Childcare News

Unregulated childminders are offering to look after youngsters for as little as €10 a day – a move that is putting qualified professionals “under serious pressure to compete”. Online adverts seen by the Irish Independent show how under-pressure parents can

The country’s crèche inspection system is “inconsistent” and “failing both children and parents”, according to a body representing childcare professionals. Teresa Heeney, chief executive of Early Childhood Ireland, called for an overhaul of the pre-school service inspection system operated by

Infographic from The Irish Independent Childcare for two children can cost as much as an average Irish worker earns in a year, the Irish Independent can reveal. A survey of more than 150 crèches across the country found that costs

Many pre-school facilities in Ireland are operating in breach of planning laws, according to an organisation representing childcare workers. The Association of Childhood Professionals (ACP) said the problem was “a huge issue” with potential legal and insurance ramifications. In one

Seven crèches in Dublin have been issued with warning letters for breaches of planning laws. Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council said it issued the warnings after receiving a complaint on the issue. It is understood that more than 50 premises

Statement from Teresa Heeney CEO of Early Childhood Ireland “Tusla, the Child and Family Agency agency charged with inspection of preschools, must be held to account for too few inspectors, too few inspections and too little progress in delivering a

Where you live can have a direct bearing on the standard of your local crèche, the Irish Independent can reveal. Pre-school centres in the west of the country are reaching higher standards than in Dublin and Leinster due to better

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr James Reilly TD, has announced that almost €7 million in capital funding has been allocated to 2,415 grantees, with 60 childcare centres receiving funding in the North County. A total of €5 million

In a letter sent to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr James Reilly, the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) today called for the introduction of an affordable quality childcare infrastructure, complemented by paid leave to reconcile work

Affordable childcare must be made available if women are to pay a full part in public and civil life, the National Women’s Council of Ireland has said. In a letter sent to Minister for Children James Reilly, the women’s council

Cong Digital will be held at Ashford Castle. The first in Ireland to offer free childcare for speakers Congregation Digital Technology Un-conference, held in Cong, Co Mayo, has, historically, enjoyed a 60:40 ratio of men to women, and always strives

The Yates Anthology: We must broaden debate on childcare The debate surrounding Children’s Minister James Reilly’s Inter-Departmental Group Report into future childcare services is uniformly one dimensional. The singular narrative for parents of children under four years is childcare is

There was 14.4 babies born per 1,000 residents in the State last year, easily eclipsing the EU average of 10.1 In stark contrast, Ireland also recorded one of Europe’s lowest death rates at 6.4pc per 1,000 residents – some distance

Grandparents are providing valuable childcare supports, but more Government investment is needed for equal access to formal childcare and improvements in its quality, researchers have said. The study of the types of childcare used by children at different ages, and

Access to childcare outside ECCE hours dependent on parents’ income and education One of the key recommendations of the Tusla study is that the focus of childcare policy must broaden from just the early years. There is a necessity for

Better language skills at age 3 if young minded by relatives but young looked after in creches develop better motor-skills by same age, says Túsla research Infants cared for by a relative develop better language skills by the age of

Taking the stress out of starting preschool by being prepared Tips from Beaumont Community Playgroup, located in St. Fiachra’s School grounds Beaumont for the past 22 years  These days, Beaumont Community Playgroup is helping local families to avoid the stress

The Government remains determined to coax single parents off welfare and back into jobs, despite mass protests outside the Dáil last week. On July 2, the age limit for the One-Parent Family Payment will be reduced to seven for most

The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has rowed back on its promise that every childcare worker will need a minimum qualification by this September. ANY ONE OF us who watched the Prime Time Programme A Breach of Trust will remember the

Busy parents of primary school children may see it as a much-needed digout. They are waiting to see what the government’s long-awaited plans for subsidised after-school care consist of. growing number of parents are struggling to fit in school hours

‘Lack of assistants means kids can’t get help they require’: Free pre-school places for special needs children under threat The Department of Children and Youth Affairs admitted access to the free pre-school year for children with special needs was ‘not

Thousands of childhood professionals are taking to the streets across the country this weekend to protest over a fundamental imbalance in their industry. EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONALS are this Saturday taking to the streets in Cork, Dublin and Sligo in a