Creche Fees

Plus 10

Just before Christmas our Creche gave us the good news! on the 2009 creche fees - they have been increased to €1,085 per month (>1 year old - Dublin 24).

Maybe I'm wrong but this seems on the high side - just wondering what ye other Dublin parents are paying?

mossieh

We've just moved out of Dublin but up to Christmas our 3 year old's creche fees were approx 850 per month in Glasnevin.

sc9736

i pay 130 for a 3 day week to a woman who minds about 2 other children and has all facilities in her home for kids, playroom, cots, etc and she is amazing, so lucky to have her, think some creche prices are unbeliveable

Plus 10

Yes some of the prices are hard to believe

However when your kids are settled in and happy there and the location is most convenient it is difficult to move!

lemeister

sc9736 wrote: »

i pay 130 for a 3 day week to a woman who minds about 2 other children and has all facilities in her home for kids, playroom, cots, etc and she is amazing, so lucky to have her, think some creche prices are unbeliveable

In general, do childminders supply food, nappies, etc or do you also supply those?

stovelid

We pay 500 a month for two days a week.

I find it very strange that anywhere would increase their prices, especially as I've been told by more than one person that people are taking their kids out of creches all over the place.

Moonbeam

1076 full time city centre less then 1 year old.

It is 40-50 euro a day locally though.

Shelli

I pay €420 per month for 1-6pm Mon-Fri.

8am-6pm would be €840 per month. Great creche, can't fault them. In Glasnevin.

Mena

Ouch, those prices are scary. Out in Kildare, near Naas, we're paying €340.00 per month, that includes them taking and fetching the child from school. In effect the times are 07:30 to 08:30 and 13:30 to 18:00.

I know it's not Dublin but the differences are vast (even though we're not full day)

MojoMaker

How are creche fees going up when creche overheads are actually coming down? Staff wages, electricity, gas, groceries - all on the decrease in 2009.

Moonbeam

They still have to pay at least minimum wage and insurance has gone up across the board.

emma82

MojoMaker wrote: »

How are creche fees going up when creche overheads are actually coming down? Staff wages, electricity, gas, groceries - all on the decrease in 2009.

OK I know this post isn't going to be popular! Costs def not going down! Creche workers are amongst the lowest paid in the employment sector- if you ask the childcare workers in your creche what wages they are actually on you'd be surprised to find most are on the minimum wage or only slightly above! So staff wages cannot go down- yes utilities etc are going down but just last year there were new regulations introduced that pushed ratios lower again. (iIagree with this) but it puts costs up higher- either less children or more staff! Baby places are more expensive as the creche can only have 3 babies to 1 staff member- the cost hardly pays the staff members wages never mind profit. I do think Ireland should operate a voucher system like in UK but unfortunately that aint on our governments radar!

I sympathise believe me I do but having in worked in childcare in a previous life I realise that costs are high and profits are not necessarily the same!

stodwyer

Im a father of 1 who has just returned to work after being left go in April. I do not have a massive redundancy package. My wife and i would love to have another kid but the first one who has just returned to the creche is costing 750/week. I know its not massive but i had to take a cut in wages to just get work and my wife is not getting paid that much either. So we have a mortgage and child creche bills.
I understand that there are alot of utility bills and the 3:1 ratio for minder and child but for people who want to have kids the costs are horiffic. Why dont the government allow WORKING families to write off their kids creche fees in their tax?. As far as i know they let us write off bins etc...

Sean

Moonbeam

There is no vat on creche fees ,that is probably why.

DO you mean 75 euro a week?

If you are in receipt of fis or similar,you qualify for subvention in a community creche.

stodwyer

My apologies. We are paying 175/week in a small town creche. working out at 700/month. I just get annoyed that both of us are trying to stay affloat by working for less wages. Im travelling 750 miles a week to get the closest available job for me and we both want to have another child. We would be better off leaving both of our jobs and living off welfare. The country has turned out this way. If you want to have kids your better off on welfare. The government need to address this issue. The creche is a private one i think. And as far as i know i am entitled to nothing.
Sean

Moonbeam

It completely sucks doesn't it?
I do reckon that will change after the next budget though.

run_Forrest_run

Moonbeam wrote: »

It completely sucks doesn't it?
I do reckon that will change after the next budget though.

yes, it totally sucks! Yes it will change but not for the better where the hard working middle class are concerned!

Our creche increased their fees right after Christmas citing increased costs, a few months later ESB and gas bills announced a cut in prices!

Oh, and the owner of the creche turned up in a brand new car too :mad:

stodwyer

I had a heated discussion with our creche owner why our little man was just about to be booked in. Their prices were 150/wk and she upped it to 175/wk saying upkeep costs etc had gone up. BUT, Limerick city prices were all reducing to 130/wk. These city creches had cameras that parents could log onto via password etc... The creche we are currently using has just the basics but it is the only one in the area.
We are seriously considering a childminder as we are demented about not being able to AFFORD to have another kid. And lads i do not think the budget will ever change this. It is really frustrating.

ceannair06

Sorry about this but I have to say this is a pet hate of mine.

We are on the bones of our arse as a country at the moment, the An Bord Snip report is talking about cutting services - and you know there'll be more levies meaning we'll be having to pay more tax.

So thinking of all that, you want US to contribute to your kids ? No way.

If you can't afford to have kids then don't have them.

stodwyer

I understand that Ceannair,
BUT I and my wife can afford to have kids IF we both decide not to be part of this silly workforce being taxed to the bone and both go on welfare getting all benefits and support. We are the silly people suffering in this current climate. An bord snip report cutting services will only entice me to forget about working and join the unemployed.

Sean

Moonbeam

ceannair06 wrote: »

Sorry about this but I have to say this is a pet hate of mine.

We are on the bones of our arse as a country at the moment, the An Bord Snip report is talking about cutting services - and you know there'll be more levies meaning we'll be having to pay more tax.

So thinking of all that, you want US to contribute to your kids ? No way.

If you can't afford to have kids then don't have them.

Can you elaborate on what you mean by "you want US to contribute to your kids"?

I am a firm believer in if you can not afford something then do not do it but the problem that I see is that the people that society needs/wants to have kids feel that they can no longer afford it and are putting it off until later in life due to careers etc.
The people that do not worry so much about having money and a good education for themselves and their kids are the people that are having the kids and getting more social welfare payments are draining our tax payers money.
I do not mean people being laid off I mean the people that choose to live off the dole,the people cohabiting and claim single parents,the people who are not contributing productivly to society.
The country needs children and the issue is that it is becoming unaffordable for the educated hard working couple.

stodwyer

I heard a phrase yesterday. You dont kill the seed in a famine so why should people be put off having kids in a recession. To be honest very few of us would not be around if our parents decided not to have kids in the last recession. And i would beg to support my kids. I agree with you moonbean. Alot of us could take the dole route and get all the befefits etc but i dont want my child to grow up in that kind of route. I would prefer them to work for what they want. But to be honest i had a chat with my wife last night and thought. Are we being foolish working?

Johnny_Fontane

thats great lads, but totally off topic

can we get back onto topic about creche fees?

We're looking into creche's at the moment and wondering what our costs will be.

Do creches accept kids for three days?

stodwyer

Our Creche has a cleverly set pricelist.
1 day= 75
2 days= 100
3 days= 135
4 days= 150
Week = 175..

So yes they do daily but it is not the weekly rate divide by the number of days.

Moonbeam

The one my dd is going to is about 746 per month for a 3 day week.

The community creche here is 198 for a full week before subvention.

John Mason

the snip report has recommended that the subvention band c is to be re-assessed, which is going to put up some subvented fees.

also a lot of creches receive a top-up under the subvention scheme this also looks like it is on the way out too.

a lot of creches are going to be closing down, hard times for everyone but to be honest, i cant see crèche costs coming down, crèche workers at really badly paid.

unfortunately, you are just going to have to suck it up, it the cost of having children

Moonbeam

Only community creches are part of the subvention scheme.
Normal private creches can not partake in it.

It will be interesting to see what they do to subvention in the budget.

John Mason

Moonbeam wrote: »

Only community creches are part of the subvention scheme.
Normal private creches can not partake in it.

It will be interesting to see what they do to subvention in the budget.

yes, they are re-assessing band c and are getting rid of the top up which is going to increase prices of subvented places

stodwyer

lads. I don't understand this subvention thing. We are in the private creche and I do not think that its like that.
So your telling me that I'm to expect increased creche prices.

John Mason

The subvention funding doesnt effect you the fact that the private providers can no longer receive capital grants MAY effect the cost of fees. if they facilities need to do repair work or purhcase new toys thye have to find the cost from somewhere

the only thing that will bring down the cost of children will be a reduction in minimum which is being talked about at the moment.

i would suggest you try and get your child into a community creche now, it will work out a lot cheaper

LegacyUser

Mena wrote: »

Ouch, those prices are scary. Out in Kildare, near Naas, we're paying €340.00 per month, that includes them taking and fetching the child from school. In effect the times are 07:30 to 08:30 and 13:30 to 18:00.

I know it's not Dublin but the differences are vast (even though we're not full day)

You're probably talking about Afterschool, which is cheaper as child <-> minder ratio is higer

LegacyUser

MojoMaker wrote: »

How are creche fees going up when creche overheads are actually coming down? Staff wages, electricity, gas, groceries - all on the decrease in 2009.

I think that because parents pull their kids others foot the bill (less people to generate the same turnover.

Sleepy

Anyone got prices for a creche in Wicklow? Curious to see what it would cost to have our two monsters minded if my oh decided to return to work on our daughter's first birthday... they'd be 1 and 4 then...

tallaght01

pink fluffy bunny wrote: »

the snip report has recommended that the subvention band c is to be re-assessed, which is going to put up some subvented fees.

also a lot of creches receive a top-up under the subvention scheme this also looks like it is on the way out too.

a lot of creches are going to be closing down, hard times for everyone but to be honest, i cant see crèche costs coming down, crèche workers at really badly paid.

unfortunately, you are just going to have to suck it up, it the cost of having children

Will creches still get the allowances for band A and B? A lot of really important community creches allow parents to get back to work (especially single mums) and are funded almost exclusively by band A subventions. Would be a disaster if that was taken away.

John Mason

tallaght01 wrote: »

Will creches still get the allowances for band A and B? A lot of really important community creches allow parents to get back to work (especially single mums) and are funded almost exclusively by band A subventions. Would be a disaster if that was taken away.

the report didnt mention anything about bands A and B but the report recommended the abolishment of all top ups which will mean that the facilities will only be reliant on the funding received per the bands without additional funding.

there are a large number of community creches running at very high deficits, its quiet scary

tallaght01

Thanks PFB.

BUT...I don't understand the following bit:

pink fluffy bunny wrote: »

the facilities will only be reliant on the funding received per the bands without additional funding.

I know I'm probably being dumb :P

I'm just concerned as I know a few people running community creches to allow single mums to return to education or go to work during the day. The 2 creches that my friends run will have to close if bands A+B go, as they're already pretty much run on a voluntary basis. But it will be a total false economy to close them, as these girls will all go back on the dole.

John Mason

some groups get an additional amount on top of the Band A and Band B funding.

this additional funding might be cut.

the problem is that with a lot of community creches they are in so much debt it is not viable to keep them open.

also a lot of creches arent getting the numbers to stay open. again, it is not viable to have 10 staff for 4 children.

i think the whole face of childcare in Ireland is about to change again, and probably for the better

snellers

our creche increased their prices fairly recently....they held their hands up and advised they could not retain good staff due to wages so low. The increase in theory is to refuce staff attrition rates - helping to keep on the staff and create continuity for the kids....I don't like the extra cost but at the same time like the idea my little-uns will get to see the same people week in week out....we shall see!!

Ranleth

I know this is a thread about Creche Fees but with that in mind does anyone have any recommendations for Creches in the South Galway area (Gort, Ardrahan, Kilcolgan, Oranmore)?

Also, if anyone knows the prices and pros/cons that would be fantastic

Moobui

Hi Sleepy,
I think the creche prices in Wicklow can vary a lot even within one area. In the Greystones/Delgany area for example there was a difference of nearly 200 per month per child between two creches when I had my children in one and friends had theirs in another.