Childcare providers want to lower qualifications standards for staff

Group says carers are being ‘forced out’ of sector due to excessive regulation

Childcare providers want the Government to reduce qualification standards for their employees in order to tackle a “staffing crisis”.

Seas Suas, a new representative group for independent childcare providers, said requirements that all staff should have a certificate – a basic childcare qualification – was making it difficult to find qualified staff.

It wants to relax this requirement so just three-quarters of staff should need this level of qualification.

“As an interim measure, and subject to the requirement that staff would be strictly supervised, this would ease the staffing crisis in the short-term and allow all staff to upskill to meet the required qualification standards. Without this measure,the staffing crisis will intensify,” the group says in a new policy document.

Read the full article on The Irish Times website