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Children at the launch of Childminding Week over the weekend Childminding Ireland

Reduced hours and more vacancies are 'worrying' for childminders

A survey has found that the number of childminders working for 40 hours or more per week has reduced as National Childminding Week was launched at the weekend.

CHILDMINDERS ARE GETTING fewer hours and there are more vacancies for them according to a survey published over the weekend.

The survey published by Childminding Ireland indicated that while the national average weekly rate for a full time child minder remains at €151, the number of childminders who reported working for 40 hours or more per week was down 6 per cent on 2010 findings.

Forty-four per cent reported having vacancies within their service, an increase on previous years while 57 per cent reported a reduction in hours at the request of parents which the group said was most likely due to parents’ working hours being reduced.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Childminding Ireland’s Siobhan Kennedy said that the figures were “worrying” adding that it’s the second year in a row that such figures have been reported.

She also pointed to the survey’s finding that 85 per cent of childminders have a written agreement in place with a parent, down from 93 per cent who reported having such an agreement in 2009.

“It’s the second year we’ve noticed this,” she said. “An awful lot of childminders have been asked by parents to reduce their hours due to a reduction in parents’ working hours.

“Written contracts have decreased and this might be part of the recession. Parents are look for that little bit more flexibility and don’t want to be tied into a structured agreement.”

The group had its AGM in Dublin last weekend as part of National Childminding Week with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald attending and pledging to address the issue in the context of getting people back to work generally, thus providing more opportunities for childminders.

Kennedy said: “She’s gone away armed with this information and it’s one area that she hopes to improve on in terms of getting people back to work, particularly single parents.”

Kennedy said this was where childminders could come into play.  She also said: “We also brought up other issues such as the tax free allowance for childminders for the first €15,000 they earn and we hope this continues.

She said the group hoped to work closely with the Minister who invited it to work on a new working group that is to develop a strategy for children in Ireland as it looks to implement childcare models based on some of the Scandinavian models.

Other findings from the National Survey of Registered Childminders 2011, collected from 34 per cent of members, included:

  • 57 per cent of respondents hold nationally accredited childcare qualifications such as FETAC or HETAC.
  • 86 per cent have undertaken First Aid training
  • 70 per cent have completed the Quality Awareness Programme for Childminders.
  • 36 per cent of participants hold ‘other’ Childcare qualifications which include Montessori Training, Nursing, and Social Work among others.

Childminders also cited training and on-going development in the field as being one of the issues of most importance to them, second only to their wish to be valued by parents.

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4 Comments
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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    May 1st 2017, 7:47 PM

    Well done Siobhán a great article. Respect and I wish you well on your next steps.

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    Mute Declan Hedderman
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    May 1st 2017, 7:45 PM

    siobhan brady you are a beautiful soul

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    Mute Gary Doggett
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    May 1st 2017, 8:04 PM

    Well done Siobhán, it’s very brave to articulate your difficulties in this way. Hopefully others will be encouraged to seek help too.

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    Mute Marie Gunbay
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    May 1st 2017, 8:15 PM

    I take my hat off to you Siobhan what an inspiration you are to people with mental health issues.

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    Mute Paul Foot
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    May 1st 2017, 7:39 PM

    Mental illness was very prevalent in this country for years – but hidden and denied. Like being anti-Catholic, gay or a West brit…

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    Mute lavbeer
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    May 1st 2017, 8:39 PM

    @Paul Foot: or being an arsehole maybe?

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    Mute Stephen murphy
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    May 1st 2017, 11:37 PM

    @lavbeer: You’ll find, Arseholes are needed and you’d be f%*ked without one.

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    Mute ChuckE
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    May 1st 2017, 9:32 PM

    A brilliant article and eye-opener. If more people could open up like you I’m sure many more could be helped

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    Mute B Collins
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    May 2nd 2017, 12:58 AM

    And fair play to the teacher who stepped up and supported her.

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    Mute 6ljJQRRU
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    May 1st 2017, 11:27 PM

    I think mental health issues are now understood which is positive There’s articles on it every day. What’s overlooked is I always feel sorry for family in this situation. They have to endure a lot often their own lives are put on hold. I think their needs should be recognised prominently as well especially that there can be other stressful things going on in their lives e.g. money worries, medical problems, elderly care etc.

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    Mute Stephen murphy
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    May 1st 2017, 11:40 PM

    @6ljJQRRU: I think, some of it or most is due to society and how we live. We are social creatures, living in a toxic environment and greed drives it.

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    Mute Patricia Tsouros
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    May 2nd 2017, 6:29 AM

    You are certainly a force breaking the stigma around mental health. Excellent personal article, well done.

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    Mute Leeann Amy Bryan
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    May 2nd 2017, 4:31 PM

    Well done Siobhan, great article. V. Inspirational best of luck with whatever the future holds.

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    Mute John O'Driscoll
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    May 3rd 2017, 4:24 AM

    Good woman Siobhain and fair play for your honesty and to Seechange also for support. World inside our heads most often does us far more damage than the world outside our heads. Guy on a plane in California once said that to me and he was a silicon valley guru one of the originals. Stayed with me ever since. Find it useful to recall quite often. Reframing and repackaging one’s own thoughts can greatly ease (dis)stress and promote eustress.

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    Mute Cathy O Rourke
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    May 5th 2017, 1:01 AM

    I would just like to thank you for this article. It has helped a small way to me understanding depression even though I have suffered bouts of it as well and am on medI cation now.. i was an adult when i began to get it. How utterly isolating and lonely it must have been for you at 13 to deal with this. I wish you the very best in life and keep up the writing. Cathy

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    Mute Fisher Jackson
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    May 3rd 2017, 5:28 AM

    I know people will be complaining about their marriage, and their relationship, especially the women, they usually complain about their husband does not love them anymore, their husband is cheating on them and even their husband left them, but my case was similar to theirs, my name is Sonia Walker, I am from Texas, USA, I had a very similar case with theirs, my husband, Walker left me with my two kids, for no reason, he said he does not love me anymore, he left for about 5 years, he never called me even my kids, I had a friend, Anita, she had a case similar to mine but her husband is now with her, I told her my problems I was facing, she told me about a great man that helped her to solve her problems, she introduced me to the great Baba ubeji, a man with great powers and kindness, he told me that my problems will be solved, so I believed, then after one week, it was unbelievable my husband came to me asking me for forgiveness, I accepted him, he has changed some much since when he came back, I just want to thank, the great Baba ubeji for his understanding and love, my friends if you are facing similar problems with me and even some other problem just email him at greatbabaubeji@gmail.com

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    Mute Evolution Temple
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