Even dumpy crèches are still overly expensive, it’s cheaper to have a live in au pair.

It’s not like they’re hiding their prices waiting till the end of the month to pounce on you with a bill. You look at the creche, you ask what the price is, and bam, you know what the price is. It’s not like a restaurant where there are hundreds of options that you would have no hope of knowing how much they would all cost.

You’re doing it wrong.

It’s sh&t having to pay mortgage and crèche on dublin….stuck in the rut that 2 parents have to work to pay the mortgage :( and can’t sell as negative equity and no jobs elsewhere.
Myself and my other half often feel we have done it wrong, by getting a good education, working hard, buying a house and waiting til our 30s to plan a family. While the neighbours across the road are barely 20 years old, pay €35 a week on rent, and don’t work, and have their baby in a community creche part time and pay €20 for it.

I’m a manager (and a parent of 2 young children) at a community “non profit” childcare centre I and agree with price transparency so parents can make informed decisions but I also think the government need to come clean on how poorly they fund the childcare sector. Compared to our other European neighbours childcare in Ireland is at the bottom of the scale and the government are leaving the parents to pick up the pieces. The “free preschool” scheme is a good start for universal childcare that costs the government about €2500 per child but when the “EARLY CHILDHOOD SUPPLEMENT” was given to parents it cost the government €5000 per child so the government cut 50% of their support to parents. Childcare is a huge weight hanging about families necks and the government are still cutting our funding and increasing ratios and red tap. the government fund primary schools hence it accessible to all and “free”. Next time the politicians come campaigning in your area ask them about childcare and wait for the blank expression. I really think the government need to remember that we live in a society not in an economy.

Don’t go near crèches. They are a RIP-OFF. Go to Gumtree and hire an Au Pair – they are usually from other European countries but they are free provided you give them accommodation at your home. You also have an option of hiring them for just 20EUR a day if you pay them cash-in-hand.

@itsstudent…I’m assuming you don’t have children…how could you justify paying someone just €20 a day to look after your child?! That’s slave labour and a complete lack of respect for childcare workers!
Au pair is fine if you have the space to have one in your home. Additionally anyone that is willing to take €20 per day is not qualified.

Here’s a link on how Ireland faired on childcare 2007 (pre recession) You’ll note we’re down the scale. Things have not got better since then http://www.oecd.org/els/familiesandchildren/49288288.pdf

So does everything community in Ireland have a vacant Nama property?

I agree some out of the box thinking is needed but the adults working with kids need to be properly trained professionals. I do like you nama property idea- shame to see so many properties going to waste.

sorry *au pairs …and dont get me wrong some au pairs do a great jobs, I met some of my friends through them coming over to Ireland to mind children, but its not the childcare facilities we need to attack for steep pricing but the government for lack of funding! Childcare is a way more legislated than primary and secondary schools thus creating a greater workload because children at that age are a way more vulnerable and at their peek learning stage, yet, government funding is nearly non existent in comparison to primary and secondary level education!

Richelle this comment ‘Just a note that only the community child care facilities are 100% funded for the 1st 5 years so don’t see why they charge so much’ is totally incorrect. Community services are self funding exactly the same as a privately run crèche. They may have availed of a capital grant in the past, which means they will not have mortgage or loan costs but they will have exactly the same costs as a privately run service. Community based services can avail of the Community Childcare Subvention scheme but this pays for a childcare place for disadvantaged families, it doesn’t fund the service. And as it is all services in the ECCE must display their fee policies and give each parent a copy to sign.

Community run are the best…but so difficult to get a child into. The ones I have tried in the area, only take children over 1 years, open later or close earlier, plus prioritise places for those on social welfare. The one nearest to me opens at 9pm and closes at 5, plus would not let me put my name down as I was not claiming a social welfare payment!!

Totally agree. Community based childcare rocks

You are taking a big risk by bringing a total stranger into your home to mind kids. At lease in a crèche there is CCTV and no staff member is fully alone at any time with your child. I had an au pair & she seemed perfectly nice but she turned out to be a sneaky lying cow !! I think if you can find a mature women who’s has kids & comes recommended is a better option.

Completely agree poppy. I have heard of more bad experiences with au pairs than I care to think of. I remember in my late teens friends going to Italy and France to be au pairs…not a clue what to do with kids and lasted only weeks.

At least in a creche, childcare workers are qualified, and the child gets the change to socialise and make friends

@ITS – following your logic, I’d suggest an even more cost-effective solution would be to chain your infant to a radiator. I see you’ve changed your name, but you’re still cutting and pasting identical drivel from the last time this topic came up…