staff, the long hours aren’t sustainable for everyone.
Over the last couple of years it’s been hard getting in CVs. We’re lucky we haven’t had to look for staff in a couple of years, but when we did a few years ago, it was dire trying to get quality CVs.”
She continued: “The sector itself has been low paying since before the core funding came in. As a smaller service, the core funding has helped us a lot and has probably enticed some people to stay.”
On the issue of staff shortages in the sector, Brenda added: “If one of my staff members leaves, I’d be in a horrible position trying to get someone to fill that gap.
"Pay is definitely a main factor; young people aren’t going to come into a sector where the pay and the workload don’t reflect each other. The amount of work you have to do for the minimum rate of pay isn’t reflective, the pay doesn’t reflect the work that’s expected of us at all.
“I think these issues are absolutely rooted in the government funding and expectations put on us.
"The government and the department have been giving money and funding to early-years care in the last few years and it looks great, and it is great in theory, but they aren’t listening to the people in the sector about where the money needs to go.
“We need more money pumped into wages to sustain the staff we have at the moment and to try and encourage other people to come into the sector.
“We need to be open ten-plus hours a day to keep the workforce going for working parents, and new graduates don’t want to work the hours we have to work with the rate of pay they start on.”
Frances Byrne, director of policy at Early Childhood Ireland, said: “We welcome the focus on access to early years and school-age care for all children, but without proper pay and conditions for staff, there simply will not be enough educators available to care for those children.”
Ms Byrne continued: “Guaranteeing parity of pay and conditions for early years and school-age care graduates will not only offer staff deserved recognition but also go a long way to alleviating the capacity issues in the system and ultimately support affordability for parents in Carlow.”
According to the organisation, a five-year plan and a new investment target is crucial to building a high quality system that is inclusive of all children.
Ms Byrne said: “There is broad political support for increased investment in the sector. With a new five-year programme being shaped, now is the time for the incoming government to propose a plan that outlines the level of funding which will be made available each year, along with clear annual priorities.”
Early Childhood Ireland is calling on the next government to build on the progress made in the last five years by putting in place the steps needed to guarantee access to a high-quality, equitable early years and school-age care system for every child in every family in Carlow.
