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LAST UPDATE | 2 Oct 2025
CHILDCARE FEES ARE on the rise for many parents, with more and more struggling to cope financially.
The Journal Investigates revealed today that more than 50 childcare providers have withdrawn from the government’s Core Funding scheme, which aims to improve affordability by providing grants in return for frozen fees.
Many providers who have left the scheme have raised their fees to cover giving up this government funding.
At the same time, a scarcity of places means that finding a different provider can be incredibly challenging.
For some parents, this has meant having to choose between paying hundreds of euro extra per month or quitting their jobs – something that falls on women most of the time.
Our investigative team is examining this issue and would like to hear about your experiences of childcare fee increases – for our Your Stories series that collects and publishes readers’ own stories.
Have your childcare fees increased? Has your provider left Core Funding? Are you able to afford the fee increases? What impact did this have on you and your family?
If you have a story to share, please contact The Journal Investigates by emailing investigates@thejournal.ie
Describe your experience in a paragraph or two (around 200-250 words). We will reflect your experiences in a forthcoming article.
Please include your name and county, and let us know if you would prefer to remain anonymous.
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