The Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2019/2020

This annual report – the eighteenth in the series – provides a detailed overview of the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) sector in Ireland, including the  numbers of children in receipt of state subsidies, information on ELC and SAC fees, staff wages, qualifications and turnover.

The report, which plays a central role in informing policy development and in assessing the impact of policy change, is based on a survey of ELC and SAC providers in Ireland and administrative data from Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) schemes. The report is produced by Pobal on behalf of the DCEDIY.

The Annual Early Years Sector Profile report is based on information collected at the end of June 2020 during an unusual and challenging period, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, when ELC and SAC providers were preparing to reopen. Despite the difficult circumstances almost 3,000 providers completed the survey, demonstrating their commitment to provide evidence for policy-making.

Pobal and the DCEDIY wish to thank everyone who participated in this survey.