**Closures of Early Learning & Care services (ELC) have fallen to a five-year low, new data published
today (18 September) by the Government confirms. In addition, the overall number of ELC and
standalone School-Age Childcare (SAC) services is now increasing.**
The latest data on service closures and new service registrations, drawn from the Tusla register at
end August 2024 shows:
• a five-year low in the number of net ELC services closures, such as crèches and pre-schools (i.e. 12 net closures January-August 2024 compared to 38 net closures in 2023, 80 net closures in 2022, 62 net closures in 2021 and 77 net closures in 2020 for the same time period)
• a five-year high in the number of ELC service openings (i.e., 64 new services opened in January-August 2024 compared to 48 in 2023, 33 in 2022, 44 in 2021, and 53 in 2020 for the same time period).
• a net increase of 173 standalone SAC services (after-school childcare) year to date (at end August);
• a net increase of 161 in the overall number of ELC and SAC services year to date (at end August).
These services are required by law to register with Tusla. Registered providers are required
to notify Tusla in writing of the closure of a service not later than 28 days after the closure. The register is updated monthly.
In total, at the end of August 2024 there were 5,043 ELC and standalone SAC services registered with Tusla.
Read the full press release here: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/0c31e-number-of-early-learning-care-service-openings-at-five-year-high-closures-at-lowest-level-for-five-years-new-data-confirms/
