The General Election campaign is on, and candidates are scouring your area looking for votes. Now is the time to bring up the important Early Childhood issues impacting on us all.
Check out this information from the Early Childhood Ireland January 2016 EZine:
Did You Know?
- Most parents pay the entire cost of childcare for children under three, without any Government subsidy. In contrast, parents in Finland pay on average just 14% of the cost of childcare.
- Children benefit from quality early education and care. Quality is directly linked to staff qualifications. Many of the professional childcare staff have degrees but are paid just €10.27 on average per hour.
- The under-funding of the ‘free pre-school year’ makes it very hard for childcare providers to stay open and keep good staff.
- It will take an investment of at least an additional €100 million each year over the next five years to address these challenges.
When Candidates Come Knocking at Your Door, Ask Them:
- Will you introduce a ‘Childcare Subsidy’ for children under three – so that Government pays some of the cost of childcare, and parents the rest?
- Will you ensure that all children have easy access to quality childcare, run by childcare professionals earning a decent wage?
- Will you ensure that children in the ‘free pre-school year’ get the best start by increasing funding for the scheme to a realistic level?
Let’s make change happen!
Bye for now,
Brittany
Written by Brittany Burke
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