Childcare analysis: Challenge of turning rhetoric into reality

Governments have a habit of discovering childcare as a political issue in the run-up to an election.

And while they have an excellent record of producing reports with feel-good rhetoric and noble aspirations, their track record of turning them into reality is lamentable.

A decade ago a State think tank advocated an ambitious blueprint for childcare: large-scale investment in early childhood education services which deliver savings in the long term through better outcomes for young people.

The government, it argued, was at a crossroads: it could choose to leave behind a major social legacy by creating a publicly-funded, high quality childcare system that could rival those in Scandinavia.

Instead, ministers at the time opted for sticking-plaster solutions which never dealt properly with either the cost or quality of childcare.

The result today is one of the most expensive childcare services in Europe populated mostly by for-profit childcare providers who, in some cases, have been able to skimp on staffing and training due to lax regulations.

Ten years later, we’re back at a similar set of  crossroads.

The Government’s working group report, published on Wednesday afternoon, once again offers policymakers an ambitious blueprint.

It may not be visionary, but it at least offers the promise of a solid foundation for providing a childcare service which could make care more affordable and improve outcomes for children.

The idea that working parents could receive State subsidies for children up to the age of 12 in creches or afterschool care, would help cushion costs for many on middle incomes.

Extending paid parental leave from six months to a full year would allow children to spend the first year of their life at home, a move supported by child development experts.

Expanding the free pre-school year to allow children up to two years of care and education also makes sense, as does a renewed focus on quality and training in these settings.

Once again, the challenge will be turning these aspirations into reality.

Most of the proposals and options in the Government report are expensive and will take many years of investment and sustained political will if they are to see the light of day.

This shouldn’t be a reason to back away from investment. On the contrary, Ireland invests only 0.2 per cent of GDP annually in early childhood education services compared to the OECD average of 0.7 per cent.

Putting more money into these services should be a no-brainer: long-term studies show that every euro invested in quality early years care and education can deliver a seven-fold return in terms of improved outcomes for children.

Prevarication

But the Government’s record of inaction in recent times doesn’t inspire confidence.

Earlier this year, for example, the Government postponed the introduction of a minimum qualification requirement for childcare workers by 12 months.

It means staff with absolutely no qualifications in the area can continue to work in childcare settings.

This was despite a pledge to introduced the requirement following a Prime Time report highlighting shocking cases of mistreatment.

In addition, an early years strategy – which was to guide the development of childcare services – was promised two years ago but has yet to materialise.

Doing nothing, however, is not an option anymore.

Parents simply can’t pay any more given that they are paying the equivalent of a second mortgage – about 35 per cent of their income – for childcare if they have two children in care, compared to their European counterparts who are paying on average 10-12 per cent.

The high cost of childcare is preventing parents from working, forcing mother and fathers into part-time work and forcing many to rely on the unregulated world of paid childminders.

Put simply, we can’t have great expectations for quality, affordable and accessible childcare without the investment to make it happen.