Sinn Féin MLA Nicola Brogan has said the voices of parents and childcare providers must be heard in order for the childcare sector to adequately recover post pandemic. 

The party’s spokesperson for children and young people said: 

“The childcare sector was one of the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am appealing to all parents and providers, particularly those from a rural area to complete the online survey by Employers for Childcare and share their views and experiences of childcare.

“This latest survey will inform the needs of parents and providers going forward. It is important to establish if the childcare needs of parents have changed as a result of COVID-19, whether employers are offering more flexible ways of working and the challenges facing providers.  

“It is also critical as it will help provide evidence to inform the long overdue Childcare Strategy which must deliver for parents, providers and the wider economy. 

“Employers for Childcare is a charity and social enterprise, working on behalf of parents, employers and childcare providers. Their survey can be found on the Employers for Childcare’s website www.employersforchildcare.org until 24 September 2021 and it takes about 10 minutes to complete.”