Creches want answers with families ‘in limbo’
CRECHES want the Government to make an immediate decision on whether to reopen childcare centres fully next month.
Representative body Seas Suas has written to Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman, asking for clarity on opening dates, the rationale behind its decisions and funding.
Regina Bushell, chair of Seas Suas and managing director of Grovelands Childcare in Athlone, yesterday said that until answers to these questions are known, both parents and childcare providers are ‘in limbo’.
She said: ‘The clock is ticking and with every day that passes, we lose more time that could be spent planning and ensuring we can continue to provide services beyond January 31, eight [working] days from now. We risk service provision with a last-minute-tomidnight decision.’
Ms Bushell said services were operating with reduced staff numbers, in line with reduced demand. She added that because there were no clear plans from the Government regarding the end of Level 5 lockdown restrictions, they could not plan their future staff requirements.
‘Our parents and families are also in limbo. Without clarity on a plan, they cannot make alternative childcare arrangements – parents who are currently juggling childcare, education, homeschooling and their own fulltime jobs,’ she said.
Ms Bushell also warned that creches could not afford to keep going, based on reduced occupancy, past the end of this month. ‘Now more than ever, we need decisive leadership and timely policies,’ she said.
‘As an essential service and essential frontline workers, we’re seeking immediate clarity on our questions. In addition to a crossGovernment response to childcare, we’ve consistently sought to include the involvement of the Minister for Finance [Paschal Donohoe] in taking decisions on the funding requirement.’
In its letter to Mr O’Gorman, Seas Suas has asked whether, after January 31, the sector will reopen for all children, or continue to provide education and care for the children of essential and frontline workers only.
It asked what public health criteria must apply and in what scenario, in terms of Covid-19 case numbers, will childcare settings be permitted to reopen for all.
The body sought details of what funding will be in place from February 1, to support providers who are operating at reduced capacity for the children of essential and frontline workers, if the sector is not reopened for everyone.
In response to Seas Suas’s queries, Minister O’Gorman said: ‘My officials are engaged in detailed planning as regards the arrangements for early learning and childcare services from February onwards, including in respect of arrangements for essential workers, vulnerable children and funding options. To inform this work, officials are engaging with the Covid-19 Advisory Group, which comprises representatives from the early learning and childcare sector. Progressing the implementation of these plans will depend on the decision to be taken by Government on Covid-19 restrictions from February 1.’
Meanwhile, a survey, carried out this week by the Federation of
Early Childhood Providers on services that opened since January 4, indicates that 14% of services have had a positive Covid-19 case resulting in either the closure of pods or the full service.
It said this had a negative effect on staff mental health, and also on staffing levels, with providers unable to source replacement staff where necessary.
The survey showed that 77% of services were operating at a loss since they reopened this year, due to low attendance and a reported reluctance by essential workers to pay agreed fees for available childcare places, if they made a personal choice not to send their children to the creche.
The federation said that 706 services had completed the survey over 24 hours last weekend. It also reiterated its call for childcare staff to be prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccine much earlier than under the current plan.
It said the survey showed that 67% of members indicated that staff felt unsafe in their work environment, largely due to the surge of the virus in recent weeks.
‘While we appreciate that Minister O’Gorman and his department have advocated for our sector to be prioritised, the federation believes it is now a matter of urgency,’ it said in a statement.
‘The future of the economy depends on early years and childcare services being open for frontline and essential workers... We are no different to frontline workers and should be treated accordingly.’
‘A matter of urgency’