Early Childhood Care and Education

Wednesday, 18 January 2023

Questions (1021)

Holly Cairns

Question:

1021. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will ensure that the core funding for childcare-preschool services provides funding for staff engaging in CPD to reach the required NFQ levels, including funding to provide in lieu staff coverage. [2420/23]

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Written answers

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

In December 2021, I launched Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028. Nurturing Skills aims to strengthen the ongoing process of professionalisation for those working in early learning and care and school-age childcare. It contains a range of commitments to raise the qualification levels for those working in the sector including a move to a graduate-led ELC workforce and a target of increasing the proportion of early years educators who have a level 6 (or higher) qualification from 72% in 2021 to 85% by 2028.

To support the professional development of those working in the sector, Nurturing Skills commits to the provision of funded places on flexible education programmes at levels 6 to 8 for current early years educators. This new funding will support upskilling and strengthen career development pathways for those working in the sector, reducing the cost to educators of undertaking further and higher education qualifications. Nurturing Skills also includes a commitment that the new funding scheme, separate to core funding, will include financial support for ELC services to help meet the costs of releasing staff to go on student practice placements and study leave. Plans for the new funding scheme are currently being developed.

This planned new funding for educators to upskill is in addition to financial supports that are already in place for educators undertaking qualifications. Existing financial supports include the Free Fees Initiative as well as the Learner Fund, which currently provides a bursary of €750 for staff who complete a relevant degree-level qualification (Level 7 or Level 8).