Introduction
Early Childhood Ireland members and friends, I am delighted to be here this morning to open your annual conference, to meet you, to engage with you and to hear your views.
ECI is a vital organisation for our sector and its membership of 3,800 services reflects the central role it plays.
Thank you to Teresa for your invitation and to the Board and members 0for your continued efforts.
The theme of your conference, Providing Leadership for First 5, is an excellent one.
It implores us all to reflect on ourselves as leaders, wherever we work, and whatever our role.
Each of us has an important part to play in our day-to-day work and in influencing others to achieve positive change.
I was heartened when listening to Louise’s reflections this morning on this theme, on the responsibility we all share to articulate the importance of early childhood and the importance of the work that takes place in Early Learning and Care services.
Our role in advocating for the profession and its contribution to children’s lives, to families lives and to society as a whole, is critical.
Much remains to be done to improve our sector, but, collectively, we have come a long way in a relatively short amount of time.
We are, together, continuing to make significant progress, and there are ambitious plans and commitments in place to build on that in the coming decade.
Achievements
In the past three years, since I have had the privilege to be the Minister for Children, with responsibility for Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare, I have had the pleasure to be involved in many, many initiatives delivering real and meaningful change. The sector has helped make each of these a reality.
Some examples include –
The extension of the universal preschool programme to a full two
years for all children, with an increase in the capitation rate of 7%
last September
The extension of the CCS scheme to all registered services
The introduction of a universal subsidy for parents of young children
Significant increases in the subsidies payable under the targeted
schemes.
The introduction of Programme Support Payments to assist providers
with administrative demands
The annual capital programmes for upgrades and expansion
The roll out of new regulations, including the minimum qualification
requirement, and regulations for School-Age Childcare
The introduction of education-focused inspections
The expansion of Better Start and the phased introduction of paid CPD
The introduction of the multi award-winning Access and Inclusion
Model, with over 5,000 children with disabilities receiving targeted
supports every year to enable them to participate in mainstream
pre-school: and many other children benefitting from universal
supports
The development and implementation of an In-School and Pre-School
Therapy Demonstration project to test a model for Speech and Language
Therapy and Occupational Therapy to be dedicated to work in schools
and pre-schools.
Record numbers of children participating in regulated Early Learning
and Care and an unprecedented 117% increase in Government spending on
this area in the last four years.
The Expert Group Reports on Childminding and School Age Childcare
which are shaping reforms in these areas.
And of course, there have been the major game-changing developments of First 5 and the National Childcare Scheme, both of which I would like to say a bit more about.
National Childcare Scheme
The National Childcare Scheme makes subsidised Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare more accessible for parents and providers.
It allows Government to provide both universal and progressive financial support towards the cost of quality Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare, benefiting low and middle income families.
The Scheme is designed so that families who need the most support can receive it. Maximum subsidy rates are payable in all cases where a family meets the lowest income threshold, tapering down smoothly as income increases.
Most importantly, the scheme provides a robust and flexible platform for future investment.
Following the passing of legislation last year, intensive work is ongoing on IT development, data protection, regulation, communication and engagement.
All of this allows us to be ready to open for applications in October of this year and start making payments from November, just six months from now. This is a major milestone.
I want to confirm that no-one will lose out, especially those at the lower end of the income scale, as we transition to the new scheme.
Arrangements are in place to ensure that all parents can remain on their existing subvention payments until August 2020 unless they choose to switch to the new scheme. These transitional arrangements can be extended beyond August 2020 should Government consider this to be necessary.
The National Childcare Scheme will greatly increase the number of families who can access financial support.
By removing many of the restrictive eligibility requirements of the existing programmes, a far greater number of families will have the ability to apply for and receive targeted, income-related subsidies.
Many families will, for the first time, be entitled to subsidies which reduce their childcare costs significantly.
There may, however, be a small number of cases where a family who is currently receiving the maximum rate for full-time childcare under an existing programme may receive less under the National Childcare Scheme, particularly if their child is- in reality- receiving afterschool care rather than full-time childcare.
In such cases, the family can remain on their current payment in the transition period following the Scheme’s launch.
I have also directed my officials to undertake research and analysis to examine any adjustments to the National Childcare Scheme which might be required to address unusual or anomalous cases, where this is the right thing to do to protect and benefit lower income parents.
In this regard, I would highlight that the new National Childcare Scheme has been designed to be flexible, with income thresholds, maximum hours and subsidy rates which can be adjusted in line with Government decisions and as more investment becomes available.
This means that adjustments deemed necessary by Government can be carried out in a quick and responsive manner.
First 5
Another major milestone in policy development for the youngest members of society was the launch of First 5: A Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families in November.
I was delighted to welcome the Taoiseach and other Ministers to my Department to launch First 5 with me.
First 5 is a ten-year plan to improve the lives of babies, young children and their families. It is based on evidence and sets out an ambitious range of actions for families, communities, health services, and Early Learning and Care services among others.
First 5 identifies the initiatives and programmes that can enhance the experiences of young children. It sets out the early childhood system infrastructure that needs to be established or strengthened to embed and sustain these new developments.
For the first time, we have a roadmap for Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare. Some of the big First 5 actions include:
Workforce Development: with a target of achieving 50% of graduates by
2028, new qualifications requirements for School Age Childcare and
Childminders, and a review of working conditions.
A DEIS-type model: There will be extra funding for Early Learning and
Care and School Age Childcare services where there is concentrated
disadvantage, to deliver additional supports like meals, parenting
supports and other integrated services.
There will be an increased focus on Parental Engagement in Early
Learning and Care, with help for services to work more closely with
families.
We will create enhanced Supports for Quality Early Learning and Care
provision including a national plan for the implementation of Síolta
and Aistear; a revised self-evaluation framework; enhancements to
Better Start; and a national programme of CPD opportunities.
There will be increased supports for children with additional
learning needs such as developments in the AIM programme, the therapy
demonstration project, and an extension of the National Educational
Psychological Service to Early Learning and Care
There will be a New Funding Model which will provide additional
resources to services which meet key indicators of quality and
affordability. This will take some time to develop but this quarter
we will establish the expert group to make proposals and a
significant programme of engagement will take place next year.
Other big developments include reviews of the operating and
inspection systems; a review of the universal preschool programme and
preparation of legislation to place it on a statutory footing;
regulation of childminders; and a doubling of public investment in
Early Learning and Care over the decade.
These actions will progress alongside many complementary developments in supports for parents and families, developments in children’s health services, and initiatives in the wider community to support young children’s development and learning.
Together, the actions in First 5 have the potential to radically transform early childhood in Ireland.
However, implementation will need real leadership, determination and commitment at every level to ensure that the vision becomes a reality.
Nowhere will that leadership be required more than from all parts of the Early Learning and Care sector – to continue to innovate, to engage, to advocate and to adapt.
This sector has shown that capacity, time and time again, and as the sector becomes bigger, better resourced, and stronger, I have every confidence that it will continue to drive change.
For those of you who haven’t yet read First 5, I would strongly encourage you to do so. It really does set out an exciting vision for the future for babies and young children, and I know that their interests are as close to your hearts as they are to mine.
My Department will be hosting a masterclass on First 5 and the National Childcare Scheme later today and I encourage you to attend.
Terminology
Before moving away from First 5, it is important to briefly discuss the term Early Learning and Care.
The rationale for this term is simple. For too long, the sector has been underappreciated and constrained as childcare / childcare providers / childcare workers.
While the “care” work that takes place is fundamental and deserves to be highly valued, the term ‘childcare’ doesn’t do justice to the skilled and important work that takes place.
Early Childhood Education and Care or ECEC is the internationally accepted term for almost 20 years now but this has not caught on in everyday vocabulary.
I think we all share an ambition that parents, public representatives and the public more broadly appreciate both the care, learning and educative role of services. If we achieve this, our case for greater public investment is strengthened.
The term Early Learning and Care attempts to do just that – to change and improve attitudes towards the work that takes place in these services and to properly value their role in delivering better outcomes for children.
Let me be clear that the decision on what we call the profession, and various roles within it, will be discussed and agreed as part of a process, also committed to in First 5, which I will speak about in a few moments.
You will be consulted as part of this process.
The words we use are important but the actions that we take are even more so. Ultimately what we do, and how we act, is how we will be judged. And in that vein, I want to make a number of important announcements:
Firstly, in relation to the Access and Inclusion Model: as you know, AIM was launched in 2016 to support providers to deliver an inclusive preschool experience for all children, ensuring that children with a disability can benefit from quality mainstream pre-school.
Under AIM, there are a range of CPD initiatives to develop a qualified workforce that can confidently meet the needs of all children wishing to participate in the ECCE Programme.
The sector should be proud of its inclusive culture and I note that the Pobal Survey shows how the number of services reporting that they provide services to at least one child with a disability has grown from 46% in 2014 to 75% in 2017/2018.
Building on existing AIM supports, I am delighted to announce further expansion to the range of CPD available.
From early May, 500 places will be made available on a new e-Learning programme in Sensory Processing. AIM Sensory Processing and Early Learning is an introductory course aimed at practitioners working directly with children in pre-school settings.
The programme is delivered online and includes four modules, each of 45 minutes’ duration.
This programme will support practitioners to develop their basic knowledge of sensory processing in order to enhance the participation and engagement of all children in the ECCE programme, and especially children with autism.
The Better Start Learning and Development Unit will issue further details about how to apply shortly. I hope to significantly expand access to this training once this first group have provided feedback.
I am delighted also to announce an important public consultation on School-Age Childcare that will begin next month. This consultation will inform a second set of regulations and a Quality Improvement Framework.
In May, DCYA will open a call for submissions and invite responses to an online survey. In June, we will build further on this with a focus group with School Age Childcare providers and an Open Policy Debate.
I would encourage all Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare services, along with other relevant stakeholders, to make submissions and lend your voices and your ideas to the future direction of School Age Childcare policy.
I would like to thank the members of the School-Age Childcare Standards Working Group who submitted draft National Quality Standards to my Department last year.
Their work greatly informed the current School Age Regulations which commenced earlier this year, and the draft standards will inform the new Quality Improvement Framework and further regulations.
My third announcement relates to the ‘Workforce Development Plan’ and the professionalisation agenda committed to in First 5. First 5 sets a target to achieve a 50% ‘graduate-led’ workforce in Early Learning and Care by 2028.
It is an ambitious goal, but one that I know is strongly supported within the sector. To meet it, I am very conscious that we will need significant investment and development, and a strong Workforce Development Plan is key.
Hence, I am pleased to announce today the publication of draft Terms of Reference for a Steering Group which will have its inaugural meeting next month.
I am also pleased to let you know that Teresa Heeney, CEO of Early Childhood Ireland has been invited to be a member of this Steering Group.
Prof Mathias Urban, DCU, with his extensive experience of professionalisation, will also be a member. The group will be chaired by Bernie Mc Nally, Assistant Secretary for the Early Years Division of my Department and the Chair of the First 5 Inter-Departmental Group.
There will also be a Stakeholder Group supporting the work, and a public consultation will take place later in the year. The consultation will include discussion on the terminology or language we use to name the profession and the different occupational roles within the sector.
The first phase of the Plan, including the main report, will be completed by the summer of next year.
The Workforce Development Plan will be wide in scope and will address many issues that I know are of concern to you, including:-
how we ensure we have sufficient staff to meet demand;
how we support and incentivise those working in the sector to
progress to higher qualifications;
how we ensure that there are meaningful career pathways within the
sector;
how we develop a national infrastructure for CPD;
how we can improve working conditions;
what the minimum qualifications should be for childminders and for
those working in school-age childcare; and
how we will regulate the profession in future years.
I look forward to collaborating with you on this important work.
On a closely related matter, I am pleased to report that the Minister for Education and Skills yesterday published ‘Criteria and Guidelines’ for new Level 7- and 8-degree programmes.
My Department is collaborating with his on an implementation timeline, to help ensure that the ‘graduate-led workforce’ we are aiming at, will have qualifications that meet a consistent national standard, as soon as is reasonably possible.
As such, anybody starting a degree from September 2022 onwards, who wishes their degree to be recognised for funding purposes, will have to do a degree that follows the new ‘Criteria and Guidelines’.
My final announcement relates to the transition to the National Childcare Scheme.
I am pleased to announce that I will be making capital funding available to providers who sign up to the new National Childcare Scheme, to allow them to purchase ICT support. This will assist in meeting their obligations under the new Scheme to record and report attendance.
The scheme’s attendance rules have been designed to be child-centred, fair and proportionate, clear and consistent. This will make it easier for providers and parents to understand what is expected of them.
Grounded in analysis and consultation, they recognise parents’ need for flexibility as well as providers’ requirements in running a viable business.
Family life happens! The scheme’s rules, therefore, allow for tolerance where a child’s attendance is occasionally less than their subsidised hours, due to, for example, illness or appointments, a parent sometimes getting off work early, or a grandparent needing to drop a child off late.
They are also designed with the taxpayer in mind, ensuring that public funds are used to support the maximum number of families in need of financial support, and are managed correctly.
It is absolutely critical, therefore, that providers maintain appropriate attendance records and meet reporting requirements.
To support this, I have overseen the delivery of the major nationwide training programme for providers currently underway, offering over 12,500 face to face places at 600 locations, as well as online learning.
We have also launched a dedicated website with information resources which will be updated and expanded in the months ahead.
Officials have developed a standard template for maintaining attendance records to meet providers’ needs for the NCS, ECCE and Tusla registration, a one stop shop as such for all regulatory and compliance attendance requirements.
For the first time, providers will have a single, coherent document on which they can rely in terms of meeting their attendance reporting obligations.
And today I am announcing a new €3m capital grant to support providers to purchase ICT resources to assist them in maintaining attendance records.
Hopefully this ICT can be put to good use for other purposes too. Detailed guidelines on the application process will be published in the coming days, with applications for the grant expected to open in June.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many developments underway and many more coming.
I can only seek to assure you that my officials and I are working very hard to support the sector to deliver high quality, affordable and accessible early learning and care and school age childcare.
We are listening to your needs and to the needs of parents and the exchequer and we are making steady, sustainable progress.
We now have a vision for the sector, a 10-year plan and a commitment from Government to double investment (at least) over the next ten years.
Our sector has been identified as a strategic priority in the National Development Plan with an accompanying commitment to €250m in additional capital from 2023-2028.
I have given you just a flavour today of our journey.
I hope you have the opportunity throughout the day to discuss the changes to date and the changes to come with colleagues and to consider what leadership role you have to play in the future of the sector.
I wish you the very best for a productive conference and look forward to continuing to engage with you all into the future.