Groups demand direct investment in childcare

More than 20 childcare and children's rights organisations have joined together to challenge the Government to invest directly in the development of childcare, rather than give tax credits, vouchers or higher child benefit.

In a pre-Budget proposal, the Irish Childcare Policy Network has called for increased investment in early childhood care and education from 0.2 cent of GDP to 1.5 per cent within 10 years.

This investment of about €1.2 billion annually by 1015 should be ring-fenced and made independent of child benefit, home carers' tax credit, childcare tax credits or other means of easing the financial burden on parents, whether or not they work outside the home, the network said.

Childcare costs to parents should be reduced by 50 per cent as a result of State subsidies. The State could then develop and control the quality of childcare, much of which is currently provided by untrained staff and unofficial childminders.

In return for subsidies, all providers would have to meet quality and training standards, as set by the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education, which has been commissioned by the Government to develop national standards.

The network has representatives from various groups including childminders, creches, city and county childcare committees, Barnardos, the Children's Rights Alliance and specialists in early years education.

"We are unapologetic in saying that money earmarked for childcare should not also be used to compensate women working full-time in the home, because ECCE [ early childhood care and education] is good pre-school education and good childcare has to incorporate good pre-school education," said Norah Gibbons, network spokeswoman and advocacy director at Barnardos.

The Irish Childcare Policy Network is also calling on the Government to make one department responsible for developing early childhood care and education, rather than 11 departments, as is the case now.

The network said that while the equal opportunities childcare programme, run by the Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform, was to be congratulated, many more places were needed and could not be provided by the current approach of using this programme to increase supply and child benefit to allay cost.

"While we acknowledge the importance of supporting women who are full-time in the home as carers of children, elderly relatives and others, these women must not be put in competition with children for funding," Ms Gibbons said.

"High-quality early years education and childcare are one and the same thing and are of benefit to all children, including the children of women who are full-time mothers."

The network has said that despite the high cost of childcare - weekly creche and childminding fees average €180 a child - the quality of care still needed to be improved.

It is also campaigning for one year's paid maternity/parental leave and one year's free pre-school place for every child.

"Every child deserves safe and loving care by highly qualified people who know how to provide the appropriate stimulation for children in the year before primary school," Ms Gibbons added.

"There's a lot of talk about childcare from the angle of work and cost, but we want to put the emphasis firmly on the child's needs, the child's rights and the child's development in the context of family and community."

She said the Government had to be brave and "to provide leadership on this issue".