Statement on the deregistration of two childcare providers (Oblate Fathers Community Crèche and Home from Home)

This morning the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate notified two childcare providers that they are to be removed from the Register of Early Years Services in 21 working days. Those services are the Oblate Fathers Community Crèche in Dublin 8 and Home from Home in Greystones, Co. Wicklow.

The Oblate Fathers Community Crèche is a community/not for profit service working in an area with high levels of disadvantage. As such it has access to additional supports provided by the department. These supports include targeted assistance provided by the City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) and Pobal.

Discussions have now been initiated between the CCC and the current management of the community service, to explore potential solutions to keep the service open. The continued operation of the service under alternative management structures must be approved in advance by Tusla, as the independent regulator. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs will work closely with Tusla on this.

Minister Zappone committed to providing an update for affected parents as soon as possible.

In respect of the private service in Greystones, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs has been liaising with Wicklow County Childcare Committee to offer supports to families.

City and County Childcare Committees have local knowledge on availability of places and can also offer advice to parents on choosing a new childcare provider.

Providers who are issued with a removal notice have a right of appeal to the District Court. Once a service is removed from the register it must close and will no longer receive public funding.

Dublin City Childcare Committee can be contacted at (01) 873 3696 or info@dccc.ie

Wicklow County Childcare Committee can be contacted at (0404) 64455 or info@wccc.ie

Contact details and links to websites of all local City/County Childcare Committee can be found on www.myccc.ie. In addition, advice on finding local childminders is available from Childminding Ireland at (01) 287 8466 or support@childminding.ie and through www.childminding.ie.

ENDS

Notes to the Editor:

because of the risk of prejudicing the outcome of any potential legal proceedings, neither Tusla nor the Minister is able to comment on the detail of Tusla’s investigations
the 30 Childcare Committees across the country, who are funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, are supporting efforts to increase local capacity in their areas where demand exists. The department has taken a number of steps in recent years to increase capacity, for example through an annual capital funding scheme and through plans to open up regulation and funding schemes to paid, non-relative childminders. Capacity has grown significantly in recent years but more capacity is required in some areas
the department awarded €6.25m in capital funding in 2019, to create 1,300 new places for under-3s and 2,300 new places for school-age children. Funding of €7.2m is available for capital programmes in 2020, an increase of over €1million on 2019. The programmes will be open for applications from early learning and care and school age childcare services in February 2020
the Draft Childminding Action Plan was published in August 2019 for public consultation. The Action Plan sets out proposals for bringing all paid, non-relative childminders within the scope of regulation and public funding, which would significantly increase the number of available places for early learning and care and for school-age childcare

Statement on the deregistration of two childcare providers (Oblate Fathers Community Crèche and Home from Home)

Notes to the Editor:

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