There is more wrong with Irish childcare than the cost – writes Peter McGuire in the Irish Times

Political parties are trying to woo voters with promises of cheaper childcare but the issue of quality is at risk of being lost

‘Sand,” says Jamie (4). “I like to play in the sand. And we pick up the pebbles in the garden and then we count them. I like that, too.” Jamie was not as happy in his old creche, although he is a little too young to understand why.

But his parents, Barbara and Keith, know why. Their son had been attending a large, private childcare facility in south Dublin. “All too often we would drop him in the morning to meet a complete stranger in the room, as last week’s minder had decided to pack it in,” says Barbara. “We were rarely, if ever, introduced to new minders. The chopping and changing is very unsettling for young kids. There were staff shortages and minders in rooms with far too many children.”

He has since moved to a new creche. “They are all doing their best, but operating on limited resources,” says Barbara. “People do sometimes resent handing out so much money for childcare when the services can fall short of expectations. I would love to have the option to work part time while my kids are so young, but I need to work for the remaining few hundred euro from my salary after childcare costs to cover the mortgage.”

Read the full article on The Irish Times Website