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Members of Little Angel ChildCare Co.operative Society Limited
Little
Angels is a co-operative venture based in Dundalk, Co. Louth. It is a
crèche and day-care facility for children aged 6 months to 14 years. It
is an initiative of Nwannedinamba (now Igbo Union, Dundalk Chapter) an
ethnic organisation from Eastern Nigeria that promotes the
socio-cultural integration of Igbos in Dundalk (see membership list
attached- Appendix 1) to meet the need for affordable childcare in the
area.
As in the rest of the country, childcare costs are a
major issue for immigrants in this area and can act as a barrier to
entry to the workforce and full participation in the economic life of
the country. The change to the childcare subvention scheme from 1st
January 2008 where subsidies for staff salaries were replaced with
direct targeting of parents in welfare will also have an impact.
The
need for affordable childcare has been well-documented. The National
Children's Nursery Association (NCNA) has taken a lead in highlighting
the challenges for parents, particularly those in disadvantaged areas,
in finding affordable childcare. Low quality of care is another
recurring constant.
Childcare presents an even greater challenge
for immigrants for a number of reasons. Firstly, many Irish parents can
rely on their extended family or even close neighbours to provide
childcare services at low or no cost. This option is not generally
available to immigrants whose families still remain in their home
countries.
Secondly, in the case of Irish children, one or
both parents may have been at work for a number of years and have
reached a higher level of salary, through experience or promotion. In
the case of recently arrived immigrants, they would not have moved very
far up the salary scales so are less able to afford the market rate for
childcare.
Thirdly, in many areas there is a shortage of
childcare places. All other things being equal, a crèche may choose to
offer a place to an Irish child rather than to an immigrant child,
simply because they are more familiar with the mindset of an Irish
parent and may have concerns about handling cultural differences. This
is not discrimination as such - it is more a reaction to the severe
pressures of running an affordable childcare business in Ireland.
A
recent survey of crèches in Dundalk confirmed the high cost of
childcare. In a survey of six crèches, the cost ranged between €120 and
€180 per week per child. This means it cost an average of €150 per week
for childcare in Dundalk. For crèches that are subsidised by the
Government, the waitlist is usually very long and can take anything
from a few weeks to several months.
For parents who commute to
work, for example between Dundalk and Dublin, they need at least 12
hours of childcare daily yet most childcare facilities are only open
between 8am and 6pm.
Immigrants face many challenges in
integrating into a new society. Access to childcare at reasonable cost
is a more pressing need for them than for Irish nationals if they are
to achieve full integration.
Little Angels' plan to provide
affordable childcare based on best practice standards. It will also
offer additional care services to give parents the maximum flexibility
to participate in employment and to secure the best possible future for
themselves and their children.
The individuals involved in
setting up this initiative are not only highly committed but also have
third-level qualifications and experience of working in childcare.
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