A suite of new measures were also revealed this morning for the early learning sector.
The Association of Childhood Professionals (ACP) is welcoming as positive an announcement of €10million in funding to help providers improve ventilation in childcare settings. (See provisions for schools here).
Mick Kenny is Manager of Urlingford and Johnstown Community Childcare services.
On KCLR Live he said this will be a big help; “Same as with the schools at the moment for Covid, we’re encouraged to have our windows open for ventilation for the children and into the Winter it’s sort of trying to have the balance of keeping ventilation going and actually keeping them warm as well so they don’t get generally sick. Filters will be fantastic and I know the minimum grant is something like 1,500 so they’ve actually priced it quite well so it’ll be good quality filters that services can access”.
Meanwhile, a survey carried out by the ACP shows that 90% of childcare services reported a staffing crisis in November.
A temporary measure has been approved for those training in the sector to support services and Mr Kenny says they have to face the same difficulties as schools when it comes to staffing; “They do have a temporary scheme, similar to what’s happening in the primary schools around bringing early childhood care and education students on board to support for the staffing crisis that we face, because we do, we hear an awful lot in the news about the issues primary and secondary schools are facing being down teachers like childcare is under the same crisis”.
