Full time childcare

angelfire9

Am looking at returning to work outside the home am currently self employed
Childcare costs for full time care for pre schoolers seems crazy
Aisling is 3 her ECCE year will start in September but I may have a potential position starting 1st February

Can I ask any of the parents here what do ye pay for full time childcare?

I've rang a few places in Ennis and all the prices were broadly similar I'm just looking to get an idea of whether I should ring around more or if what I'm being quoted (€400 a week) is normal

Rose35

We live in mayo and pay 145.00 a week for full time care in creche for a 17 month old, maybe you meant a month as opposed to a week, it seems excessive €400 a week!

Tombo2001

I believe there is a big difference between country prices and city prices.

In Dublin we were paying €250 a week for three days for 2 kids.

angelfire9

Tombo2001 wrote: »

I believe there is a big difference between country prices and city prices.

In Dublin we were paying €250 a week for three days for 2 kids.

I live in Clare
This is very interesting... I was definitely quoted 400 a week

Moonbeam

In Dublin city centre I paid 800pm for a 3 day week,it was 100 full time.
Maybe the 400 was a month?
I know of people in Limerick paying 650 for full time creche.

Xdancer

The price of childcare in Ireland scares me. How do they expect people to pay those prices?

bulmersgal

I pay €590 for the ECCE year before that it was €830.

No way could it be 1600 a month that's just mad

angelfire9

Apparently all the places we went to in Ennis quoted me €400 a week based on both daughters attending
My eldest was in a secondary school uniform so I'm kind of bemused at the thought that she requires after school :rolleyes:
For the 3 year old its from €175-€250 a week depending on hours
The eldest will be at my parents doing her homework but asking my parents to mind a hyper 3 year of would be too much

runawaybishop

angelfire9 wrote: »

Apparently all the places we went to in Ennis quoted me €400 a week based on both daughters attending
My eldest was in a secondary school uniform so I'm kind of bemused at the thought that she requires after school :rolleyes:
For the 3 year old its from €175-€250 a week depending on hours
The eldest will be at my parents doing her homework but asking my parents to mind a hyper 3 year of would be too much

Home minder would be less expensive

Moonbeam

angelfire9 wrote: »

Apparently all the places we went to in Ennis quoted me €400 a week based on both daughters attending
My eldest was in a secondary school uniform so I'm kind of bemused at the thought that she requires after school :rolleyes:
For the 3 year old its from €175-€250 a week depending on hours
The eldest will be at my parents doing her homework but asking my parents to mind a hyper 3 year of would be too much

That is crazy for Ennis,they are Dublin prices.
Ring around the other creches and talk to childminders.
www.childminding.ie has a list of registered childminders or if you ring them they can give you names and numbers.

angelfire9

Moonbeam wrote: »

That is crazy for Ennis,they are Dublin prices.
Ring around the other creches and talk to childminders.
www.childminding.ie has a list of registered childminders or if you ring them they can give you names and numbers.

I have a list printed will be on the phone tomorrow
I think she would benefit from a group setting like a crèche or pre school rather than one or two kids in a home
I'm told it's the insurance costs that make it so expensive
It's almost a mortgage payment

Moonbeam

I paid a lot more in creche fees then I did for my mortgage:)
Insurance is quite high but if that were the case then there would be less difference in the typical price of a creche in Dublin and Limerick or Cork and Sligo.
Rates/Wages/rent are also taken in to consideration.

Big Bag of Chips

Your initial post is a bit confusing. You mention 1 child, and that you were quoted €400 per week. Then later mention another, school age child and say you were quoted for both? So the €400 was for 2 children.. one full-time 5 days, and one afterschool 5 days? While it still seems quite expensive, it wasn't clear what you asked the creche for a quote for.

Did you make it clear to the creche that you were only enquiring for 1 child, or did you ask for a quote for 2? Have you only decided not to send your older daughter because of the cost?

If your youngest is due to start her ECCE year in Sept, I don't see the rush in getting her into a creche situation now. In a few months she will be getting that social interaction anyway.

Many many children go straight from home to Playschool or preschool without ever having been in a creche, or other structured social situations with other kids, and get on great.

Maybe just for the few months, a childminder would be a less expensive option. You might even find a child minder who has 1 or 2 other kids for your daughter to interact with.

angelfire9

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

Your initial post is a bit confusing. You mention 1 child, and that you were quoted €400 per week. Then later mention another, school age child and say you were quoted for both? So the €400 was for 2 children.. one full-time 5 days, and one afterschool 5 days? While it still seems quite expensive, it wasn't clear what you asked the creche for a quote for.

Did you make it clear to the creche that you were only enquiring for 1 child, or did you ask for a quote for 2? Have you only decided not to send your older daughter because of the cost?

If your youngest is due to start her ECCE year in Sept, I don't see the rush in getting her into a creche situation now. In a few months she will be getting that social interaction anyway.

Many many children go straight from home to Playschool or preschool without ever having been in a creche, or other structured social situations with other kids, and get on great.

Maybe just for the few months, a childminder would be a less expensive option. You might even find a child minder who has 1 or 2 other kids for your daughter to interact with.

I think the confusion stemmed from having both girls with me when I went to look at a few places apparently the presumption that I needed childcare for both was why I was initially quoted €400

The oldest was never part of the equation as far as after school is concerned she goes to my parents to do her homework in peace every evening as is I don't see any reason to change that

The reason I am looking at this now is that a potential full time job has appeared and if I go back to employment I obviously need to have this sorted

I know that there are kids who were never in formal childcare who do fine with the jump to school but Aisling is a 3 year old who doesn't get much opportunity to interact with other kids (none in the neighbourhood and she doesn't see her cousins often) with the 10 year age gap she's more like an only child in some ways and I think she needs the formal childcare to ease her into things??

I thought maybe sending her to a childminder from Feb-Sept and chopping/changing that to a crèche/Montessori in September would be too much?? She is only three

Would welcome another opinion

Big Bag of Chips

Did you or the creche not clarify how many children and the hours?! If they didn't even ask that basic question, I wouldn't be rushing to hand my child over to them!!

If she's effectively been an only child, at home with you for 3 years, what's another 6 months? You could find a wonderful childminder who would be like another Mammy to her.. and she wouldn't really be that bothered by the change.

Will you need childcare for when she finishes preschool for the day? Will you still be working? Is that why you are leaning towards a creche that offers the ECCE scheme too? So that she would be in the same place.

I suppose it has it's advantages.. but equally there is nothing wrong with settling her into a childminder, and keeping the childminder on to take her after school. It's not an unusual setup, and I suppose people do whatever suits them best... I know children from both sides, and I don't see a huge difference in how the child copes.

angelfire9

It was more of a "Can I have a look around to see your facilities" than a "I want to send my child here" viewing if you know what I mean, I suppose in hindsight it's my own fault for not making it clear that it was only the small lady that I was looking for

If I go back working she will need 40 hours a week childcare
This is why I was looking at crèches that do ECCE plus after school (thinking ahead) but in hindsight they probably thought I mean after school for the eldest

I know a childminder would be cheaper but would she get the same stimulation from someone with 1-5 kids as she would in a bigger setting? She's quite bright and will get up to all kinds of devilment if she's bored