Nursery World - What is the real crisis in childcare?

In Ireland there is a recruitment crisis, but qualification requirements are not to blame - it's all about low pay, says Dr Moloney.

Even though the childcare sector in Ireland has been regulated since 1996, it was not until, January 2017, that all staff working with young children were required to hold a minimum qualification requirement. This requirement was long overdue. In fact, as far back as 1998, the National Forum on Early Childhood Education recognised that teacher competence is crucial in the early years, and that the training and education of teachers is the first assurance of quality.

The introduction of a mandatory training requirement was not a sudden decision that was foisted upon the sector. It had been called for since 1996, and it was certainly mooted by the Irish Government in 2013, when, following an exposé of bad practice in childcare settings, the then Minster for Children, Frances Fitzgerald, identified eight key areas of action, including ‘increasing the qualification requirements for all staff working in pre-school services’ as a matter of urgency’.

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