Sir, – I read with interest your report on the findings of the Tusla report on childhood development and childcare ("Better Llanguage skills at age 3 if young minded by relatives", July 7th).
The findings indicate that children who are cared for by relatives develop better language skills before age 3 when compared to children cared for in settings such as creches.
I expect that those in Government who are unwilling to invest in childcare and early childhood education will welcome such a headline. Surely the ratio of child to carer and the time a carer can devote to an individual child is of obvious relevance here. We have over-crowded and unaffordable childcare in this country.
This finding merely highlights the deficiencies in the system.
I hope this and the report’s call for high-quality childcare at all stages of childhood receives more attention when the report is published in full.
– Yours, etc,
ANNA Mac CARTHY ADAMS
Oxmantown Road,
Dublin 7.