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Childcare Services Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 February 2019

Wednesday, 20 February 2019

Questions (225)

Anne Rabbitte

Question:

225. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of level 5, 6, 7 and 8 childcare workers supported under the learner fund in 2017 and 2018, in tabular form; the average funding provided to workers seeking levels 5, 6, 7 and 8; and the percentage of the training cost covered by the funding. [8770/19]

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Written answers

I thank Deputy Rabbitte for her question.

The Learner Fund for Early Learning and Care practitioners first opened for applications by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in March 2014.

Between 2014 and 2016, four strands of funding were opened. The Learner Fund at that time had two primary aims:

1. To support Early Learning and Care practitioners working directly with children in registered centre based and home based services to meet the mandatory minimum qualification requirements which (subsequently) came into effect on December 31st 2016. The specific qualification subsidised was a QQI award at NFQ Level 5 in Early Childhood Care and Education.

2. To support Early Learning and Care practitioners who already held a major award in Early Childhood Care and Education at Level 5 on the NFQ (or equivalent), to attain an NFQ Level 6 qualification in the same discipline, in order to meet ECCE contractual requirements and facilitate expansion of the ECCE programme.

Through these specific funding strands, up to 4,488 Early Learning and Care practitioners were approved for funding to support them to raise their qualification levels in Early Learning and Care. To allow practitioners time to complete their qualifications, the final payments to training providers were made in late 2018. A final breakdown of the total spend per region and per person is not yet available. Funding was made available based on need, to a maximum of €950. Preliminary figures would indicate that not everyone who was approved for funding took steps to avail of the full amount.

There is not one uniform price for undertaking QQI awards, and the amount charged by training providers varies. My officials estimate that the amount paid would have covered between 80% to 100% of the cost of the programmes.

Since the introduction of these initial Learner Fund strands, DCYA regulations have ensured that the workforce now meets regulatory qualification requirements and as need has changed, the focus of the Learner funding has pivoted to support of continuing professional development. This year and into 2020, funding will be provided for Early Learning and Care services, including registered Childminders, to avail of First Aid Responder training accredited by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council. There will also be supports put in place for Childminders to upskill to a major QQI award in Early Childhood Care and Education. Since January 2017, a bursary has been available to experienced Early Learning and Care practitioners, who graduated from DCYA recognised Early Childhood Education and Care degree programmes. In 2017, 1080 individuals received a bursary as this included practitioners who achieved awards between 2013 and 2017. In 2018, 550 individuals received a graduate bursary.

The degree bursary amount per individual is €750. There is more variation in the cost of ECEC degrees in the country than might be expected; it is estimated that this amount would represent between 25 and 40% of the cost. As the Deputy is most likely aware, there are a variety of funding streams available to students of degree programmes in the State. Many Early Learning and Care providers pay for, or heavily subsidise the cost of this training for existing staff given the higher capitation payment that is made to ECCE services by a level 7 or 8 graduate. This additional Higher Capitation payment amounts to approx. €200 per week for an ECCE room of 20 children to cover the 15 hour programme.

Building a professional Early Learning and Care workforce is a key component of First 5, the Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families, which was launched on the 19th of November. First 5 commits to establishing a Workforce Development Plan for the ELC workforce. Preliminary work has already begun on this. The Department of Education and Skills has also recently developed enhanced criteria and guidelines for Higher Education Institutions providing Early Childhood Education and Care degree programmes. The aim is to ensure a more unified approach to professional training for ELC practitioners at degree level. This forms part of a range of measures to be introduced in the future. My department hopes to revisit the Learner Fund support for qualifications for ELC practitioners once further progress has been made with the Workforce Development Plan.

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