Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2020
901. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when childcare facilities and services will be made available for non-essential workers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11504/20]
View answerMy Department has been working through the significant challenges of a phased reopening of Early Learning and Care (ELC) facilities for 29 June, in line with the Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business. The phased reopening will seek to meet the needs of the increasing range of parents and guardians who are returning to work, and prioritise the needs of vulnerable children who need childcare on child welfare grounds.
This approach will facilitate the return of the following groups to services on 29 June:
- children of health and social care workers, other frontline workers, childcare practitioners themselves, and parents who need access to childcare in order to return to work. In the first instance, places will be available to families from these categories who previously used the childcare services,
- vulnerable children, including children sponsored under the National Childcare Scheme (for example, children who are in the international protection process and children of families who are homeless) along with children funded through legacy childcare schemes who are experiencing poverty, disadvantage or child welfare issues,
- children with disabilities, including those preparing to start school in September,
- other children previously registered in childcare services on March 12, whose parents continue to need childcare and who were assured that they would retain their place through conditions attached to the DCYA Temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme, and
- subject to local availability of places, children who did not previously use childcare services and whose parents are now seeking a place.
In cases where services do not have the capacity to accommodate all children in their service, services have been asked to prioritise the children of essential and frontline workers and vulnerable children for places when reopening on 29 June.
If there is sufficient capacity, services will provide places for children previously registered with them on 12 March, whose parents continue to need childcare for employment or training purposes.
A further key factor is that, in the best interests of children and parents, children should, as far as possible, be enabled to return to the childcare service they attended pre-COVID-19. Given the changed model of interaction and the time lapse since children last attended, it is important that there is as much continuity as possible for children. In light of the necessary changes, parents may also feel more reassured by placing their children in the care of childcare practitioners with whom they already have a relationship. Familiarity with other children attending the service and their parents may also help with the settling-in phase.
On 10 June I was pleased to announce a comprehensive support package of €75m to the ELC Sector, to support providers to reopen from 29 June.
I acknowledge that the COVID-19 pandemic has been an extremely difficult period for all ELC providers. This model of funding and phased reopening has been designed to align with public health guidance to ensure the safe reopening of services. Furthermore, it will support the sustainability of the ELC and SAC sector as it begins again.
