Childcare groups says their members need guidance on how they’ll operate once re-opening starts in June

Groups representing childcare providers say their members need guidance around how the sector will operate ahead of their scheduled re-opening at the end of June.

Yesterday it emerged there will be a reduction in the number of children providers can take care of and it’s also expected children will be placed in small groups to limit contact with other children and providers.

Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone says all the details haven’t been worked out.

Early Childhood Ireland’s Frances Byrne says there’s a lot of questions around how social distancing will work in creches:

“It would be practical in the sense that if people are asked to take few children they can, people will be able to deal with that but the issues that flow from that and what’s really worrying are creches will cooperate with public health guidelines, our members are very keen to start getting them, to start reacting to them, to start thinking through the implications but there are huge funding pressures already on the sector”.