The proposed "free" preschool year?

TheQueen

Can anyone shed any light on this, I've read that its for children aged 3+3mths to 4+6mths and thats about all I can find. Does anyone know anything else?

is_that_so

Apparently there will be 75,000 places available from January. In theory every child who is at least 3 years and 3 months in January will get a free year.

gcgirl

Would it not be better if the Government actually built Pre-schools/Childcare centers and employed people to run them like other european countries !

is_that_so

I have to admit one of the few "bright" ideas they've come up with. The question is how they will actually roll it out.

xOxSinéadxOx

gcgirl wrote: »

Would it not be better if the Government actually built Pre-schools/Childcare centers and employed people to run them like other european countries !

yes, but that would cost money

Dean D

is_that_so wrote: »

I have to admit one of the few "bright" ideas they've come up with. The question is how they will actually roll it out.

That's because they didn't come up with it, it's something Labour have been advocating since at least 2007. It will be cheaper, I believe, than providing the early childcare supplement.

is_that_so

Indeed but they are implementing it and it is a good idea irrespective of who advocated it .

tinner777

is_that_so wrote: »

Apparently there will be 75,000 places available from January. In theory every child who is at least 3 years and 3 months in January will get a free year.

where though? I live in the middle of no where, how will it work?

is_that_so

No idea. Like you I have just picked up bits and pieces. O'Cuiv was on radio a little earlier and he mentioned that number but was unable to offer any other insights. I suspect that comes under how they might roll it out.

gcgirl

xOxSinéadxOx wrote: »

yes, but that would cost money

What create employment and a proper place thats afforable to leave your kids in! Have a look at France! Its costing money anyway How much money has found its way out of the country?

ScarletO'Hara

I have a better idea. Mothers should stay at home at least for the first couple of years and rear their children themselves. They might actually enjoy it and the children certainly would. I know women paying 1200 plus a month for childcare. For crying out loud what's the matter with parents that they don't want to care for their own children. You would be better off financially in some cases staying at home. Any children derserve to be minded by their parents, particularly their mothers, not reared in institutions.

tinner777

ScarletO'Hara wrote: »

I have a better idea. Mothers should stay at home at least for the first couple of years and rear their children themselves. They might actually enjoy it and the children certainly would. I know women paying 1200 plus a month for childcare. For crying out loud what's the matter with parents that they don't want to care for their own children. You would be better off financially in some cases staying at home. Any children derserve to be minded by their parents, particularly their mothers, not reared in institutions.

smashing, thanks for that, so you think this government support that do you??? i'd love to give up work and stay at home, but wait a minute that would mean i lose my job and then have little chance of getting another one when my kids goto school.

gcgirl

Kids need something to intergrate them in to going to big school !! It helps the socially intergrate with their peers!

ScarletO'Hara

tinner777 wrote: »

smashing, thanks for that, so you think this government support that do you??? i'd love to give up work and stay at home, but wait a minute that would mean i lose my job and then have little chance of getting another one when my kids goto school.

Take a chance, aren't your kids worth it? How do you know you won't get another job in a couple of years. Sometimes quality of life of all is worth a little sacrifice. I cannot bear to think of babies and small children being hauled out of their bed to be left in creches. There is an alternative.

positivenote

so if this is implemented what will it mean for those wrking in creches at the moment. My partner left a 60k + retail management job two years ago to wrk with kids instead, she forked out and got a qualification in montassoiri teaching yet she is still only getting paid 10.40 p/hr working in a creche. Does this new scheme provide employment opportunities for people in a similar position to herself? or will it only be for qualified primary school teachers?

Quackles

ScarletO'Hara wrote: »

I have a better idea. Mothers should stay at home at least for the first couple of years and rear their children themselves. They might actually enjoy it and the children certainly would. I know women paying 1200 plus a month for childcare. For crying out loud what's the matter with parents that they don't want to care for their own children. You would be better off financially in some cases staying at home. Any children derserve to be minded by their parents, particularly their mothers, not reared in institutions.

Brilliant idea! Maybe the government will pay my mortgage while I do this. What this country needs now is more people on the live register.

I find your post offensive, to be honest, insinuating that all those who don't stay at home with their kids are doing so out of choice. But this is really not the forum to debate such things, so to keep things on topic, it's about time some variety of preschool was provided. I wonder how useful this will be to those of us living outside of large towns and cities, though.

Ludo

ScarletO'Hara wrote: »

I have a better idea. Mothers should stay at home at least for the first couple of years and rear their children themselves. They might actually enjoy it and the children certainly would. I know women paying 1200 plus a month for childcare. For crying out loud what's the matter with parents that they don't want to care for their own children. You would be better off financially in some cases staying at home. Any children derserve to be minded by their parents, particularly their mothers, not reared in institutions.

Ideally this would be the case. But with the cuts in ECS and child benefit in this budget, this is going to be even less of an option for people now.

Of course there are feck all jobs around now also, so a lot more will have to do this.

is_that_so

positivenote wrote: »

so if this is implemented what will it mean for those wrking in creches at the moment. My partner left a 60k + retail management job two years ago to wrk with kids instead, she forked out and got a qualification in montassoiri teaching yet she is still only getting paid 10.40 p/hr working in a creche. Does this new scheme provide employment opportunities for people in a similar position to herself? or will it only be for qualified primary school teachers?

Hannafin suggested that it will work by making payments to preschools. The cost will be about €200 million or so. The devil as they say is in the detail. No useful details on it yet.

Ice_Box

for most people you will still need to take your kids to the creche in the morning and then pay or a bus to take your kids to the 2.5 hours of preschool. No use to me.

maxwell smart

Will they use the existing Montessori schools as a base from which to role this out? These usually cost about €300 per month, so the payment would cover this.

beggars_bush

gcgirl wrote: »

What create employment and a proper place thats afforable to leave your kids in! Have a look at France! Its costing money anyway How much money has found its way out of the country?

problem is. long term, that would put a lot more cost on the government.

1 - extra public service employees
2 - pensions

Seres

ScarletO'Hara wrote: »

I have a better idea. Mothers should stay at home at least for the first couple of years and rear their children themselves. They might actually enjoy it and the children certainly would. I know women paying 1200 plus a month for childcare. For crying out loud what's the matter with parents that they don't want to care for their own children. You would be better off financially in some cases staying at home. Any children derserve to be minded by their parents, particularly their mothers, not reared in institutions.

i find your comment very offensive and narrow minded.
for one why is your post directed mainly at mothers , you know every child has two parents.
secondly in the current situation alot of men are out of work and at home and its not financially viable to have two parents are home
thirdly i for one (and i sure alot of other mothers) would much prefer to be at home with my kids rather than out working so please dont presume to think that i ( we ) dont enjoys looking after and spending time with my kids.

themadchef

ScarletO'Hara wrote: »

I have a better idea. Mothers should stay at home at least for the first couple of years and rear their children themselves.

Maybe we should plough the back garden and grow spuds and rear a few chickens for the dinner too

ScarletO'Hara wrote: »

They might actually enjoy it and the children certainly would.

Do you think we go to work because we despise spending time with out kids :eek:

ScarletO'Hara wrote: »

I know women paying 1200 plus a month for childcare. For crying out loud what's the matter with parents that they don't want to care for their own children. You would be better off financially in some cases staying at home.

It's not a matter of choice, we choose to work to provide for our kids. Perhaps we should all go on social welfare. Sure the kids would have us all the time and no doubt they wont mind living in the street and going hungry and cold for a while as we wait on the government and other tax payers to house us. After all, the kids need us at home. No one can care for a child apart from a parent :rolleyes:

ScarletO'Hara wrote: »

Any children derserve to be minded by their parents, particularly their mothers, not reared in institutions.

Maybe we should home school them as well. Can't have them nasty teachers raising our kids for us.

MoominPapa

Back on topic:
My child was born in August, since he will start school in September he will only be able to avail of 9 months "free" preschool. What is the reason for starting at 3 years 3 months? Why not just make it free for the year prior to starting school?

is_that_so

MoominPapa wrote: »

Back on topic:
My child was born in August, since he will start school in September he will only be able to avail of 9 months "free" preschool. What is the reason for starting at 3 years 3 months? Why not just make it free for the year prior to starting school?

Nine months takes a child of 3 years 3 months up to September and the age of 4 at which point they can , in theory, go to free "big" school.

foxy06

MoominPapa wrote: »

Back on topic:
My child was born in August, since he will start school in September he will only be able to avail of 9 months "free" preschool. What is the reason for starting at 3 years 3 months? Why not just make it free for the year prior to starting school?

Unfortunately that would involve them doing something of actual use to parents and that is obviously not what this budget was about. All they have done is made it harder for the working family and with the childrens allowance getting means tested soon, joining the dole queues voluntarily is looking more and more appealing.

Has any country other than Ireland taken such harsh steps to get out of the recession? Or has any other country taxed themselves out of a recession.

MoominPapa

Wasn't thinking of preschool following the regular school year, as the wee fella is in creche which runs preschool, but all year. Actually makes sense!

Tax relief on creche fees, now that would be progressive and help business and employment and working families - so of course it'll never happen

dflynn

TheQueen wrote: »

Can anyone shed any light on this, I've read that its for children aged 3+3mths to 4+6mths and thats about all I can find. Does anyone know anything else?

this is true basicly pre-school services (play schools creches) will apply to be placed on a list, this list will be posted for families to choose from. the government will pay directly to the pre-school service and your child will attend for free. they will pay up to 68euro per week if the child attends 3 hours per day five days per week. this will make no differece to those working in the service.

Scotts

Can i just double check if the payment stops the day the kid starts "big school" in the first week of September. Or does the payment continue up until the child is 4yrs and 6 months old?

dflynn

Scotts wrote: »

Can i just double check if the payment stops the day the kid starts "big school" in the first week of September. Or does the payment continue up until the child is 4yrs and 6 months old?

they actually only pay for 38 weeks the same as the school year so i dont believe it is payed through the summer months. alot of pre-schools expect payment for those weeks that the schools are closed even if they close as we do easter ect which will not be payed this may mean alot of them wont go for it........

dflynn

Ice_Box wrote: »

for most people you will still need to take your kids to the creche in the morning and then pay or a bus to take your kids to the 2.5 hours of preschool. No use to me.

i am sure this can be paid to the creche they will pay 2hrs 15min of your childs fee up to 48euro a week as i read it. i believe the creche can apply. check it out.:)