Childminding and budget?

chases0102

Hi folks,

Plenty of news in expectation of next week's budget around reducing the prohibitive cost of Childcare for many parents around the country.

I presume this will only apply to creches and cannot, for example, extend to child minding?

In the area I live, there are zero creche places available and there are very long waiting lists. As such, we were extremely lucky to get a child minder. However, that is also quite prohibitive and expensive! I presume there can be no expectation of a targeted response here?

Static M.e.

I very much doubt it. It will only be for registered Childcare providers.

In the same situation here.

chases0102

Yeah of course. It really stings. We pay a decent and fair wage for our childminder because she gives us a great service, but without the benefits of a creche/registered childcare service. And as I said it's frustrating because there are none, zero, spaces available in our local childcare services....just feel hard done by as all these headlines about easing burden of childcare abound the budget news

shesty

Doubt there will be anything. it's a bit of a sticking plaster solution. Also typical of the political view of childcare in this country - tinkering around the edges but not actually dealing with it or solving the problem of not enough places and exorbitant costs.

Actually on reflection the same could be said about other aspects of life here too.🙄

Madeoface

Maybe if u have them coming to your house, and registered them as employees, (as required now I think) there might be something. But if they go to the childminders house, probably nowt.

JDD

As above, the childminder coming to your house can be registered as an employee, and can also be registered with Tulsa. It's not easy, as you have to register as an employer first, and deduct PRSI and the like. You'd probably need a local accountant to assist you in the first instance. And I'm not sure how the registering with Tulsa works. But if that all worked and then the reduction applied, it would probably be worth it. We were paying a childminder €2200 a month to mind three kids and a 25% reduction would be worth €550 a month. An accountant would only charge a few hundred I expect for the Revenue work, and it might be worth the time and effort of getting the Tulsa registration.

chases0102

As expected, nothing. Hard to make sense of it really - our CM is registered Childminding Ireland, has her own insurance etc., is perfectly legit - but now we’ll be paying more for 4 days if childminding as opposed to others who have their two kids in crèche for five days. Sucks.

shesty

I always tell myself I am paying for the convenience and flexibility of my minder.I'm not being smart but we deliberately chose it over a creche, so I guess that's our problem.

It does highlight how unregulated and piecemeal the childcare system is though, instead of having an organised, regulated system that is flexible, open to everyone, affordable and well regulated, we rely on private operators and random community schemes, plus individuals in their homes, and of course, parents giving up their jobs.We do the same in healthcare.Until we grow up as a society, it won't change.

shesty

Just saw this...

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/new-register-for-childminders-should-let-parents-access-grants-42024544.html

Might be one to watch