AQW 28566/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 11/06/2025
Answered On Date: 16/06/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to outline the action he has taken to attract more staff to the early learning and childcare sector.

Answer:

A workforce plan for the early learning and childcare (ELC) sector, including community and voluntary providers, has been identified by stakeholders as a priority and will be included within the draft ELC Strategy I plan to bring forward for Executive agreement and public consultation in autumn 2025.

As part of the ELC measures delivered in 2024-25, I provided funding to the Department of Communities to provide childminding academies through Labour Market Partnerships, which resulted in an additional 146 childminders joining the sector. This funding will continue in 2025-26.

Further actions to support the recruitment and retention of staff are being considered by the cross-departmental Task and Finish group as part of the development of the overall Strategy.