Child Care

Background

Walk any Irish street and you will see children. One fourth of the Irish are under the age of 14. As recently as 1986 that percentage was closer to a third, but in today's Ireland large families are the exception, rather than the rule.

Still, there are a lot of babies out there, and nowadays 40% of the work force is female. That means this: fewer women at home. And that fact translates to an enormous demand for competent child care.

The first rule of searching for child minders is to start early. The folks at the National Children's Nurseries Association warn that "months" might well be needed. A call to half a dozen child care facilities and Montessori schools confirmed it. The enrollment waiting lists are long, and if you wait till the last minute, you will get stuck.

So what your choices for child care? As in every other modern society they boil down to private arrangements or contacting a professional organisation.

Sharavogue Junior School, Montessori & Crèche

Sharavogue contacted me about their combined Junior School, Montessori and Créche which was established in 1983. Sharavogue is a fully inclusive, mixed gender, private school. They have children from a number of different countries and have found that small class sizes and personalised attention help the kids integrate and settle in well.

Sharavogue provides a unique service in Dublin with Crèche (from 4months), Montessori(3-5yrs) and Junior School (5-12yrs). Their phone number is +353 1 285 8546. If you're interested, they welcome parents to come and view the school and facilities at a time that suits you.

For more details, links, choices and a rough idea of costs, check out the Full Site.