Picking a Creche

Itellitasitis

Hi Parents (who have children in creches).

As a small creche owner/manager, I often wonder what made you choose the creche you use?

Is it word of mouth from friends/seeing the children in the setting/location/cost/staff/the premises itself/sales form the person showing you around etc. etc.

Thanks :-)

Moonbeam

When I was picking a creche for my 1st I mostly looked at how the staff interacted with the children.
The location was important too,I wanted her near me during the day.
Outdoor space was a must .
Cost was not a factor,I knew it was going to be crazy.
I like to know that the staff are well looked after and that there is a small staff turnover and consistency with carers.

Itellitasitis

Thanks Moonbeam.

Confirmed what I thought but just wanted to check from a parents point of view.

Mink

It's not quite the same but when picking our preschool, the only things that were really important were location and then the general ethos of the place.

I'd agree with Moonbeam, I want to know that the staff are happy, looked after and not on crappy wage. It would be very hard to be a good carer if you're resentful of your employer/job.

Itellitasitis

Thanks Mink.

I have a little creche and Montessori.

Staff are with me for years. Not on minimum wage but get as much as I can afford. They are like family at this stage.

lawred2

staffing levels, evidence of low staff turnover, friendliness/happiness of staff
how existing children responded/interacted to the carers and each other
outdoor space, play facilities etc
personal recommendations
location
varied and nutritional dietary programmes
cost

Neyite

I went creche-shopping shortly after the Primetime Episode (that was fun!) so I downloaded the HSE report which had been published about a month before I visited. I never mentioned this to the person who showed me around, but they themselves pointed out things that the report had highlighted which they had immediately addressed - one of these was improvement of menu, they hired a proper cook and did a menu overhaul cooking from fresh every day for instance, providing healthier snacks, that sort of thing. It told me that they had taken the inspection seriously, improved where they could and were proud of their efforts to go above and beyond basic compliance.

All staff were qualified, had long lengths of service, first aid training, and they just seemed to absolutely love what they do - this was evidenced by the affection I saw between them and the toddlers they had in their care. My child has been in 6 different rooms from babies right up to now Montessori and in each, his teachers are dedicated, skilled and love their job and do it with lots of affection.

It's a spacious purpose built crèche, they get them outdoors every chance they get, take concerns and queries seriously, have always notified me of any bump or scrape he got however minor.

They know my kid. They know if he's a bit under the weather, or a bit quiet, or in great form. They spot when he's learned a new skill or done or said something new. They know what he toys he likes, and know when he gets tired.

More importantly, he loves it. He runs in to the crèche in the morning and barely gives me a backward glance before he gets stuck in. I know that he would be like a limpet to me if he didn't like it or wasn't happy.

It was the most expensive crèche I looked at out of them all, but from the start, the place gave off a happy vibe and to me, the little extra to pay was worth it knowing I could leave him there for almost 10 hours a day and know that he was in good hands.

pwurple

Plenty of outdoor space.
Non-stressed staff.
Happy children.


Location didn't actually matter to me at the time, I drove about 15 minutes out of my way to get there.

Itellitasitis

Thanks for your replies :-)

It's what I thought :-)

RentDayBlues

Old thread but just spotted it. There's a crèche 500 meters from our house, I wouldn't put a dog in it! Old building, small outdoor space that is not separated for different ages, rooms smelt damp and the thing that really sunk it, the smell of cigarette smoke!

As I live on the road, I now get to see the crèche staff stand across the road 3 times per day to have their cigarette break. Everyone is entitled to smoke if they decide to, but when as a perspective parent you can smell the smoke in the room it's a huge no no for me

We went with a new, purpose built crèche, most expensive we saw and out of the way for drops offs, but it worked for us