'Where are these children going to go?': Cork childcare provider warns of crisis

Almost 500 children in Cork saw their preschool or after-school service close in 2023 — and a Cork preschool teacher has warned that more closures will come if the funding model is not changed.

Figures provided to show that the numbers of children linked to Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Aged Childcare (SAC) services which closed last year.

In Cork City, 157 places in children’s early years service closed, and 46 places in children’s after school service closed. In Cork county the numbers were even higher, at 208 for ELC services and 87 for SAC services, the highest number of any region in Ireland.

This means a total of 498 children across Cork city and county had to find a new service in 2023, with 365 of these children under school age.

Nationally, 1,797 children were registered at preschools or creches that closed, and 350 had been attending after-school services that closed.

Rowena Fisher, who owns Phyll’s Preschool in Bealnamorrive, said that issues in the sector “are really impacting the small, rural services like mine the most. If I close my doors, where are these children going to go?”

“There’s no availability, I’m booked out for years and years to come with a lengthy waiting list, but my service is still not viable.

This core funding [the Together for Better funding model], if it was all the minister is saying it is, then why are these services closing at an alarming rate?

“In reality, the funding is a drop in the ocean,” said Ms Fisher. “We have no money in our bank accounts — I had to take a second job just to pay wages and keep my business open for these children.

“We’re on the same rate as we were in 2010 — do you know anything that costs the same now as it did in 2010?”

Ms Fisher says she started a breakfast club and after-school service for children attending the local school just to keep her preschool afloat.

“I have an amazing teacher working with me, and she deserves a lot more than I can pay her — there’s just a lack of recognition and respect for our sector,” she said, adding that it is having a knock-on effect on her own children.

Figures previously provided to The Echo by Tusla showed that 17 ELC services and 13 after-school services in Cork shut down last year.

A Department of Children spokesperson said: “Closures of services do not necessarily imply a reduction in capacity in the sector, as open services may be expanding capacity at the same time.”

It provided data on the number of children registered in ELC and SAC services on January 8, 2023 and 2024, showing an overall increase in registrations. In Cork city and county, ELC registrations increased by 1.7% and 2.3%, respectively, while Cork City and Cork County SAC registrations increased by 97.7% and 91.7%, respectively.

In Co Cork, the number of children attending an ELC went from 9,920 in 2023 to 10,145 in 2024. In Cork City, the figure went from 5,611 to 5,706, showing a small increase in the number of places.

For SAC services, this figure almost doubled from 1,069 to 2,113 in the city, and 2,162 to 4,144 in the county.