ALONG WITH THE EMOTIONAL strain of being away from your lovely little one each day, comes the pressure of finding adequate, affordable childcare and of course, the choice of whether one of you should stay at home with them, full-time.
In the Nordic countries, quality state-supported childcare leads the way and in Sweden parents pay no more than 1-3% of their income on fees. And for the last four years, this is something that children’s charity Barnardos have been advocating for in Ireland.
Earlier this week, Minister for Children Katherine Zappone announced the creation of 5,000 new childcare places across the country, after securing an extra €19 million in funding for the scheme.
The number of children joining existing government care schemes is now six times higher than it was this time last year, owing in part to a national awareness campaign.
As part of the scheme, parents can now avail of a universal support for all children aged six months to three years of €1,040 per year – approximately six weeks of free childcare.
So, tell us, what do you currently do for childcare?
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