More investment needed to combat crèche waiting lists

A west Cavan community crèche, which last week received State funding of €750,000 to deliver 40 early learning and pre-school places, has a growing waiting list of 200 children, some of whom haven’t even been born yet.

It’s not a unique scenario, suggests CEO of Krafty Kids, Annette Coyle, with the same experience replicated at childcare facilities right across the county.

“Demand is huge,” she says. While welcoming the record €25 million sectoral building investment announced by Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley, Ms Coyle says the sector still needs more “sustained” support into the future.

The Building Blocks Extension Scheme will deliver 1,500 additional early learning and childcare places by allowing, in some cases, for providers to extend their services.

Of the €25 million, over a fifth (€5,334,209) was allocated directly to the Cavan-Monaghan region.

Krafty Kids received a grant of €750,000 to be used to purchase or construct a new premises.

The investment, at another site in Ballyconnell, will allow for 40 more childcare spaces in the town.

It was the single largest allocation in Cavan, with three others - Ballymachugh Childcare Group Kilnaleck (40 places); Shercock Child Resource Centre (34); and Ballyjamesduff Community Crèche (30) - each receiving €500,000 to provide extensions to existing premises.

Annette Coyle is CEO at the rapidly expanding Krafty Kids Childcare Centre in Ballyconnell. The service is based out of is the former CAMCAS building at Daisy Hill, which Krafty Kids acquired in 2020 to enhance its pre-school and after school services.

The recently announced grant is for Krafty Kids to purchase an additional site - a disused former crèche at Doon Heights.

In total Krafty Kids already operates four services in Ballyconnell - at Cullyleenan, to the rear of SuperValu, which is open 28 years; at Daisy Hill; and two after school services - one at Greaghraghan NS and another in Ballyconnell Town.

“But we have a huge waiting list for babies and toddlers and crèche, that’s what the funding will be used for.”

With Ballyconnnell so industrialised, Ms Coyle acknowledges that the town often attracts young couples and their families. “That’s what we’ve been seeing over the years. On top of that there’s being quite of a lot of new housing, up at Black Ridge, which just opened last year, and plans for more as well, so the demand is certainly there. That demand is only going to grow.”

Three of Orla Gileese’s kids already attend Krafty Kids, and she hopes her fourth, now 11 month old Dáire, will soon secure his place within the service. Though she accepts there are no guarantees.

“He’s on the waiting list,” says Tara, who reveals that Ms Coyle is one of the first people told about pregnancies local, a situation Tara describes as “crazy”.

“From about my 12 week scan, all joking aside, he’s [Dáire] been on a waiting list since then. So hopefully he’ll be getting a place soon.”

Tara agrees it is “very hard” for families unable to get a childcare place.

“It’s tough. I know plenty of mammies looking to go back to work. Krafty Kids has been great to us. With the children, they’ve all been here, are still here with after-school. It’s an incredible service, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done for my kids. At the start I was a bit afraid. But it has brought them on so much, they love it.”

At present, Krafty Kids has more than 200 children on its waiting list, a quarter (52) of which are babies, and half of those have not even been born yet.

Krafty Kids takes in children from nine months upwards, and “demand is huge”.

Tenders have been issued for contractors for the Krafty Kids Ballyconnell expansion, with work due to start in August for completion by year end and opening in early 2026. Micheal Maguire Architects is overseeing the project design.

Krafty Kids currently has around 60 employees across its four existing sites and is recruiting, having recently struck a deal with Cavan County Local Development to take over the running of the crèche premises at O’Raghallaigh Park in Cavan Town. Renovations began last year and building work is near completion. Once open, it will offer crèche and full daycare preschool services for children aged one to four years.

“This [Doon Heights’ Ballyconnnell investment] is only going to create 40 spaces so everyone is not going to get a place even at that,” acknowledges Ms Coyle.

The solution, she feels, is “sustained and continuous investment” in the early years childcare sector. “This is the largest grant we’ve ever received. It’s the first time too though that there has been this level of funding. It’s badly needed and it needs to be part of an ongoing commitment from government.”

Ms Coyle is not just looking at the immediate term but where numbers are predicted to go to in the next five to 10 years.

“Society has changed a lot from years ago where maybe the mother stayed at home with the children but, in most houses now, both parents are out working. We have so many mothers now, on maternity leave, due to go back to work but cannot get childcare and can’t go back to employment as a result. It’s a massive social issue as well, and it will have a knock-on effect on the economy as well.”

In making last week’s announcement, Minister Foley said she recognises the need to “go further to support parents, educators, practitioners and providers across the early learning and childcare sector, with the focus always on ensuring positive experiences for children”.

She pleged: “I will be developing an action plan to set out the important next steps that build on the very positive foundations we now have in place.”

Along with the €2.25M allocated to services in Cavan, €3,084209 was granted to community crèches in neighbouring Monaghan.

Knockatallon Community Childcare CLG (45 places) got €750,000 to establish a new site, as did Ardaghey Community Childcare Ardaghey (38); while Carrickroe Community Childcare (41) got €647,251.

Clones Community Childcare (20) received a grant of €366,382 for an extension; and Newbliss Childcare Services Ltd (22) €500,000; while Inis Óg Childcare Inniskeane (15) received €70,576 for a private extension.