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Dublin still needs more childcare places
The results of Dublin City Childcare Committees Childcare Audit and Needs Analysis 2006 - Dublin North West Area,  were launched by Dublin North West Fianna Fil TD, Pat Carey, on Monday, November 6th in the Ballymun Plaza Hotel.
Dublin City Childcare Committee commissioned five pieces of research, covering the five areas within Dublin city (South Central, South East, Central, North Central and North West) in order to audit current childcare provision and identify needs and gaps in services. The results of the research will assist Dublin City Childcare Committee in assessing grants available to childcare providers under the new National Childcare Investment Programme 2006 2010.
The report being launched today summarises the key findings from the Dublin North West area and covers the following areas:
- Demographic, social and economic profile
- Audit of childcare providers
- Analysis of needs
- Mapping of childcare places
- Key priorities for Dublin City Childcare Committee under the New Childcare Investment Programme 2006 2010.
The research reveals that the number one issue for parents in Dublin North West is the availability of childcare places, followed by the affordability. There are 12,879 children under 14 years of ages in this area; 4,180 are under four years of age. According to the research there are only 1,198 childcare places available to meet parents needs; approx. 41% of these places are part-time.
Pictured right, the staff of the resource centre Esther Byrne (information Officer), Sheila Sheridan (Childminding Advisor), Lisa Walsh (Manager), Ann Doyle (information Officer) with Declan Dunne (CEO Ballymun Partnership) and Pat Dunne (Childminding Advisor).
For the 73% of families in Dublin North West that need some form of childcare, by far the most common arrangement is children being cared for by family and friends (20%). However, the research revealed that for many parents their current childcare arrangements were not necessarily their ideal. This emphasises the need for a flexible response by childcare providers to parents needs in Dublin North West.
Childcare is a labour intensive service and set to become even more so under the new Child Care (Pre-School Services) Regulations 2006. Indeed with ever increasing fixed costs such as energy, childcare costs are not expected to come down. Greater challenges in relation to access and affordability exist amongst lone parents, unemployed people, ethnic minorities, drug misusers, parents in training, children with special needs, first time buyers and dual earner families.
Pictured right, Lisa Walsh (Manager of DNWCRC), Breda Kenny (Childcare Co-ordinator Finglas/Cabra Partnership), Nuala Nic Giobuin DCCC Co-ordinator), Colman Duggan (Childcare Manager HSE), Noirin Coghlan (Childcare Co-ordinator Ballymun Partnership), Pat Carey (T.D), Declan Dunne (CEO Ballymun Partnership).
Commenting on the research Rachel Devlin, Chairperson of Dublin City Childcare Committee said, Under the new National Childcare Investment Programme, there is increased flexibility to fund a wider variety of new childcare services that more accurately reflect the needs of parents of school going as well as pre-school children. We would encourage new and existing childcare providers to contact Dublin City Childcare Committee for further information on the research and funding so that they may develop the type of childcare that Dublin parents really need.
Background - Dublin City Childcare Committee (DCCC):
Dublin City Childcare Committee (DCCC) is one of 33 City and County Childcare Committees set up in 2001 to support the local development of childcare. The committee is a partnership of individuals, organisations and agencies involved in the provision of childcare, who have come together to facilitate the identification of shared values and key priorities facing the childcare sector.
Dublin City Childcare Committee runs a number of activities to promote the development of childcare and quality awareness at local level, including seminars, training courses, networks for childcare providers and information initiatives for both parents and providers.
To support DCCC in their activities, five Local Childcare Resource Centres have been set up. These centres are local points of contact for anyone seeking information on childcare e.g. parents, childcare providers, childminders and employers.
Further information on funding and the work of Dublin City Childcare Committee is available on www.childcareonline.ie
Further information also available from Lisa Walsh, Manager of the Dublin North West Childcare Resource Centre in Ballymun. Phone (01) 582 39522 or 087 623 0196 or click lisawalsh@ballymun.org to e-mail.
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