Early Childhood Care Crisis as Halamish Organization Demands Immediate Release of Withheld Funds
Israel's early childhood care system is facing a severe crisis after the Education Ministry and Treasury unilaterally deducted hundreds of thousands of shekels from funds allocated to daycare operators. This deduction occurred during the critical payroll period for thousands of caregivers and educational staff, threatening widespread salary delays. The Halamish organization, representing daycare operators, issued a stern warning to Education Minister Yoav Kish, Education Ministry Director Meir Shimoni, and Treasury Deputy Accountant Uri Shasha, demanding immediate release of the withheld funds or legal action would follow.
The dispute stems from disagreements over the Education Ministry's extended regulatory audits, which led to the financial deductions. In July 2024, following a joint meeting involving the Education Ministry, Labor Ministry, Treasury, and Halamish, the Education Ministry committed to publishing a unified oversight procedure within six weeks. However, nearly two years later, this procedure has yet to be released, exacerbating the situation.
Halamish's legal department, led by Chairman Attorney Shalom Nagar and Attorney Arava Bar-El, condemned the Education Ministry for failing to uphold its commitments, calling the deductions "illegal" and warning of mass salary delays for vulnerable workers. They emphasized that many caregivers earn low wages, and payment delays could cause significant hardships, including difficulties paying rent and bills. The organization also warned that ongoing salary delays might lead to caregiver resignations, disruptions in child care continuity, and potential daycare closures.
The letter demands that the Education Ministry and Treasury immediately acknowledge their failure, officially suspend reliance on audit findings for financial deductions until a fair procedure is published, and release the funds without delay. Halamish set a 24-hour ultimatum for compliance before pursuing urgent court injunctions. Chairman Nagar stated that it is unacceptable for government ministries to renege on written commitments and punish caregivers and children for their own administrative failures. He called for an immediate solution to prevent the collapse of Israel's early childhood care system.
