Dear Minister Weir,
Our name is Childcare for All, we are three years old (but feel a lot older!) and we have been very good this year. Despite Covid-19 making it difficult for us to get together, we continue to lobby for universal, child-centred childcare that meets the needs of children, families and providers in Northern Ireland. So this year, we’ve made a list and we are asking you to check it twice - what our members really want for Christmas is….
We don’t believe this is too much to ask for – for many parents and childcare providers, a Childcare Strategy will have been on their wish list for years! This year, more than ever, we have seen just how essential our childcare sector is and Covid-19 has only exacerbated the challenges experienced by families - in accessing and affording the childcare they need - and for providers - to sustainably deliver high-quality care.
While we welcome the recovery funding that has been allocated to the sector in response to Covid-19, and hope that further funding can be identified to support the sector to be sustainable in 2021, it is only with longer term, strategic action that we can aspire – as an economy and as a society – to truly build back better.
We look forward to working with you in 2021 and, in the meantime, would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
From: Childcare for All
