‘The sector is in real crisis’: New report reveals the cost of providing childcare

Early Childhood Ireland found that Irish families are spending 35% of their yearly income on care.

THE IRISH CHILDCARE industry needs immediate investment if it is to become affordable for parents and rewarding for staff, a new study has found.

Early Childhood Ireland (ECI), a lobby group for childcare providers, this afternoon launched a new report which found that the average Irish childcare business is being run on a breakeven basis.

According to ECI boss Teresa Heeney, the average cost of childcare here accounts for 35% of household income, whereas across the EU, childcare costs between 10-13% of a family’s income.

High price

Despite the high cost of care, the report found that, even when a profit is generated by a facility, it is often too little to meet the cost of re-investment in the business.

Heeney said: “The childcare sector in Ireland is in real crisis in terms of recruiting staff and keeping them and we’re seeing this as a direct result of low pay, low morale and an ever higher administrative burden.

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