CREDIT WHERE CREDIT is due and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Katherine Zappone, is the architect of a timely and ambitious blueprint in Affordable Childcare, the foundations for which must be laid over the next three months, in time for a September 2017 launch date.
However, not only is the information about what is happening in September very late, it is also very heavy administration wise, most especially for the childcare services who are expected to do the spade work to get the plans off the ground. Their time and effort involved must not be underestimated, unrecognised or unpaid.
Repeating the same mistakes
Unfortunately in Ireland we have a history of successive governments talking big on early childhood care and education plans and small on budget and never properly recognising or rewarding the role of the early years educator.
Today, we are in danger of repeating the same mistake. When will we ever learn that quality childcare costs, that return on investment is high and that we need a solid infrastructure and well paid early educators to make it happen?
Like any good architect, Minister Zappone, is dependent on a skilled team to get these plans off the ground. While affordable childcare is a very significant new policy measure, its ultimate success is dependent on the participation and engagement of Early Childhood Ireland’s 3600 members across community and private services.
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