Public ahead of politicians when it comes to support for funding early childhood care

When it comes to early years education and care, people in Ireland have shown their overwhelming support for children’s rights, writes Frances Byrne, director of policy with Early Childhood Ireland

A poll has found that 80% of people in Ireland believe young children have a right to early years care and education

Early Childhood Ireland this week published its national barometer, which measures public attitudes to early years care and education. For the fifth time in as many years, people in Ireland have shown their overwhelming support for children’s rights and for the thousands of staff employed in the sector.

This year’s RED C poll found 80% of people in Ireland believe young children have a right to early years care and education. The barometer is a national poll, but stronger regional support is seen in some questions. 

For example, 76% of people in Munster believe that, like primary school education, early years care and education should be free. This represents an 8% rise in support for publicly-funded provision — the equivalent figure in the 2021 barometer was 68%. It’s also 5% higher than the overall national statistic.

Early Childhood Ireland has been commissioning this annual poll for the last five years. It’s interesting to look at the year-on-year national data and see what trends emerge. 

Overall, it’s clear that support for Ireland’s early years education and care sector is strong and this year it has grown. We believe this is due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Today, 71% of people believe the education of children under five is as important as the education of children over five. Sixty three per cent also believe parents should be financially supported to stay at home with their child for the first 12 months of the child’s life. 

There was a notable gender divide in responses to this statement, with 71% of women in agreement, compared to 56% of men. This raises a number of policy concerns, especially in light of Government commitments to increase parental leave which can be shared between couples.

Early years and after-school providers and staff have been on the frontline supporting children and families throughout the last two years.

Even before the pandemic began, services were straining under the weight of chronic underinvestment. Early Childhood Ireland has more than 3,800 members, including some 1,000 based in Munster whom we support every day to deliver quality care for children. When the pandemic hit, they and others around the country worked tirelessly to keep services open and safe for both staff and children. 

They have weathered enormous stress and uncertainty while remaining steadfast in their determination to provide quality services to children.

Our 2022 barometer shows the sector’s dedication and commitment throughout the pandemic has heightened public awareness and appreciation of the essential workforce that cares for children — 73% of respondents this year agree that staff who work directly with children and are as qualified as other professionals such as nurses and teachers, should have terms and conditions which reflect this. 

It is understood that having properly qualified and appropriately compensated staff is a critical marker of a high-quality care and education system. It’s grandparents who know this more than anyone, with 81% of those aged over 65 years agreeing that professional early years educators should be paid in line with their expertise.

By every international standard, Ireland is at the bottom of theclass when it comes to investment in early years and school-age services. 

In a Unicef study, Ireland placed 36th out of 41 countries. Currently, Ireland invests 0.2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in early years education and care. The average state expenditure for other European countries is 0.8% of GDP. Unicef recommends that developed countries invest 1% of GDP in early years education and care by 2030. 

As many economists have noted, using Gross Domestic Product is not ideal in Ireland, given the skewing impact of multinational profits; nevertheless, it gives a sense of where we stand. In any case, nobody in Government, past or present, disagrees that there has been historically low investment here.

Nor is it news to parents, many of whom struggle to find quality, affordable services for their children. 

Unlike our European peers, the financial burden on parents of young children can amount to what many families describe as the equivalent of a second mortgage. 

Sixty seven per cent of people in Munster believe parents should only pay toward childcare in line with their overall income. Munster is again significantly ahead of the national figure (62%). 

In the five years that Early Childhood Ireland has been tracking these results, the number of people in Munster agreeing that costs to parents should be in line with their overall income has risen by 6%. This contrasts with the fact that parents in Ireland are paying some of the most expensive costs in Europe.

In this year’s barometer, 72% of people in Ireland believe that we should significantly increase investment in line with international benchmarks. This view is held across all demographics, regions and age groups, including among those who don’t have children of their own. Among farmers, it rises to 81%.

Early Childhood Ireland’s vision is for an Ireland where every young child in Ireland is thriving in both centre-based and childminding settings. 

It is very heartening to see the Irish public’s consistent support of early years over the five years we’ve been commissioning this poll. In every community, the essential services that our sector provides are highly valued, and the vast majority of the population believes that every child has a fundamental right to access high-quality, affordable early years care and education. 

The last budget made welcome promises which will allow the sector to operate to the end of this year. 

There are now plans afoot to introduce core funding along with a focus on the terms and conditions of staff. These measures will need to be robust, transparent, and fully fit-for-purpose.

Meanwhile, children and their families wait. The system does not allow the flexibility they need, as many parents who are moving to a hybrid way of working are discovering. 

When it comes to the rights of children, people in Ireland are significantly ahead of their elected representatives. Politicians must follow the public’s lead and act fearlessly to put children’s needs into action. Early years care and education is already valued by the Irish public in the same way as primary and secondary education. 

The current and future governments must act accordingly. They must recognise and value the 30,000 excellent staff who educate and care for our youngest children. Quality for children should be at the centre of policies in this area, ensuring that every child has access to high-quality early years education and care and school-age childcare, whether it be in settings or in childminders' homes.

 This vital public good should no longer be a neglected political afterthought, but an essential cornerstone of Ireland’s education system.

• Frances Byrne is director of Policy and Advocacy at Early Childhood Ireland