Clare FM

Clare's creche and early years learning centre owners claim the sector's doomsday clock is ticking ever closer to midnight. The Federation of Early Childcare Providers held an emergency public meeting at the Shannon Community Centre last night ahead of planned strike action next month. The three 'R's of Recruitment, Retention and Remuneration were very much the focus of the capacity crowd at the Shannon Community Centre, as local Childcare Providers highlighted concerns over the future viability of their services. A core issue of contention on the night was the Core funding and Early Childhood Care and Education Schemes. Private providers who have opted into both initiatives have been set in a fee freeze since 2017, while the weekly subsidy of €69 per child in the service has remained static since 2018. A Shannon Creche owner believes, however, that the state's failure to prioritise the needs operators to the same degree as employees and parents will leave the economy in disarray. The ECCE scheme issue payments to providers based on the number of children availing of their services on a bi-weekly basis and if children are absent, the allocation will fall, even if utility bills such as heating and lighting remain unchanged. Noel Mulderrig who will be closing the doors of Kidz Haven in Shannon next June, after twenty years of service, says the current business model is completely unsustainable. An East Clare provider, meanwhile, claims the most vulnerable students will bear the greatest brunt of the sector's current financial difficulties. The pathway for additional needs children entering childcare settings was among the issues raised on the night. Under the Access and Inclusion model, settings can receive a rate of €240 to cover 15 hours of weekly additional assistance but Killaloe Childcare Provider Caroline Roche says the scheme is not financially or resourcefully viable. The Chairperson of the Federation of Early Childcare Providers claims the career is no longer attractive. Clare's staff turnover rate within the industry was recorded at 20% in 2021 and in a bid to entice personnel the government introduced new minimum incremental pay scales for early years graduates beginning at €13. However the new CORE rates due to come into effect on Friday will see an increase of just two cent per child in the providers care each hour. With members set to engage in strike action on September 26th, Chairperson, Elaine Dunne says all providers are now at imminent risk of closure.