A new programme is being rolled out by Early Childhood Ireland to help members tackle a staffing crisis in their industry.
The organisation represents nearly 4,000 childcare members supporting 100,000 children and their families around the country.
The service will provide "free, expert, sector-specific information and advice on HR and employment practices".
"‘Early Childhood Ireland advocates constantly for increased funding for the sector, so that our members can recruit and retain the professional staff they need to deliver the highest quality of care and education to babies and children. We will continue to do so," said the group's CEO Teresa Heeney at the launch of the new project in Croke Park this morning.
"Our board also wants to provide whatever resources our organisation can, so that our sector is an attractive choice for current and prospective professionals, and we are very proud to launch this innovative and very progressive service.
"Our sector is a large and very diverse one – there are over 25,000 staff employed across more than 4,500 early years services in Ireland, and each service employs an average of 6.4 staff members," she added.
The launch of the new service comes amid a severe staffing crisis in the early years sector, Early Childhood Ireland added in a statement.
