5+ hour, 25+ min ago   (299+ words) Changes to the income thresholds for the National Childcare Scheme will see the families of some 47,000 children receive more in subsidies. Under the scheme all eligible families may apply for a universal subsidy, regardless of income, worth up to €96.30 per…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago   (551+ words) The safety of young people at a Co Monaghan disability centre was “at risk” due to fire safety issues and safeguarding and governance concerns, an inspection by the health watchdog has found. Longfield House, run by Zamab Care Ltd, provides…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago   (440+ words) Members of Siptu working in the childcare sector have overwhelmingly rejected pay offers made by two employer groups during talks on new minimum rates for staff. In a ballot of the union’s membership of about 6,000 in the sector, some 98 per…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago   (448+ words) The Department of Children has intervened in the proposed closure of a Co Limerick creche, raising concerns the plan would “significantly” worsen a shortage of childcare places locally. In an effort to treat childcare as critical infrastructure, the Government is…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago   (883+ words) Rachana Nagaraja was scheduled to return to work this week after the birth of her first baby, but it won’t be happening because she has a problem: childcare. “I have applied and knocked [at] every single door of a childcare…...

1+ mon, 6+ day ago   (171+ words) Sir, – I fully support Frances Byrne’s call for early years and school age care professionals to receive public-sector pay and conditions (July 22nd). A further injustice is the lack of recognition afforded to graduates in the sector. Many hold Level 8 degrees,…...

1+ mon, 6+ day ago   (615+ words) The first ever review of childcare providers’ fees is to be conducted targeting creches that are overcharging parents. Every local authority in the country will later this year compare fees charged by creches with the amounts parents were billed five…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago   (665+ words) Up to 200 families in Dublin and Meath face substantial increases in childcare costs from September after the Fonthill Lodge group said its services in Lucan and Clonee are to be withdrawn from the Government’s Core Funding scheme. Parents with children…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago   (1204+ words) Parents have been overcharged thousands of euro a year by childcare providers that have hiked fees despite promising to freeze them in exchange for hundreds of millions of euro in public funding, the Department of Children said. One major north…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago   (668+ words) Thousands of childcare and early education staff are to be balloted on industrial action after talks intended to achieve a new minimum rates of pay for the sector broke down without agreement. Siptu, which represents about 6,000 workers in creches and…...