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Child Item

Is €850 per month a normal creche charge in Dublin?

goldmundXOX

Hi, I recently moved to Dublin and I have a two-year-old boy. The only local creche with any availability at all is quoting €850 per month for five days per week throughout the year (they close for 2 weeks in July). The hours of care are 8.30 am-2.30 pm. I am posting here to ask if that's about the normal rate for a creche here? I expected it to be that price in Dublin to be honest but I thought it would mean 8.30 am-6 pm rather than finishing at 2.30pm. Also, the creche owner doesn't accept the national childcare scheme. I guess I'm wondering if this is a bad deal. Thanks.

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CountingCrows

Seems expensive. We pay €1100 for 8-6pm, 5 days a week.

goldmundXOX

CountingCrows wrote: »

Seems expensive. We pay €1100 for 8-6pm, 5 days a week.

Thanks for your reply. Yeah, the early closing time is frustrating and makes it far more expensive. I might have to keep looking and hope a place comes up somewhere else.

Minier81

We pay about 870€ for full time. Normal hours were 7.45 til 6.00.... with covid restrictions they are bot back to full hours yet but even now its open 8.30-5.00.
I know some of the big chains are more like 1200€ a month.

goldmundXOX

Minier81 wrote: »

We pay about 870€ for full time. Normal hours were 7.45 til 6.00.... with covid restrictions they are bot back to full hours yet but even now its open I.30-5.00.
I know some of the big chains are more like 1200€ a month.

That sounds about fair for full-time until 6.00. The more I think about it the more expensive this place seems

Minier81

goldmundXOX wrote: »

That sounds about fair for full-time until 6.00. The more I think about it the more expensive this place seems

And when we were looking we did have another potential place for the same price and roughly the same hours. I would shop around and even if you are on a waiting list people will drop off.

CountingCrows

I’d be suspicious of a Creche which doesn’t work with the government supports.

stampydmonkey

We pay 800 for 8.15am - 5.15pm

goldmundXOX

stampydmonkey wrote: »

We pay 800 for 8.15am - 5.15pm

That's a very decent price I'd love to find a place for my kid that charges that. Seems they are all full at the moment though. Suppose I better expand my search to areas within 45 mins away on public transport (I don't drive and I'm a single parent).

awec

Is 8:30 - 2:30 the time that they set, or the time you're asking for?

If you're the one asking for 8:30-2:30 then I suspect they're charging you the full day rate or close to it.

Shelli2

We're hoping to get a place in the local crèche, part time morning hours are 8.30-12.30.
Cost is 125e per week for those hours.

neris

850 for full time seems a bit low but a creche closing at 230 is weird unless you want 230 which they may not count as a half day and are sticking a premium onto the half day fee. Half day will usually be opening time to 1pm/130pm. From the creches side running the NCS is a pain in the hole so may not be dodgy just check they are registered with tusla 1st

goldmundXOX

The creche closes at 2.30 and that's just the way they do it, unfortunately; their only hours of operation are 8 am - 2.30 pm. It's becoming very frustrating as I've phoned around 15-20 creches within reach of public transport over the last hour and all are full.

awec

A creche closing at 2:30 seems fairly nonsensical.

OP, I'd say the price is a bit high for what they are offering, which seems like fairly inconvenient hours.

goldmundXOX

awec wrote: »

A creche closing at 2:30 seems fairly nonsensical.

I thought so too. I would be fine with the price if it opened until 4 or 5 but 2.30 seems like just offering a half-day/sessional service with an extra hour tacked on and marketing it as a full day (the place is down as full day on Tulsa).

Minier81

Crèche spots tend to become available over the summer as kids getting ready for school ate sometimes taken out earlier so they can move the little ones up to the next room. I would get on a waiting list for ones that suit you best location wise. An hour by public transport seems crazy. Would you consider a child miner temporarily?

goldmundXOX

Minier81 wrote: »

Crèche spots tend to become available over the summer as kids getting ready for school ate sometimes taken out earlier so they can move the little ones up to the next room. I would get on a waiting list for ones that suit you best location wise. An hour by public transport seems crazy. Would you consider a child miner temporarily?

Yeah I'm on about 10 waiting lists at this stage ha. Feels like a tricky situation though because if I turn down the (overpriced) place I referenced in my OP I'll be left without anything. I had considered a childminder but would prefer a creche where my kid can socialise with several other children. Also, I left an ad for a childminder on 3 different sites and there was tumbleweed. An hour by public transport does seem crazy but if my kid was taken care of from 8am-6pm it would probably be worth it.

annoyedgal

Your child will be elegible for ecce nect September. It might be worthwhile to get their name down on every waiting list you can for this and get a minder in the meantime.
When ecce starts minder can take him there and collect as only three hours of the day. Social needs will be met but you'll have the flexibility of a minder too.
There's a facebook page where you can post jobs for minders, search Childminders Dublin South or Childminders Dublin north. Also schooldays, mindme and rollercoaster websites.
Checking back regularly enough with local creches to see how the waiting list is moving can also help. This is how we got my lad into our desired creche. Think they got sick of me!
850 seems too much for those hours. 2.30 pick up is crazy early. Best of luck, its stressful but will get sorted.

goldmundXOX

annoyedgal wrote: »

Your child will be elegible for ecce nect September. It might be worthwhile to get their name down on every waiting list you can for this and get a minder in the meantime.
When ecce starts minder can take him there and collect as only three hours of the day. Social needs will be met but you'll have the flexibility of a minder too.
There's a facebook page where you can post jobs for minders, search Childminders Dublin South or Childminders Dublin north. Also schooldays, mindme and rollercoaster websites.
Checking back regularly enough with local creches to see how the waiting list is moving can also help. This is how we got my lad into our desired creche. Think they got sick of me!
850 seems too much for those hours. 2.30 pick up is crazy early. Best of luck, its stressful but will get sorted.

Hey. So because of the month my child was born, his ECCE eligibility doesn't kick in until September 2022! Thanks so much for those Facebook groups, I will definitely try them out. Yeah, the 2.30 pick up seems too early. The owner of the creche is pressuring me to make the initial deposit payment of 850 by the end of the week and it's stressing me out because if I lose that place and get nothing else, I'll be kicking myself.

annoyedgal

Honestly between the 2.30 pick up and not being included in the national childcare scheme I would be wary of feeling pressure to sign up.
Its a lot of money to lose if something better comes along. A minder can bring your child to local playgroups and toddler groups too so don't worry that your child is missing out on social interaction.
You need to have a good positive gut feeling about the creche. I didn't with my first creche but was under pressure as limited options. In retrospect i wish i had gone with a minder. Thankfully we got a spot from a waiting list in a lovely creche and moved him.
Had a minder for my second until creche had a spot for her. She was wonderful and so warm and kind. Brought her to toddler groups. A great experience.
Honestly better that you have another year to get on the list for ecce as the lists fill up fast!

florawest

Good luck, if you could get a nice minder that has her own child or minding another child or two it would be ideal, plus the socialising of the other child/children.

Pity the work places doesn't be more involved for their employees.

Wishing you the best of luck and success all around.

Moonbeam

Are you choosing to collect him at 14:30?
850pm for Dublin for full time creche care is cheap but not for the hours you mention unless it it you deciding to collect at 14:30 but the creche is still open. A registered insured childminder would be cheaper for those hours.

goldmundXOX

Moonbeam wrote: »

Are you choosing to collect him at 14:30?
850pm for Dublin for full time creche care is cheap but not for the hours you mention unless it it you deciding to collect at 14:30 but the creche is still open. A registered insured childminder would be cheaper for those hours.

Nope, I'm not choosing to collect at that time...the creche closes at 14.30. I am not sure if a childminder would be cheaper unless I'm looking in the wrong places...most childminders are quoting me €10 per hour minimum up to €13 per hour. The creche in question opens 8 am-14.30 which is 6 hours per day, five days per week for a total cost of €42.50 per day or €7.08 per hour.

Moonbeam

I used to pay 800 for a 3 day week in Dublin.
I thought childminders would be for 5-6 euro an hour or a 6-700 amount per month.
I used to be a childminder but I am out of it a few years.

goldmundXOX

In an update to this thread, I found two creches with a spot for my child full-time. Since I am new to all this, I am wondering if it's worth paying the deposits for 2 creches in case one of them tells me they are overbooked or something? I already paid €500 deposit to secure a place at my preferred one of them but I am tempted to pay for the other one just in case. Or is a place guaranteed after paying the deposit?

annoyedgal

Place is guaranteed, definitely don't pay another deposit as you'll lose it! Congrats, great to have it sorted