Independent.ie (March 21 2022) reports that young mothers are being forced to give up their careers due to Ireland’s childcare crisis are experiencing a “loss of identity” and struggling financially as the cost of living soars.
A lack of places in creches has led to some parents being unable to return to their careers whilst in other instances, parents have decided not to go back because their salaries are insufficient to cover the cost of childcare on top of rent, mortgages, utility bills and living expenses.
“Women are having to choose between a family and a career. I feel like 11 years of studying and working my way up the ladder are now down the drain,” said Michelle Morphew, who quit her job as a deputy manager in a creche because the cost of childcare for her twins was more than her monthly salary. She was not entitled to much financial support under the National Childcare Scheme, so it made more sense to leave her job.
“I wouldn’t have been able to afford the commute, never mind the fact I would be working for free, basically. The price I was quoted was with a staff discount as well, so it would be even worse for those not involved in the sector,” she said.
“The Government’s attempts so far to address the issue have been pathetic. There needs to be a cap on the amount creches can charge as well as putting a limit on how much fees can rise and how often. I probably won’t be able to return to work until the children are in school, and even then I’ll probably have to look for somewhere I can work term-time, maybe as a Montessori teacher, but it will never be viable for me to return to a creche full-time," she concluded.
Victoria Mulholland (35), who is originally from Banbridge, Co Down, is in a similar position. She moved recently to West Cork to be closer to her husband’s family and was unaware of how dire the childcare situation is in the Republic. Having previously worked as a health adn safety manager in construction, she now fears that a lack of suitable or affordable childcare means she will be unable to return to work after her period of maternity leave ends.
“I feel like I’m experiencing a loss of identity and don’t know who I am any more,” she said. “I’ve always been independent and worked very hard to get into construction. It’s an area where there are very few women working... I definitely wouldn’t have moved if I knew the situation. I didn’t realise how big an issue it would be.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Children said it was “continuing to monitor capacity” in creches in light of the recent lifting of restrictions, while it said the Government was committed to introducing affordable childcare.
“The recommendations of an expert group to develop a new funding model for early learning and childcare were adopted by Government in December. This marks a new departure in State funding of the sector and is a significant step towards ensuring high-quality, afford-
able, sustainable and accessible services. The new funding model also recommends a new approach to fee management. This will start with a requirement for providers to maintain fees at or below September 2021 levels to access a new funding scheme in 2022.”
However, with childcare fees already among the highest in Europe, parents are likely to continue to struggle.