Tipp childcare worker highlights issue of low pay in the sector

The inaugural Early Years Professionals’ survey has found that 90% of educators are questioning their future in the childcare sector with low rates of pay the main issue.

In a sector with an annual turnover of staff of 25%, childcare services are struggling to retain qualified, experienced workers with the survey finding the problem may worsen with more than half of all those working in the sector actively looking for a different job.

Other key findings include that 94% of childcare workers cannot make ends meet on their pay, while in a sector which overwhelmingly employs women, 66% don’t receive paid maternity leave.

The survey was carried out during June 2019 by Dr Amy Greer Murphy, a social scientist who uses qualitative research to understand inequality and the impact of public policy on social and health outcomes.

She said: "Over 3,200 individuals responded to the survey including educators, room leaders, owner-managers, managers and assistant managers. The findings of the survey highlight the difficulties facing Early Years professionals in Ireland today. We gathered responses from workers all around the country who stated overwhelmingly that they felt undervalued and underpaid."

Greer Murphy added: "This indicates the need for government to engage with employees in the sector to ensure their working conditions are improved and to guarantee the children in their care get the best experience possible."

Tipperary Early Years educator, Stephanie Kennedy said: "In common with all other Early Years teachers, I have sacrificed a lot in order to work in the profession which I love and which I believe is vitally important to the country."

SIPTU Head of Organising and Campaigns, Darragh O’Connor, said: "The results of the survey reveal not only the major issues facing Early Years educators but also their solutions. The educators are saying they will have to leave their jobs if their conditions do not change."

SIPTU's Big Start Organiser for Tipperary, Margaret Young stated: "Some 90% of the survey respondents from Tipperary answered that they found it difficult or very difficult to make ends meet on current wages, and 80% could not cope with an unexpected expense such as replacing a washing machine, for example."

SIPTU's Sector Organiser, Pat McCabe, added: "The SIPTU Big Start campaign is calling on the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to reform the Early Childhood Education and Care sector. The first step is for the Government to invest in the sector by ensuring the minimum rate of pay for workers is the Living Wage. Tipperary TDs have indicated support for our pre-budget submission and the BIG START Campaign. Universally, Early Years professionals talk about how the normal progression of their lives is on constant hold because setting up a home and having families of their own is not possible financially. "

At a North Tipp Big Start Activists meeting on September 24th last, a good attendance of Early Years professionals were addressed by Marion Quinn of the Association of Childhood Professionals and listened to a presentation on the progress of the Campaign by Margaret Young and Arek Muszynski.