Louth Parents: ‘Childcare is very expensive - it’s like having a second mortgage’

A group of Louth parents have hit out at crippling childcare costs and have called on the incoming Government to reform the current childcare system following a protest held at their children’s creche, Aladdin’s Cave in Ardee.  

The parents’ comments came in wake of massive nationwide protests held in Dublin on February 5. Tens of thousands of childcare workers and parents marched through Dublin city centre to fight for better pay and conditions in the Irish childcare sector.

One parent, who filled out the Dundalk Democrat’s questionnaire, said: “Childcare costs are currently very expensive and it’s like having a second mortgage. They are currently half of my monthly wage.”

When the Democrat asked another parent if they found childcare costs prohibitive the mum replied: “Yes, it is becoming increasingly difficult to afford. It’s 60% of my income”, whilst one of the other parents, whos childcare costs take up 25% of the family’s income told us: “They have a large impact on our finances.”

Another parent told The Democrat: “Yes, childcare costs have been (prohibitive) for years. And the balance of finding childcare to suit working hours was a challenge recently when my husband returned to work.”

Indeed all of the five parents who spoke to the Dundalk Democrat agreed that their childcare costs caused significant strains on their finances. Whilst all of the parents were unanimous in their support for childcare workers, they all felt strongly that the Irish Government needs to do more to support working parents.

One parent called for the Government to act on the following recommendations: “Reduce the taxable income for working parents via tax credits.

“Introduce incentives to encourage parents to return or remain at work eg. back to work tax credits, additional tax credits during summer months. Increased salaries for childcare workers and funding for creches and Montessori schools.”

In Ardee, Aladdin’s Cave Montessori school and creche, a family run business established in 1990 that caters for children from 2 months to 12 months providing full daycare, part daycare, Montessori school, toddler play groups and afterschool care, held their own in-house protest on February 5.

A spokesperson for the creche explained: “We could not close our service on the day of the protest due to the complex child care needs of some of our parents. We fully support the protest as childcare is in total crisis countrywide.

“Services are closing at an alarming rate due to the ever-increasing demands made upon the sector by the regulations. We are tied in knots with the regulation and legislation that is being heaped upon us with little consultation or engagement. Childcare workers are leaving the profession due to low pay and it is next to impossible to recruit staff. Something has to be done soon!

“Our particular service has been seriously impacted by high insurance costs, rates, and water rates, increase in heat and light and general costs. There is nothing left to give staff pay increases for their valuable work. We are totally underfunded and cannot continue like this indefinitely.

"Staff are required to have qualifications but this cannot be reflected in their pay due to the low investment in the sector.

“We want our business back, we have been running Aladdin’s Cave for over 30 years now and have always done an excellent job, but now the state has taken over.

"Our every move is dictated by state legislation and regulation. We are currently unable to plan for the future as we don’t know what lies ahead. I would ask the upcoming government to increase investment in Early Years immediately before it is too late.”

The Together for Early Years Alliance says the sector has reached ‘crisis point’ resulting in poor pay and unsustainable services.