Creche strike fears over fees demand
Anger over minister’s ‘legal team’ comments
A STAND- OFF over fees between creche operators and the Minister for Children may escalate to strike action or creche closures.
Creches have been asked to remain open for children of essential workers, but have been told to refund fees paid by parents whose children are not eligible to attend this month.
Minister Roderic O’Gorman said: ‘We are looking at ways where we could make it more mandatory for fees to be returned. Our legal team are examining that. But straight away I am calling for them to return these fees.’
Service providers say they do not want to ask parents for fees, but cannot remain open otherwise.
Karen Clince, chief executive of Tigers Childcare, one of the largest childcare providers – with 1,300 children and 180 staff – said there was ‘huge unrest’ in the industry.
‘I can see strikes happening. I can only speak for ourselves, and while we want to be able to do the right thing for the families and children we look after, we may not be able to continue to open our doors,’ she said. ‘There may be strike action by some, while others like us will be forced to close their doors. The minister has missed an opportunity to work with a sector which is willing to work with him.’
She said creches felt it was unfair to ask parents for fees if their children could not attend creche due to the public health restrictions.
‘What we are asking is, who is going to fill the funding gap if we do not have parents’ fees?’
She said that while community services might get 80% to 90% of their i ncome f rom the State, private creches get just 20%. The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme only covered staff wages for two weeks in the month, and no other bills. The January ban on children of non-essential workers ‘will cost us hundreds of thousands of euro’, she said.
Ms Clince added: ‘The minister is thanking us for our work, but it feels very condescending when we are feeling very undervalued and unappreciated.’
Labour spokeswoman on Children, Senator Ivana Bacik, said the Government must meet the cost for the providers. She said: ‘We have been inundated with calls from worried parents who are paying childcare fees on an ongoing basis to maintain their child’s place, despite not using the service during this lockdown.
‘The Government simply cannot expect this issue to resolve itself. Affected parents should have their f ees refunded by the service providers, and the Labour Party is again calling on the Government to meet this cost for providers.’
Elaine Dunne, chairwoman of the Federation of Early Childcare Providers, said: ‘Without parent fees, who is going to cover rent, heat, food, rates and electricity and other miscellaneous expenses? Our minister needs to stop portraying private childcare providers as greedy, as we are the people who are supporting workers to get the economy back up and running.’
She added: ‘We are providing a vital role supporting frontline workers and essential workers to continue working.
‘Providers feel very disrespected to hear Minister O’Gorman on the radio yesterday stating that his legal team is examining how to make it mandatory for services to return fees.
‘We were informed that we are expected to remain open for essent i al workers and vulnerable children supported by the minister’s shoestring scheme.
‘We are not accepting this disrespect and all federation childcare members are standing f i rmly together on this.’
Childcare and independent early years’ service providers body, Seas Suas, said i ts members were ‘surprised and disappointed by the minister’s remarks’, as they had already made arrangements with their clients include reductions, credits and suspension in childcare fees.
But Seas Suas said that ‘meaningful engagement’ with the whole of Government was now needed to help the sector see out the worst of the pandemic.
Last night, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs said that following engagement with the sector, i t would examine ways i n which a pre- existing sustainability fund might be used to provide support to providers who were suffering f i nancial problems as a result of the current restrictions.
However, earlier it said: ‘The relationship between a service and parent is a private one based on a contract. However, in light of the level of State support already being provided to the childcare sector, Minister O’Gorman has asked that services refund or credit fees for those parents who cannot access services over the next three weeks. Some providers are already doing this.
‘The department is engaging with
‘We may not be able to continue’
Fund for those with financial problems
the sector on this point and are keeping the matter under review.’
Meanwhile, Siptu called yesterday for childcare services to be strictly limited to essential frontline workers who have no option but to leave their home, as well as the most vulnerable children.
Darragh O’Connor said: ‘Early Years educators are genuinely frightened going to their workplaces. It is impossible to socially distance when caring for children and the use of facemasks is not mandatory. They are also extremely concerned by reports that the new strains of Covid-19 may infect children more easily than previous ones.’