Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 July 2020
255. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the Crowe report will be published and made available; the reason for the delay in publication to date despite the fact that it has been cited as a document that will inform decisions made regarding the childcare sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19443/20]
View answerCrowe was commissioned by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to undertake an independent review on the cost of providing quality childcare in Ireland. Preparation was underway to launch the report in April 2020. However, owing to other pressing demands caused by COVID-19, its launch was postponed and is now planned for September / October.
The brief for the Review included:
- analysing the current costs of providing childcare and the factors that impact on these costs;
- the development and delivery of a model of the unit costs of providing childcare that allows analysis of policy changes and variation in cost-drivers, including the potential impact of professionalisation; and
- providing an objective, high-level market analysis of the childcare sector in Ireland, including analysis of fee levels charged to parents.
An approach and methodology were decided upon in partnership with the DCYA and a number of key activities have been undertaken to date. These include:
- engagement with key stakeholders from the sector, including the Early Years Forum, provider representative organisations, the City and County Childcare Committees, statutory bodies, childcare professional training bodies, and academics;
- the administration of a survey to all centre-based childcare providers nationally, to provide the data on which the modelling tool would be based;
- the development of a cost modelling tool (and guidance document) to present the baseline cost data and enable the testing of the impact of a range of scenarios, namely changes to cost drivers on the unit costs of delivering childcare services; and
- a final report detailing the elements of the review, and the key findings.
The project was intended to provide a robust evidence base for the further development of high quality ELC and SAC in Ireland. The outputs, including the costs calculator developed through this project are also intended to form a key input into the setting of capitation and subvention rates for future funding schemes and will be considered by the Expert Group recently convened to develop a new funding model for ELC and SAC.
The draft final report, cost modelling tool and guidance were subject to peer review. Arising from the external peer review, an additional piece of work was undertaken. Final outputs were received in January 2020 and components have been used to inform the development of various schemes to support the sustainability of the sector since childcare services were closed on March 12.
