Robert Troy
Ceist:1449. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to introduce a Scandinavian system of child care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36996/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 18 September 2012
Ceisteanna (1449)
Freagraí scríofa
The Government currently supports the provision of early childhood care and education through three support programmes - the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme and the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme. These programmes are administered by my Department.
The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. About 67,000 children are expected to avail of the free pre-school provision in the school year 2012-2013 and funding of approximately €176 million is being provided to support the programme. It is my objective to incrementally develop the ECCE programme over the term of this Government as resources permit. A key element of this is the implementation of the Workforce Development Plan by the Early Education Policy Unit of the Department of Education and Skills, which is co-located in my Department.
Officials from my Department worked closely with the Department of Education and Skills in the development of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, which was launched last year. My Department is committed to incentivising the early years sector to acquire additional skills in oral language competency development for young children once this minimum qualification requirements of the ECCE programme have been met.
Annual funding is also provided to support the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, which supports community-based childcare services by enabling them to provide childcare at reduced rates to disadvantaged and low income families, and the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme, which provides €145 towards the weekly cost of full time childcare places to participating childcare services for qualifying FÁS and VEC students for the duration of their course. These programmes represent an annual investment in the region of €64 million.
Future developments relating to early years care and education are being considered as part of the preparation of the new National Early Years Strategy 2012. This new Strategy will cover a range of issues affecting children in their first years of life.