Childcare centres in a fight for survival

KERRY CHILDCARE SERVICES TO TAKE TO THE STREETS TO PROTEST AMID FUNDING FEARS

CHILDCARE services across South Kerry will be forced to close, or suffer a huge reduction in the care they provide, if more funding is not provided to the crisis-hit sector – that’s according to Derek O’Leary of the Killorglin-based Scamps and Scholars.

Derek and his team are among thousands of childcare employees from Kerry who will take to the streets of Dublin next Wednesday, February 5, to voice their anger and concerns for the future of childcare services.

Low-wages in the sector, coupled with rising insurance costs are the final nails in the coffin of the childcare sector as many facilities cannot continue to provide this vital service without Government funding.

Many childcare centres are now unable to pay more than minimum wage to their highly-qualified staff, leading to employees leaving the sector in droves.

“It is a ludicrous situation. Childcare staff are being paid the minimum wage and there is no career path, so we can’t find staff,” said Mr O’Leary.

Scamps and Scholars has 240 children and 40 staff and has plans to expand to cater for increasing numbers of children but will be unable to do so if grants and government funding for childcare schemes are not increased to pay staff and running costs.

“We can’t sustain this. Services will be closed. We are dependent on government policy and are tied into government funding.”

Similarly in Killarney Scallywags Preschool, said there is real fear and anger in the sector.

“We can’t ask for an increase in fees, we rely on Government funding and that is not enough to survive. It works out at €4.68 an hour per child, but staff wages and running costs are above this.

“People say we are running a business but we can’t run a business if we can’t get an increase to meet the costs. There is a crisis in Kerry.”