Shortage of creche places causing chaos for parents
Childcare costs crippling families as some providers seeking more than the salaries of those needing childminding services
A FRUSTRATED mum from Dunshaughlin whose childcare costs are more than her mortgage payment says a lack of crèche spaces in the area is stopping her and her partner from having a second child.
Kellie Masterson says she and her partner bought a house in the Willows in Dunshaughlin in 2019 thinking there was going to be a crèche on site that would solve all of her childcare needs but almost two years on the site remains vacant with no signs that building work is in the pipeline.
Despite Kellie putting son Alex on waiting lists for crèches in Dunshaughlin, Ratoath, Dunboyne and Clonee well over two years ago, the mum had to resort to finding a child-minder in Coolock near her partner’s place of work when she returned to her own job in March of last year.
Kellie describes it as “ironic” that in recent days a sign has been erected stating “crèche for sale” adjacent to the site in the Willows where she expected the creche to be built. She said:
“Alex is two now, I started looking for a crèche place early on in my pregnancy, I put him on waiting lists for crèches in lots of different areas nearby, next year he will be going into preschool, and nothing has materialised.
“We moved into the Willows in December 2019. It was one of the deciding factors for us to buy because when we looked at the plans, we were under the impression that there was going to be a crèche across the road from our house.
“I think we were naive to think that building was going to start soon after but absolutely nothing seem to happen."
“A sign has appeared this week with “crèche for sale” at the site but it is not a crèche it’s a field.”
Kellie says it was “a blessing” to have success in getting a sdchild minder in Dublin almost 40km from her home in Dunshaughlin.
“We went on to a childcare website and couldn’t find anyone on it and by chance a lady based in Coolock got back to me and we decided to go with her.
“I don’t drive so if Alex was ever sick or if something happened, I have no way of getting out there so it’s not ideal but it’s the only thing we could have done at the time.
“Thankfully she is a lovely lady and Alex loves going there but the cost alone is holding us back because our cost for childcare is more than our mortgage, so we are holding back on having a second child because we couldn't afford two.
“I put up an ad in a local Facebook group looking for minders, but people were looking for up to €100 a day to mind him in their own home and that is more than we could ever afford if and what’s the point continuing working if we are basically taking our wages and giving it over to a child minder?”
Fellow Willows resident Brendan Cusack who last year spoke of his anger at being forced to bring his 18-month-old daughter on an early morning train journey to crèche in another county due to long waiting lists for crèches was contacted by a local child minder who offered to help after reading the article in this paper.
Two-year-old Ella no longer has 5.30am starts along with her dad who had been dropping her off a crèche near his office in Dublin city centre, but he says families in the area have been left high and dry.
“The property developer (Gem Construction) has another 300 houses and 200 apartments to build and sell on this site.
“The government started building the secondary school followed by the primary school beside the site but it looks like they want a buyer for the crèche before they will build it.
"The cost of the build, insurance and staff costs will turn most investors away."
The Willows is a well known story to parents across the county who are struggling with finding childcare with the sector experiencing a huge staffing crisis which has been exacerbated by crippling insurance hikes, mountains of paperwork, underfunding and over-regulation.
Michelle Murray from Trim has seen both sides of the coin. Former deputy manager of a Dublin crèche Michelle had twins in November 2019 but had to give up her much-loved career due to debilitating childcare costs. She said:
“I've worked in early years for eleven years and have a degree. My childcare cost quote (including staff discount) was more than my salary.
“As a result I've left my job to care for them at home as I simply can't afford to pay the childcare on my salary. I probably won't ever return to the childcare sector.
Julie O’Donoghue owner of ‘Jiggle n’Jump’ a play café and after school club in Trim says childcare providers are struggling to adhere to the bureaucracy that comes with the job.
“It doesn't help that the childcare services are facing insane insurance costs, further regulations and smaller places like myself who started out because we love working with kids, are having to jump through endless hoops to try meet all the regulations.
“Gone are the days of Mrs. O'Brien's back room in her house and garden with a little sand table and castle and soldiers on the floor.
“We're losing any home away from home feel for this generation of kids, certainly not what they need after over a year of social solitude.”
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A spokesperson for the Gem Group said:
“The site has been formally put on the market and we are expecting expressions of interest in the coming weeks and months.”