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Choosing childcare

Make childcare a positive experience for both of you

Childcare brings many benefits, including giving your child the opportunity to socialise, learn new things and to become more independent. However, these positive benefits will only fall into place if you have found somewhere your child will be given a consistent daily structure and plenty of learning opportunities. There are a variety of options to choose from including childminders, nannies and crèches. Or you may be in a position to ask your close relatives to help out.

Childminders

Ask friends, family and neighbours for recommendations of trusted childminders.
Contact Childminding Ireland for a list of registered childminders.
Visit the prospective childminder at home, ideally during the day.
You can ask to see all the areas of the house that will be used by your baby.
Look at the toys, books and equipment the childminder provides. Are they in good condition and clean ?
Check for crucial safety features such as electrical socket covers and stair gates.
Is there a quiet place for your baby to have nap, and what’s the bedroom like ?
Ask questions about training, qualifications, first aid, insurance, activities, hours and how many children the childminder looks after at once.
Take a referee’s name and contact details, and check it.
The rates of pay recommended by Childminding Ireland vary between €170-€190 per week full-time or €6.50-7 per hour part-time.
Part-time work is categorised as up to 22 hours per week.
Childminders are self-employed and look after their own PRSI, provided that they mind the children in their own home.
A childminder who looks after children in your home is deemed an employee. In this situation you will have to pay all relevant tax and social welfare contributions.

Childminding Ireland

The National Childminding Association of Ireland, Wicklow Enterprise Centre, The Murrough, Wicklow Town, Co. Wicklow Tel: 0404 64007

Choosing a nanny

Finding a nanny

You can find a nanny through an agency or professional organisation, or by looking for adverts in newspapers and other publications.
You can also advertise for a nanny.
Consider your budget. A qualified nanny will expect a minimum of €400 per week, depending on qualifications and experience.
You may choose to have a live-in nanny. If this is the case, you’ll pay a lower salary but need to include a comfortable private living space.
You may also decide that your nanny will need a separate car. So consider the full expense of petrol, tax, insurance and maintenance costs.

Choosing candidates

Request an updated CV and written references from a prospective candidate.
Ask to see certificates for any important qualifications, such as first aid.
Check what her current employment situation is and why she wants to leave. If she’s unemployed, try and find out why she left her previous job.
Also ask whether the nanny smokes, as you may have strong views about this habit around your children.

Interviewing

Take a first interview at a café, or somewhere else neutral and public.
If you decide to go to a second interview, ask the candidate to come to your home and see the potential working environment and meet your child or children.
Meet several candidates to get a good comparison, and take your time to make a decision.
Do make contact with the candidate’s reference contacts. Ask about reliability, the nanny’s relationship with the child and whether they would want the nanny to work for them again.

Once you have chosen your nanny

Agree a trial employment period a few weeks before you’re due to go back to work.
Have a full written work arrangement between you including all the detail about pay, time off and a full job description.
Agree the house rules around potentially difficult issues like guests and smoking. Decide whether you will allow her to use the phone or other home facilities.
To build a good relationship with your nanny, be flexible and be ready to renegotiate if necessary. If you are often home late from work, she’s within her rights to ask you to reconsider her wages.
Introduce your nanny to friends and relatives, and be careful not to undermine the nanny’s authority in front of your children.

Choosing a crèche

Be aware that crèche places are limited, and they usually book up early.
So make sure you’ve booked well in advance of going back to work to ensure you find the right place for your baby.
There should be a variety of activities on offer to allow for your baby’s development.
It’s important to look for a regular routine in place at the crèche, and a sense that your child would be respected and comfortable.

Crèche costs

Monthly fees for full-time attendance at a crèche can cost up to €1,000 per child.
Find out what the fees cover and if they include meals.
If you bring a second child to the crèche you’ll often get a discount of 10% for the second set of fees.
Some crèches also require a deposit in advance to secure a place, which will be refunded to you when your child leaves.
You can sometimes get a discount if your baby is away with you on holiday or off sick.

Making crèche visits

Call and arrange a visit during opening hours, and make sure the manager will be available to speak with you personally.
It’s a good idea to bring your partner or a friend with you on the visit to get a second opinion.
Even though your child is still a baby, bring him along on the visit so you can see how the staff interact with him.

Questions to ask

For a more detailed list of questions contact the NCNA or Irish Preschool and Playgroup Association (IPPA) and request a brochure on choosing quality childcare. Contact information is at the end of this article.

Management and staff

Are the staff qualified and experienced in childcare ?
What is the staff to child ratio ?
To what degree are the children supervised ?
What is the policy on behaviour management ?
What type of feedback can you expect and how often ?
Does the nursery have complete insurance cover, including public liability ?

Schedules

Are there routine times for eating, playing and sleeping ?

What’s included in the costs?

What does the price include – meals, drinks, nappies ?
Do you have to pay full rate while your child is on holiday or off sick ?

Parental involvement and access

What is the level of parental involvement ?
Are parents are allowed to walk into the nursery at any time? This may be referred to as an ‘open door policy’.

Meals

Are the meals nutritionally balanced ?
Check that the food preparation area is inaccessible to children.

Safety and emergency procedures

What is the procedure in the event of an emergency, or if your child becomes ill ?
Is there a baby alarm in the sleeping area? If not, can children easily be heard should they wake and cry ?
Are the exits easily accessible ?
Are sockets properly covered ?
Is the fire drill posted and practised ?
Are there smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and a fire blanket ?

Facilities

Do babies and children sleep in cots and beds? (The NCNA advises against children sleeping in baby recliners and pushchairs.).
Are there adequate nappy changing facilities and potties ?

Relatives and childcare

Having your baby cared for by a close relative is a good arrangement as long as you have a few basic ground rules agreed from the start.

The benefits of a relative becoming your childminder are that it’s typically inexpensive and provides your child great feelings of love and security.
Make sure your family member is genuinely willing to become an involved childminder, and that they aren’t feeling pressured to do something they’d rather not.
You’ll be developing a form of employer-employee relationship with your relative, in that you’re willing to be flexible, but the ultimate decisions and guidance about how your child is taken care of will come from you.
This can be difficult if the childminder is your own mother or your partner’s mother. So keep lines of communication open and be firm about your own views and preferences.

How pre-school childcare service providers are regulated

In Ireland the Health Services Executive takes responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of pre-school children attending services such as playgroups, full day-care, childminders and drop-in centres.

They are responsible for the inspection of all pre-school care providers. Care providers are required to notify the HSE that they are providing this type of service. Providers are also obliged to take all reasonable measures to protect the health, safety and welfare of the children in their care.

Some carers are exempt from the law, including a relative or the husband or wife of any of your relatives who is looking after your child.

Further information

If you require a list of registered local pre-school child care providers you can obtain this from your local Health Service Executive office. You can find the contact information for your local HSE in the green pages of your public telephone directory.

The requirements regarding general safety measures in childcare provision can be found in the Regulations and Explanatory Guide of Part VII of the Child Care Act, 1991 which you can download from www.oasis.gov.ie.

Alternatively you can contact: The Childcare Directory Ltd.

Burnaby Buildings, Church Road, Greystones, Co. Wicklow, Tel: (01) 201 6000