# Comparison of childcare costs around country



## flattea2

Daycare creche - Mornington Co Meath - 190 per week


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## my2leftfeet

What age do you want to compare against? I have baby and pre/after school childcare in Dublin


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## vandriver

My creche charges e966 pcm for babies and toddlers, e926 for montessori and e535 for afterschool (dublin southside)


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## Angrygirl

I worked in a creche in kildare and babies and wobblers cost up to €950 per month for fulltime mon-fri


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## Lulu123

My sons creche charges 120EUR for 3 full days in Dublin 9.


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## Mel

€110 per week for after school - 2.30pm to 6pm
€165 per week for holidays - 9am to 6pm

9 year old child, in childminder's own home, not creche.
ETA - Cork suburbs


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## Hillsalt

Galway

Two and half year old - 9.30am to 4.30pm, Mon to Fri €150


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## NHG

My 4yr old in childminders home - full day mon to friday 8.30 to 5 - €130pw and half day after montesori from aprox 1 to 5 - €75.00pw - I supply all food etc and very glad to do so at that price.  In Co Kilkenny area.


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## gramlab

830pm for 3 yr old - east cork


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## car

We have a 3yr and 4yr old in a local community creche as well and its 9e per half day each so 90e per week for the 2.   Northside dub.


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## Topsido

I have a childminder I pay €50 for mon-fri (after school), Northside.


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## Mel

I'm feeling a bit unwell looking at what some of you are paying - am I paying over the average?


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## ClubMan

ClubMan said:


> Our 2.5 year old started in the local community creche today. Full day care (09:00-16:30) is €90 p.w. Half day care (first or second half of the day) is €45.





car said:


> We have a 3yr and 4yr old in a local community creche as well and its 9e per half day each so 90e per week for the 2.   Northside dub.


Should have said that I'm _D7_.


NHG said:


> My 4yr old in childminders home - full day mon to friday 8.30 to 5 - €130pw and half day after montesori from aprox 1 to 5 - €75.00pw - I supply all food etc and very glad to do so at that price. In Co Kilkenny area.


Also meant to say that food (breakfast if required, dinner/lunch, afternoon snack) is provided by our place.


Mel said:


> I'm feeling a bit unwell looking at what some of you are paying - am I paying over the average?


Don't know about the average but €165 p.w. for full day care is far from the highest price that I came across while looking around at other alternatives (private creches around _Dublin _city centre areas).


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## And76

My god how do people afford that with a modern mortgage (eg circa €1400)!!!


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## wishbone

How do you get into a local community creche?  Is it means tested?  
We pay 850pm for 2 yo and 560pm for afterschoolers for 4 yo.  Food provided, nappies not.  Dub Southside.  It's as bad as a 2nd mortgage...


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## my2leftfeet

Toddler - full time - €965 per month [just moved from baby rate of €977 per month]

Pre/After school care - including school drop - €661 per month


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## ailbhe

€75 per week for after school care in a purpose built facility (2.15pm to 6pm) including drop off, pick up and dinner, snacks etc.

It was €130 per week for full time when she was a toddler and €200 per week when she was a baby. Meals were provided but bottles, nappies and wipes etc weren't. 

West of Ireland - large town.


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## ailbhe

wishbone said:


> How do you get into a local community creche? Is it means tested?
> We pay 850pm for 2 yo and *560pm for afterschoolers for 4 yo*. Food provided, nappies not. Dub Southside. It's as bad as a 2nd mortgage...


 
My jaw just dropped


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## Bamhan

Pay 140 euro a week for a baby from 9 until 5.
It is a community creche and anyone can use it. No criteria for users.
I am in County Cork.


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## leex

150 pw for a 3yr old in purpose built creche. North Galway.


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## fobs

3.5 per hour in county Cork. Meals are extra 3 euro approx a day. Must provide all nappies,wipes etc...Community based creche.
Pay 97.50 per week for 9am-2pm with lunches provided. Do not pay for Bank Holidays,Christmas or Easter holidays (creche closed) or days when child is sick.


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## SarahMc

wishbone said:


> How do you get into a local community creche? Is it means tested?


 
Community creches have 4 payment streams
1) for those on a social welfare  - heavily subsidised
2) Medical card holders - less heavily subsidised, still cheap
3) Those with GP visit card, less than market rates
4) market rates for all others.

There are not many community creches around, mostly community playgroups.


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## ClubMan

wishbone said:


> How do you get into a local community creche?  Is it means tested?


Ours is not means tested. I'm not sure if the application processes for all community creches are the similar. Why don't you contact your local one and ask?



SarahMc said:


> Community creches have 4 payment streams
> 1) for those on a social welfare  - heavily subsidised
> 2) Medical card holders - less heavily subsidised, still cheap
> 3) Those with GP visit card, less than market rates
> 4) market rates for all others.


We are not in categories (1) to (3) but pay the same as everybody else.


> There are not many community creches around, mostly community playgroups.


There seem to be loads in _Dublin _city centre (D1/7/2/8 for example). Plenty of playgroups too.


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## Hurling Fan

SarahMc said:


> Community creches have 4 payment streams
> 1) for those on a social welfare - heavily subsidised
> 2) Medical card holders - less heavily subsidised, still cheap
> 3) Those with GP visit card, less than market rates
> 4) market rates for all others.
> 
> There are not many community creches around, mostly community playgroups.


 
As far as I know this method of funding community creches and playgroups is only coming into effect on 1 Sept 2008.  At the moment the criteria is still being written so there is still a bit of uncertainty about it but it does look like this method is here to stay.  The current method of providing staffing grants will be finishing shortly as it was felt by the powers that be that people on higher incomes were benefitting by using the community creches which were being subsidised by the taxpayer so that method is being abolished.  Community creches and playschools will from 1 Sept receive funding based on the number of disadvantaged families using them.


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## ClubMan

Do you have any links to info about the proposed new regime?

Not sure when it dates from but [broken link removed] might be of interest in the context of this thread.


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## ClubMan

ClubMan said:


> Do you have any links to info about the proposed new regime?


Oh - just found  which might be relevant?

Funnily enough our community creche manager has asked several times if we are OK with/can afford the fees, which we can. I get the impression that if we could not then they would be waived in part or full.


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## fobs

ClubMan said:


> Oh - just found  which might be relevant?
> 
> Funnily enough our community creche manager has asked several times if we are OK with/can afford the fees, which we can. I get the impression that if we could not then they would be waived in part or full.


 
We had to fill in a form last October to basically see if we fit into any of the categories previously mentioned. Up until last October we wouldn't have but due to my DH's recent illness we do so don't know if we will pay reduced/same/other rates later in the year.


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## SarahMc

ClubMan said:


> Do you have any links to info about the proposed new regime?
> 
> .


 
 you go.

I'm not sure if category 3 is fully decided yet, there was MUCH debate over it.

Unless you can prove you are in categories 1, 2 or 3, your fees will not be waived.  

"as it was felt by the powers that be that people on higher incomes were benefitting by using the community creches which were being subsidised by the taxpayer so that method is being abolished"

It was not just felt, it was proved to be true.


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## coleen

In Kerry afterschool 25 euro per week and child fed. Full time out of school ie holidays 50 eoro per week.  Pre school 30 euro per week. It is community based and any one can access it and as above from september 2008 categories 1,2,3,and 4 will come into affect.


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## ClubMan

SarahMc said:


> you go.


Thanks. Must read that and keep an eye on matters.


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## HJT

Offaly Area

My sister pays 900 Euro per month for her 3 year old form 7:30 to 4:00, 
meals are included


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## Slaphead

Were possibly be going to start with my 7yr old in after school care for 4hrs (1:30-5:30) 5 days a fortnight, (ie 2 days one week and 3 the next, i work shifts).

Is €20/day ie €5/hour too stingy? It's a casual thing, ie a mother we trust who collect her own child at the same time daily? We dont want to rip the woman off but we want to pay the norm aswell. The good part is that were not paying for days we dont need her. She was also available for more in the summer.


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## mummy1

50 euro for 2 half days louth


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## ClubMan

Not sure what happened to my original post in this thread but it seems to have disappeared. It was about our local community creche which cost €90 p.w. for 09:00-16:30. Unfortunately circumstances (basically the hours and nothing to do with fees or the care provided which was excellent) have dictated that alternative care offering longer hours is required. I have been lucky to have found (on foot of a callback from an inquiry months ago) a place in another city centre place near work and convenient to home operating 08:00 to 18:00 which costs €155 p.w. (extra €5 each other week for _Gymboree _I think).


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## j26

Waterford County

160pw for a 3yo from 8:00-5:30.


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## neady

I pay €90 pw for my 2 yo - Mon-Friday 8.30am to 1.30 pm. Breakfast and dinner included. I'm in Kerry.


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## Thrifty1

In Kildare i pay €47 a day (8.15 -6pm) for baby, meals included.


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## alaskaonline

I pay 750 € for my almost two year old daughter. Creche is in Dublin, Fairview - full time 7.30am - 6.30pm.

Comparing with you guys, it looks like a have a bargain  Some of the Creche prices are just unbelievable!!!


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## ClubMan

€750 p.w.? Or per calendar month? Or per 4 week "month"? What is the annualised cost?


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## bamboozle

just proves our country has gone to the dogs when its cheaper to send your teenage son to blackrock college or belvedere or any other private school per year than it is to send a baby to a creche!!!!!!!


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## ClubMan

bamboozle said:


> just proves our country has gone to the dogs when its cheaper to send your teenage son to blackrock college or belvedere or any other private school per year than it is to send a baby to a creche!!!!!!!


Is it? What are the fees for those colleges?

Update: oh - ....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackrock_College


> The annual fees in 2007/8 are €5,650 for day boys (Willow and Blackrock) and,€15,700 for boarders(Blackrock only).


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## DavyJones

22 month old, 5 half days, includes breakfast and lunch and nappy wipes (oddly)
€65 for week. if 5 full days €130. South county Limerick


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## ciars

Rush. Co. Dublin.

8 Month old starting next month. €190 per week. Fulltime 7.30 - 6.00pm
All meals provided. great facilities.


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## bamboozle

ClubMan said:


> Is it? What are the fees for those colleges?
> 
> Update: oh - ....
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackrock_College


 
you could nearly send 2 sons to blackrock for the price of 1 baby in a creche


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## ClubMan

Not exactly a direct comparison - for example many creches operate more or less on a full 52 week year and longer hours compared to schools; many creches provide all meals throughout the day; and so on.


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## LNR

I work a four day week and find childcare prices in our area vary greatly. I have had to change my daughter from one creche recently. She only started at the beginning of the year and we were paying €150.00 per week. Now the owner has decided to charge €170.00 per week. This only included the main meal of the day, all other meals snacks and juice/milk had to be provided along with all nappies, wipes etc. This was €170.00 per week, 52 weeks of the year.

Changed to another creche, they are charging €30 per day, all meals provided. I still provide nappies and wipes etc.S aving of about €50 euro per week. We do not have to pay bank holidays or days when the creche is closed. Approximate saving of about €2500 per year.


We are living in the West and I believe €170 per week is far too expensive....


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## phoenix

Hi

In Sept a lady is going to look after our children after school in our own home.  Our son will finish at 2.30pm and our daughter at 3.30pm.  We will be paying €10 per hour until 6pm.  

What would be an acceptable daily rate or weekly rate to offer the childminder if she was to do longer hours once in a while?  We couldn't afford €10 per hour from 9am - 6pm for a full week or summer.

Thanks

Phoenix


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## ClubMan

€10 p.h. is not a lot over the minimum wage of €8.65. Are you happy to be paying such low rates for somebody to mind your children?


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## DavyJones

ClubMan said:


> €10 p.h. is not a lot over the minimum wage of €8.65. Are you happy to be paying such low rates for somebody to mind your children?



We pay our creche €65 for 25 hours = €2.60 per hour. Not too bad now that I think of it.


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## ClubMan

Yes but paying somebody to mind kids in your own home is different. Creches are inspected and approved/certified by various statutory bodies (e.g. _HSE_, fire safety officer etc.) and subject to more public scrutiny than somebody minding in your home.


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## Silvergirl

Slaphead said:


> Is €20/day ie €5/hour too stingy? It's a casual thing, ie a mother we trust who collect her own child at the same time daily? We dont want to rip the woman off but we want to pay the norm aswell. The good part is that were not paying for days we dont need her. She was also available for more in the summer.



We pay our minder Eur 6.00 per hour for our 15 month old, I provide her lunch, fruit, yogurts & breakfast cereal, nappies & wipes but she often has whatever is being cooked for the rest of the family plus snacks, ice-cream etc. She is treated like one of their own. She minds 2 after-schoolers for the same rate per hour.

We don't pay for holidays, sick days etc and have flexible hours with her which suits us both (she gets a high per hr rate imo)


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## ClubMan

€6? How come the minimum wage does not apply here?


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## Diziet

ClubMan said:


> €6? How come the minimum wage does not apply here?



It certainly should apply if the person was exclusively looking after the one child, but this is not the case here, is it?

The minder looks after 2 other children, which makes her pay a very respectable €18 per hour.


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## ClubMan

Is that the case? It's not totally clear from the original post. What I'm getting at is that if somebody directly employs a private childminder to mind their own kids in their own home then presumably an employer/employee relationship and all the rights and responsibilities that go with that (including minimum wage)?


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## Green

ClubMan said:


> Is that the case? It's not totally clear from the original post. What I'm getting at is that if somebody directly employs a private childminder to mind their own kids in their own home then presumably an employer/employee relationship and all the rights and responsibilities that go with that (including minimum wage)?


 
I would presume so.


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## alaskaonline

ClubMan said:


> €750 p.w.? Or per calendar month? Or per 4 week "month"? What is the annualised cost?


  750€ per month of course (regardless if the month has four or five weeks).


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## BetsyClark

My 21 month old goes to a Child Minder who is registered with HSE.
4 hours a day, 5 days a week is €80, additional hours if needed are €4 per hour and a full 8 hour day, 5 days a week is €140. This is in Dundalk

Betsy


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## SarahMc

A Childminder who works in her own home, is self employed, minimum wage does not apply.

A Childminder who comes into your home to mind your children is deemed to be an employee by Revenue.  Minimum wage, employer contributions etc. apply.

Revenue have started to clamp down on this.


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## Complainer

bamboozle said:


> just proves our country has gone to the dogs when its cheaper to send your teenage son to blackrock college or belvedere or any other private school per year than it is to send a baby to a creche!!!!!!!


Probably because the State is quite happy to subsidise private schools by paying the basic teacher salary.


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## folly

Clubman, 
I am interested in the name/location of the D7 community creche?
Is it ok to pm you for more details please?
Thanks
Folly


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## Banquo

Lulu123 said:


> My sons creche charges 120EUR for 3 full days in Dublin 9.


 
Could pm me the details of the creche plse Lulu...time has caught up with me and i need to start making plans


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## Happystar

180 for full day care in Navan Co Meath. They do not even take a months deposit of parents unlike others in the area. 131.50 if ECCE
70euro for preschool for 5 days or free for ECCE
15 euro per morning session.


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