Creche to Re-Open under New Managment
10th August 2017
Camilla McLoughlin
A CRECHE which abruptly closed down at Ballin Ri last June is to reopen under new management and with a new name.
Future Scholars closed on June 23 leaving a number of parents stranded and ten staff without a job.
New owner, Yvonne Gleeson will re-open in September and cater for up to 55 children. She is hoping to rehire most of the ten original staff members from Future Scholars and the facility will now be known as Little Scholars.
'' I have been in touch with the staff and have met with them a few times. The staff were good and the kids were happy with them, '' she said.
Yvonne, already runs sessional creche, Little Scallywag in Ballinamere and has been there for the past seven to eight years.
''I'll keep that on. I have a new manager taken on,'' she explained.
A large number of parents and children were left stranded when they arrived at the Future Scholars creche on June 23 last to be told the creche was closing that day. In a letter to parents, owner Verona O'Donohue blamed a ''hike'' in insurance and ''crippling'' rent as the reason for the closure.
Ms O'Donohue also said she was paid ''only a fraction of money she was owed under the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme.'' This left her ''surprised and panicked,'' she said.
The creche has remained closed ever since and many parents may have moved to other facilities.
However, Yvonne Gleeson, will be hoping to bring back the parents and children to the creche despite what happened.
Meanwhile, Government funding of €49,189 is being provided for the improvement of childcare services in Offaly.
The first two strands of this funding announced will help create over 5,000 extra childcare places in 225 school age childcare services nationwide.
Offaly TD Marcella Corcoran Kennedy said:“The School Aged Childcare (SAC) services funding, totalling €49,189 here in Offaly, will be used for the establishment of new SAC services as well as the expansion of existing services. The following local childcare services have received funding under the scheme: Little Scallywags, Ballinamere; Linda’s Creche and Montessori, Edenderry; Maria’s Montessori School AMS, Killeigh and M & A’s Montessori, Tullamore.
“This is the first big step to ensuring quality of childcare, accessibility and recognition for the workers who provide the services. I strongly encourage all parent and everyone with children in childcare to visit - affordablechildcare.ie - to see the supports available to their family,” she said.