EXPLORING THE CHILDCARE CHALLENGES FACING
Preschool reduces places to manage staff costs
Mullnaskea Pre School, Mullnaskea 24 places
A FERMANAGH preschool has capped its available places because it makes better financial sense to have fewer staff.
This is just one of the difficult decisions that play groups and others face right across Fermanagh.
A Papier-mâché solar system hangs from the roof of Mullnaskea Pre-school and After Schools club as underneath it, staff tidy up resources in what was the original school for the area. 125 years later it is still educating young minds.
Childcare ratios mean that for every eight children present, there must be one adult member of staff, any more than 24 children present and a fourth staff member must be added.
The preschool can accommodate 25 children but limits numbers now to 24.
“We only take 24 at the minute because it’s better for us only to have the three members just financially.
“If you were to take 26 kids, those two children, the money that comes in from them [through Education Authority funding] doesn’t make it up to pay for staff.”
Mrs. Crowe explained: “As we’re in a voluntary community sector we do get PEGS funding from the Education Authority, which pays money per child.
Parents do give a voluntary
Glendurragh Childcare Services, Kesh 80 places
THE manager of a childcare facility in Kesh has said if she had not raised her prices earlier this year, the service would be closed. She worries that it could still go that way.
“Our biggest struggle is keeping the place afloat, making sure all the bills are paid, making sure staff are paid. Since Covid that has been the struggle,” says Karen Braund-law (pictured right). “Now it is the cost of living, the minimum wage increase has been a huge thing, I know I will contribution towards snacks and it also helps pay for maybe photographs and the odd few resources.
“It was £10 for years and we upped it to £15.”
This was a difficult decision for the pre-school but they say that they are generously supported by fundraising and parents of the children.
Mrs. Crowe and other staff believe that their preschool is sustainable due to the moves they make around recycling and sustainability.
She points around the room to displays which have repurposed materials: “Those are posters that come in for road safety awareness and they line everything.
“How we sustain ourselves is that we’re very good at holding on to resources [to re-use] and when sourcing we price around, we just don’t go willy nilly and buy.”
Mrs. Crowe and fellow staff believe that if a new childcare strategy is introduced it “really needs to listen to all sectors and especially the voluntary sector”. feel it in April when wages go out.”
She, like others, is worried about the sustainability of the Glendurragh Childcare Services.
“There is a risk of closure. At Christmas, we really juggled to get the bills paid.”
Mrs Braund-law loves her job, she enjoys working with children and the team – money is the big worry.
She went on: “An average monthly bill for parents could be anywhere between £1,500 to £2,000. If we didn’t do that, we’d be closed.
“We don’t have PEG [funded places from the Education Authority] space here, as the local school nursery has that. We solely rely on parental fees coming in to operate.”
On the need for help from the Northern Ireland Executive, Karen says: “I don’t know where the money would come from, it was fantastic during Covid, every day care had money based on what needs they had.”
Childcare facility admits ‘risk of closure’