What’s New

MOTHER-of-two Anne Marie Kelleher has welcomed the €5 increase in children’s allowance and said it will benefit her family. She is currently on maternity leave after having baby Rian five months ago. She also has three-year-old Lily Anne. She also

A Donegal childcare representative has welcomed the €15 million funding program which will facilitate participation of children with special needs in pre-school education. Avril McMonagle, manager of Donegal County Childcare said that the funding will solve an issue that has

Expansion of ECCE roll-out will commence in Sept ’16. Children 3 years old able to access programme at 3 points: January, April or September More to follow….

Childcare providers say that a robust plan must be put in place to cope with increased demand for pre-school services. Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin announced that the Government was extending the amount of time parents can avail of the

The Government has used its final Budget to woo young parents who were among the worst hit by the country’s punishing economic crash. Ahead of an imminent general election, the coalition unveiled a health, education and welfare spending package aimed

Government to announce a ‘family friendly’ giveaway in Dail this week The major announcement will be made in the Coalition’s “family friendly” Budget and is the central plank of the Coalition’s much-anticipated package of childcare reforms aimed at reducing costs

‘Affordability for parents, sustainability for early childhood educators and quality for children are all absolute necessities for real investment in childcare in next week’s budget’  This is according to Teresa Heeney CEO of Early Childhood Ireland based on survey published

Photo Source: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland IF THERE’S ONE area that makes budget headlines, good or bad, its children and childcare. Whether it’s tax breaks for parents or cuts to child benefit these issues are usually top of the agenda in post-budget analyses. In

Funding for affordable childcare for low-income families; paid paternity leave; and extending parental leave up to at least seven months are being considered as part of next week’s budget. Final negotiations this week between Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin and

Up to 25,000 additional low-income families could benefit from subsidised childcare Up to 25,000 additional low-income families may benefit from access to affordable childcare under plans being considered ahead of next week’s budget. If approved, it would represent a key

The study also found that a shocking 84% of working parents struggle to budget for their children’s childcare costs A whopping 98% of mums are unhappy with childcare support from the Government, a new survey has revealed. A study carried

Breda O’Brien: State subsidised child care is no Nirvana What is good for disadvantaged children is not good for all children, research suggests Childcare is one of the biggest worries faced by parents working outside the home. They worry about

Firms are losing staff because the cost of childcare is making it impossible for parents to stay in work, a leading business group has claimed. Chambers Ireland said the country would not be able to remain competitive unless more money

A childcare worker broke down in tears as she told a tribunal how her life had been ‘ruined’ after she was ‘wrongly blamed’ for leaving an 18-month old toddler unsupervised outside a crèche for 10 minutes. Laura Johnston (36) was

As politicians prepare to hit the doorsteps in the coming months they can expect to hear as much about creche bills as Irish Water ones. That’s because of the sheer expense of this service. Childcare for two toddlers can cost

Minister for Children wants extension as part of wider childcare reform package An additional month’s split parental leave is being sought by Minister for Children James Reilly in budget negotiations as one of a number of first moves in a

Creche network would be paid for through property tax via a social cohesion fund Renua Ireland has proposed that parents should be entitled to tax relief to help cover the cost of childcare. In its latest policy proposal, the party

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