Creche replacing Before 5 will have fewer places than before

A new creche on the northside of Cork city will be open in less than three weeks, on the site of the former Before 5 family centre. The latter sparked protests when it suddenly closed three years ago.

However, the new Farranferris facility will have fewer places available than its previous iteration.

Northside Community Enterprises (NCE) opened its doors to public representatives on Tuesday for a viewing of the NCE Little Hands Childcare and Early Education Centre, in Churchfield Hill.

More than 100 children were left without childcare places when the Before 5 Family Centre — which had provided pre-school childcare, a homework club, and adult classes on the northside for five decades — closed suddenly in August 2023.

After the closure, NCE began exploring the possibility of resuming a childcare service at the location. 

The new centre will deliver high-quality, full-day services for the local community, while the afterschool service, which was previously operated by NCE Little Hands at Padre Pio School, will also transition to Little Hands in Churchfield.

The new facility will have 49 full-time places and 24 after-school places, and employ 10 to 12 staff.

The plan is to open on September 28 with babies, toddlers, and pre-schoolers starting on a phased basis.

The facility will have a sensory room, an outdoor playground, self-sufficient childcare rooms, full-day care services, and afterschool provision.

Works completed over the last two years include the installation of solar panels, a heat-pump system, enhanced wall insulation, EV chargers, and new windows and doors.

Fr John O’Donovan, chairperson of the board of management of NCE, said they were delighted to be able to show the facility to local TDs and councillors this week, thanking them for their ongoing support.

“Over the past two years, we have worked tirelessly to bring this new childcare facility to life, and we are delighted to see the project come to fruition,” he said.

He thanked the Department of Children, Pobal, Cork City Childcare, the Tomar Trust, Cork City Council, and SE Systems Community Fund for their financial support.

“This project represents a significant investment in the future of childcare provision in Cork’s Northside, supporting families and strengthening community infrastructure,” he said.

The creche still has some job vacancies. CVs can be sent to uhegarty@nce.ie. For any enquiries about childcare places, please call Little Hands at Farranferris on 021 4228131.