Are creche numbers falling in general or are people leaving my creche?

PGL

Hi folks

I have a 2 and a half year old who has been going to a creche in Lucan (won't name any names) for the last 2 years. I'd imagine its a run of the mill creche in terms of size i.e. there are approx 5 or 6 rooms plus kitchen area. When we first enrolled our child the creche was full to the gills with kids. However over the past 3-6 months we have noticed that numbers have plummeted dramatically i.e. there are at least 2 or 3 rooms not in use at all, staff numbers have also fallen, plus they now seem to mixing kids of different ages together (previously there would have been dedicated rooms for kids of certain ages).

Have others noticed creche numbers falling dramatically in recent times?

I hope this is a reflection of the recession, and not a bad reflection on our creche in particular....

Many thanks!

bulmersgal

PGL wrote: »

Hi folks

I have a 2 and a half year old who has been going to a creche in Lucan (won't name any names) for the last 2 years. I'd imagine its a run of the mill creche in terms of size i.e. there are approx 5 or 6 rooms plus kitchen area. When we first enrolled our child the creche was full to the gills with kids. However over the past 3-6 months we have noticed that numbers have plummeted dramatically i.e. there are at least 2 or 3 rooms not in use at all, staff numbers have also fallen, plus they now seem to mixing kids of different ages together (previously there would have been dedicated rooms for kids of certain ages).

Have others noticed creche numbers falling dramatically in recent times?

I hope this is a reflection of the recession, and not a bad reflection on our creche in particular....

Many thanks!

We're in Celbridge and one of the crèches recently closed it was dearest. The one my daughter in seems full to be honest, maybe few free spaces but looks busy to me.

PGL

bulmersgal wrote: »

We're in Celbridge and one of the crèches recently closed it was dearest. The one my daughter in seems full to be honest, maybe few free spaces but looks busy to me.

Our creche is not associated with the large franchises, and so is not the most expensive relative to other creches....

The lack of responses suggests that others are generally not seeing a fall in numbers and makes me nervous that people are moving their kids away from our creche....

The problem is I cannot think of a way of finding out what is really going on....

Any other comments or suggestions?

Thanks

pwurple

Our creche is full as well. I don't know, could be anything? I wouldn't jump to a sinister conclusion straight away.

Population blib... maybe there are fewer kids of a certain age around.

Maybe they stopped advertising? Our creche regularly holds open days and leaflets the area. I think that keeps people aware of it. They may have been relying on word of mouth or siblings, and maybe those ran out.

If your child is happy there I wouldn't worry about it.

How Strange

Our crèche is busy enough but the baby room in particular could be empty for a few months and then gets very busy again.

Are the numbers falling consistently through all the rooms or in specific rooms like babies or the biggest room where the kids have gone on to school?

ariana`

Our baby room closes intermittently but that's because they don't stay in that room for long, babies usually join at 7/8mths and when they take first steps, could be 9/10+ mths they move on to wobblers.

In our creche they are all together in the morning before 9am and again in the evening time after 5o'c because there are so few of them there at those times and it allows the staff to work different shifts and still have sufficient staff from 8am-6pm. But from 9-5 they are in their age appropriate rooms with the correct staff ratios.

Do you think he seems unhappy or unsettled lately? My little lad is 2.5yrs as well and i think i'd know if he was unhappy and that would concern me more than falling numbers.

John Mason

There are alot of creches closing due to recession but a lot are closing because for their location. i.e. brand new village/large housing estate lots of young families - these children then move on to school, house are not selling so there are no younger children to replace them.

Hannibal Smith

PGL wrote: »

bulmersgal wrote: »

We're in Celbridge and one of the crèches recently closed it was dearest. The one my daughter in seems full to be honest, maybe few free spaces but looks busy to me.

Our creche is not associated with the large franchises, and so is not the most expensive relative to other creches....

The lack of responses suggests that others are generally not seeing a fall in numbers and makes me nervous that people are moving their kids away from our creche....

The problem is I cannot think of a way of finding out what is really going on....

Any other comments or suggestions?

Thanks

Talk to the other parents and find out if there's something there is general unhappiness with.

Our creche seems to move in waves, last year the baby room was empty, this room its full.

Are you happy with the creche? That's really the main thing. But talking to other parents and finding out what they know is really the only way.