IMPACT to hold Athlone meeting for childcare professionals

IMPACT will host a meeting for Early Childhood Care and Education professionals on Tuesday, July 19, at the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone, in order to provide advice about service contracts for staff and providers delivering the state-funded Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme. The meeting starts at 10.30am.
The meeting is one of a series taking place next week in Sligo, Athlone, Dublin and Cork, as part of IMPACT’s drive to organise professionals in the early childhood sector. The meeting will address the continuing challenge faced by thousands of professionals each year who are laid off for the summer months because the state-funded Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme restricts funding to ten months of the year.
IMPACT has sought expert advice on the Department of Children and Youth Affairs contracts, which will be discussed with early years’ staff and providers at the Athlone meeting taking place next week.
IMPACT organiser Una Faulkner said the meeting was a crucial opportunity to provide information to early childhood professionals and service providers. “Service providers and staff in this sector are facing a huge challenge every year in their efforts to deliver a quality service. The duration of the contract year means that staff are forced to find other work or claim social welfare during the summer months.
“At the same time, providers see their capacity greatly compromised during the summer period. This is simply unsustainable, and overlooks the fact that parents and children who avail of the ECCE scheme still require childcare during the summer months,” she said.
Ms Faulkner added that the meeting is open to all early childhood care and education professionals as well as service providers in the sector.