LOTS OF QUERIES AS CHILD CARE CENTRES REOPEN
AN UNCERTAIN TIME FOR ALL AS CRECHES REOPEN ACROSS THE COUNTY THIS WEEK
A group representing Sligo creche owners and managers say it has an endless questions and concerns about reopening this week.
In a statement, the group says many of their issues have not been addressed.
“One of the greatest joys of an Early Years Educator is “seeing our children come bouncing through our doors each day, full of wonder and ready to absorb what the day has to offer.
“This time, as we open those doors, the joy will still be there, but behind our welcoming smiles, there hides a world of concern and uncertainty.
“Given the lack of clarity around how it is all going to work, providers have an endless stream of questions that do not seem to have answers.
“What happens if a child develops Covid 19 symptoms? What happens if a staff member from one of the play pods does?
“How does that staff member get paid? Where will we find relief staff ? Do we have to close again?
“Should we make alterations to the building? What should we alter? Who should we ask that will be able to offer a concrete answer? How do we pay for those alterations?
“Added to this, is the additional administration burden of the re-registration of the children attending.
“Many parents’ circumstances have changed, how long will it take Pobal to approve the registrations?
“What do we ask parents to pay in the intervening weeks?
“Parents are full of questions too, and we are the people they see each day, the people they entrust their children to and they expect us to have at least some answers for them, answers about their children.
“We have been given lots of guidelines, but guidelines are just that, open to interpretation but the powers that be are not sharing their interpretations.
“These concerns are real, very real and have given providers many sleepless nights.
“But one thing is very certain, Early Years Educators will open those doors and we will smile and welcome our children, we will hide our worries and concerns and it will be a good day, we will make sure of that.”