Almost 40% of childcare staff aim to leave profession over low pay, survey finds

Almost 40 per cent of staff working in the early years childcare sector are actively seeking to leave the profession citing low pay as the main reason, a survey has found.

Many services may be restricted or face potential closure due to an inability to recruit and retain staff, with 68 per cent of managers and owners finding it “extremely difficult” to recruit staff.

The survey, conducted by Siptu during the first two weeks of August, included more than 1,977 managers and staff in the early years sector and was published on Monday.

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Almost two-thirds of managers and owners said challenges recruiting and retaining staff would affect the quality of services. Over half said the issue would make it difficult to maintain staff-to-child ratios while 39 per cent said it would lead to service closure.

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Poor pay was identified as the “biggest obstacle” to recruitment (52 per cent), with almost 36 per cent citing it as a “significant obstacle”.

Over 80 per cent of managers and owners said they had to recruit staff over the past 12 months.

However, more than 70 per cent believe the new rates of pay negotiated by Siptu on behalf of workers will “help address the recruitment and retention crisis”.

Just 13 per cent would recommend a career in the early years sector to a friend or family member.

Deborah Reynolds, an early years teacher, said many services were struggling to hire and hold on to staff because of low pay.

“Most early years educators earn below the living wage of €12.90 per hour and they simply cannot afford to stay in their profession,” she said.

“This is bad for workers, but high staff turnover rates also undermine quality of care for children and the sustainability of services.”

One of the respondents to the survey said: “I love working in the early years sector, but I am not paid enough to stay long term. I am 53 and I need to secure my future financially. As it is, I live from pay cheque to pay cheque.”

Darragh O’Connor, Siptu’s head of strategic organising, said thousands of its members had been campaigning for better pay and recognition and that in Budget 2022, “the Government responded”.

“A new ‘Core Funding’ is to be introduced which will support a historic first pay deal due to be introduced in the coming weeks,” he said.

“The pay deal will raise thousands, of mostly female workers, out of poverty. Siptu is calling on the Government to build on this foundation in the upcoming budget and recognise the contribution early years educators make to the economy, society and the lives of children.”