Zappone 'committed to' affordability, quality and safety in child care services

Minister for Children Katherine Zappone says that her primary motivating factor in introducing the free childcare scheme was to rectify “decades” of a lack of investment in childcare.

Recent figures indicate that, in the early-years sector, toddlers aged one to three years accounted for only 16% last year - down from 20% in 2015-16. The majority of the 179,000 children enrolled in childcare facilities nationwide were pre-schoolers.