Childminding Ireland: Meath faces a childcare crisis as childminders are pushed to the brink

Meath could be heading for a childcare crisis unless urgent changes are made to the new childminding system, representatives of Childminding Ireland and a long-serving local childminder have warned.

For nearly two decades, a Meath childminder who asked to remain anonymous, has provided small-group, home-based care to families in a rural community. She says the new rules, which she believes are designed for centre-based services, threaten the viability of home childminding.

"I feel it is a battle at this stage which has been going on for so many years now, and I feel more frustrated now than ever before, but fight we must, especially for childminders and families, to make the Department listen and create a model that works for us."

She described how the proposed system would force childminders into a one-size-fits-all model, rather than recognising the realities of home-based care.

"I have been a childminder these past 18 years in a rural community in Meath. I have become extremely frustrated and worried about how the new regulations will impact me and my childminding business going forward."

Her key concerns include the need for a national childminding system tailored to home settings, changes to financial supports for parents, secure access to Garda vetting, and the ability to use a vetted support person for short absences.

She pointed out practical problems, such as the current difficulty arranging cover for routine appointments, saying, “I don’t open on Fridays as I need them free for my own personal day-to-day appointments such as doctors and dental check ups which are often delayed due to not having appropriate cover.”

Privacy and safety are also major worries.

"Public disclosure on Tusla’s website fills me with dread. I work in isolation with small children in a rural setting, and this would leave me and the children in a very vulnerable situation."

She also called for less bureaucracy, targeted financial supports, and an independent review of the model developed in full consultation with childminders.

Childminding Ireland, the representative body for childminders, warns that up to 80 percent of childminders nationally are considering closing because the new system fails to recognise what childminding actually is, home-based care tailored to family needs. The organisation has set out a nine-point plan calling on the Minister to engage with childminders to design a workable model, proportionate regulations, and realistic supports.

Local figures from recent analysis underline the scale of the issue in Meath. The 2022 Census recorded 815 people working in childminding (and related occupations) in the county, yet only five Tusla-registered childminders were recorded, and 89 childminders are in contact with Childminding Ireland. Many local childminders are exempt from registration under existing regulations. However, this will change in September 2027, when all childminders, whether minding one part-time child or six full-time, will be required to register with Tusla.

The consequences of a mass exit from childminding would be wide-ranging. Parents will face fewer childcare places, longer waiting lists, and higher costs, while employers could see staff forced to reduce hours or leave work altogether. For rural communities, where home childminders often keep siblings together and provide flexible, trusted care, the loss would be especially acute.

Childminding Ireland is urging the Department of Children to pause, engage, and develop a distinct, proportionate system for childminders, including guaranteed access to Garda vetting, permission to use vetted support people for short absences, clear privacy protections, less burdensome paperwork, and sustainable recognition and funding for Childminding Ireland as the sector’s representative body.

The anonymous Meath childminder summed up the mood on the ground, saying she fully supports Childminding Ireland’s call and warns “if this does not happen the consequences are dire for the future of childminding.”