COLUMN: It’s time to value Mayo’s early years professionals |
Educators in Early Years and School Age Care play an instrumental role in children’s lives. Parents recognise this, and it’s time for our government to formally do so too. With a growing demand for Early Years and School Age Care services in Mayo, settings grapple with staff recruitment and retention every day. This is a major barrier to increasing capacity and guaranteeing more places for Mayo’s children.
Affordable Early Years and School Age Care has recently propelled to the top of the political agenda, with €200 a month provision promised in the Programme for Government. In a recent statement, the Taoiseach said that while he is committed to gradually reducing fees, other steps must be taken before that can be achieved.
While a reduction in fees for families certainly is welcome, we must first address pay and conditions for the workforce to ensure there are enough staff to provide high-quality services for babies, toddlers and young children in Mayo.
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