Research shows that young children do best when they can benefit from good quality care and education in group settings. Young children have particular needs for physical and emotional nurturing and care, and sensitive guidance, as well as time and space for social play, exploring and learning.1

Many children are missing the opportunity to spend time, play, and interact with other children, which may affect their development. I think that every child should have this right, but the lack of sufficient crèches, combined with their high costs, puts enormous pressure on families and on the children. Many families are forced into hiring nannies or childminders, which can be prohibitively expensive. The current situation is unsustainable and unfair.

As a parent in Dublin, I am personally experiencing the struggle to find a place for my daughter in a creche. Despite signing her up on numerous waiting lists while she was still unborn, two years have passed and she is yet to secure a spot. We've been told that there's another two-year wait ahead - by which time, my child will be old enough for preschool. This situation is not unique to us; many parents across Dublin face similar challenges.

According to Eurostat data from 2019, Ireland has one of the highest childcare costs among EU countries (Eurostat). This financial burden hampers our ability as parents to provide for our children adequately.

We call on local authorities and relevant stakeholders in Dublin to increase the number of creches available and take steps towards making them more affordable for all families. Every child deserves access to quality early education without causing undue financial stress on their families.

Please sign and share this petition if you believe that every child should have an equal opportunity at early education without it being a financial burden on their family.

Sources: 

1 chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/barnardos-quality_early_years_care_and-education.pdf