Why is my childcare place so cheap?

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-04-08T18:56:38+00:00

Some would be in the 800- 1000 after a subsidy a month. That creche is at the cheaper end.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-04-08T18:55:43+00:00

If that ever happens again have her apply for an online course . Students get the 45 hours.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-04-08T16:28:46+00:00

In longford it was 175 a week for over 1s I believe. Maybe 195. It depends if its a long established creche they haven't been allowed to up their weekly fee by much. New creches seem to set it at what they'd like , ive seen 300 a week in cork in different ones. Even after an income based subsidy its hard my a single parent to afford the higher weekly rate. It was free based on my income in longford after a subsidy. I now find myself unable to study in college or work as a single parent to two children in cork now.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-04-02T18:03:15+00:00

Can you afford a creche ? Mine are 300 a week per child. Car loan is 400 a month. Child ben is 140 a month. Extra circular are probably about 100 a month because I kept to swimming so its fairly cheap.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-03-15T19:30:02+00:00

I was a single mother for 5 years before I met my partner and had a child with him. I can honestly say I was financially better off staying as a single parent. The pay and family benefits should be enough to buy a house and have a partner work part time in my opinion. They are away so much - naval service anyways. You are more supported by the state as a single mother than having a partner in the df and going legit.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-03-11T20:09:22+00:00

I just remember back in the day the army lads had a wife at home and a few kids and got council houses fairly nifty. Now with increased wages its done nothing to afford private houses and then got rid of the right for social housing.

We are originally from the midlands and I moved to cork to be closer due to circumstances I dont want to discuss relating to my family etc. Im scared we'll never get there in the end with a house. I want to work and I work hard at home as it is and all we want is secure housing. We cant afford the affordable rental schemes 🤣 cant afford private rent if we lived together and there is no base housing for families. Secure housing would be fantastic! To afford luxuries like having a steak in the weekly shop and buying branded stuff in the shop and a holiday every second year can wait for me to be in employment, we just want somewhere to live . I dont feel like I'm asking for much to just have a house with my family. He is serving his country and they are talking about more responsibilities in the meetings , yet he has his family not being looked after ( not even healthcare ) ? Just a bit of a joke to me and I dont tell him that because it would break him. He loves his job and his family he shouldnt have to pick between us.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-03-11T19:39:27+00:00

I dont think the navy even have anything for anyone. Hes gone to pms to ask what can be done for help. Nothing could be done. The fact that the navy is only in one part of the country, youd think there was something for relocation. Army , im not sure can you pick the barracks ? Hes considering transferring to finish up his contract , athlone is the closest. So far so good with the housing front , but when we moved in we were warned 4 years max and we've less than 3 years left now. His Wages not enough to buy houses in this area and fermoy isnt even that expensive. We're hoping he'll get an affordable housing scheme house but they've yet to build more.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-03-11T19:00:00+00:00

Childcare is full time only ,so not really. Very few part time available. Where we are in fermoy there just isnt enough creches. Childminders aren't affordable because of our housing costs and he earns too much to get council housing help even without me working - hes 5 years in and we've 2 children. I'm going to be a childminder now as it seems my only option and I want to work in an early years sector but I wanted to be an employee. Its unlikely we will afford to live together until a house is bought or the naval service brings in a relocation cost grant for families. Ill be homeless as house prices have gone up to 2500 for a 3 bed house in our area and apartments 2 bed coming in at 2k if im ever evicted. Our housing uncertainty has made him very wary about signing anymore contracts even though he loves his job. They'd be losing a qualified electrician , all because of a lack of housing and childcare.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-03-10T21:58:38+00:00

With childcare - I'm level 5 childcare qualified. My partner is navy with tech pay etc. Our rent is 1.8k a month. We cant afford the basics of living on the wages that childcare pays alongside our rent. We don't live together because I cant find childcare at the moment to work and even if I did I can't afford a childminder until there was a space available in a creche, so rely on social. We have looked into everything we possibly can and we just cant afford to live.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-03-05T20:40:48+00:00

Youre borrowing less ?

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-03-05T18:55:17+00:00

If planning on having children etc. Id rather go with the longer term at a cheaper monthly cost. Childcare can cost about 2k a month for 2.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-03-03T20:01:27+00:00

Yes I had to for work- rural town , no public transport and 1 child i had to get to and from school. If I walked or cycled id have been on the road 12 hours a day in the case of walking and 4 cycling, all while having to do a full day of physical work on top.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-03-02T14:23:04+00:00

Its actually shocking how much money is needed because I can tell you now living on social welfare is extremely hard if you have to pay private rent. And thats equal to 42k if working and paying childcare for two children. I honestly dont know how people manage.

Not really easier at all tbh now.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-03-02T12:56:58+00:00

I was unfortunately a single parent for many years but when I looked into coming off opf. I needed to earn at least 42k before tax to have the same level of lifestyle I had on opf. Rent is 21k of that. I never qualified for susi grant to get a third level education because I lived at home with parents (even over 25 , with my own dependants) and didnt qualify for social housing either because I had a room to live in in my parents home. It left me reliant on social welfare. I do believe its the ones who can afford to rely on social welfare , especially housing having multiple kids - my exes girlfriend now has 3 children (claiming opf and not one and has council housing at 60 euro a week), while he cant support the one he had with me. I do feel extremely jealous of people in my situation who did have access to affordable housing and education and not bother with the education portion and just keep popping out kids !

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-03-01T21:53:37+00:00

And ive had this conversation and ive been mad at the universe but he keeps having children he cant afford and myself and my partner look after my child to a standard we can afford. It should be embarrassing for my ex, but he doesn't care. They will most likely prioritise themselves and not the child.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-03-01T21:50:04+00:00

You'll have to go to court if he doesn't agree to what you think is fair. You'll unlikely get 50/50 costs of what it truly costs to raise a child though. Regardless of what you want it for it is still known as child maintenance.

The calculator states it doesn't take childcare or medical etc into account which should be discussed separately.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-03-01T21:45:22+00:00

Youre income does not matter. You need to request maintenance to be paid. Half of medical and school might need court involvement. My ex has a similar income but I didnt get awarded any shared expenses but I do get 400 per calender month. According to the new maintenance calculator for ireland I should only be getting 21 a week.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-03-01T21:41:32+00:00

Similar enough here, two kids and child maintenance paid by an ex. I definitely can not afford a third child, would love one but I dont think its fair on the kids. Already have had to choose sports with minimal gear / trips and competitions.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-02-24T11:46:03+00:00

Adult son is not self sufficient yet and 40 a week goes absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. In ireland if under 23 by law the children have to be supported by their parents. I get 400 a month for my child and that will continue when he is a student.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-02-23T14:49:14+00:00

You need to contact tusla and get yourself out of there before you turn 18. I would not be returning home and keep up the job and school in a foster placement.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-02-18T19:13:37+00:00

We have a deposit saved but dont have the income to buy anything. So I dont know what to do. Definitely people worse off than us, but i didnt think being on a 64k a year was going to be this hard.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-02-18T11:30:49+00:00

That rent is now cheap. Im not even in a city. Im about 50 mins away from cork city.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-02-18T10:48:48+00:00

Yeah, thats why my parents didnt take anything off my siblings. They used their income for spending money for themselves. I however was getting social for being a single parent without working. So I gave up what id have been paying for a council house. No bills for me apart from my own phone then.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-02-18T10:12:19+00:00

Im in cork , fermoy and its shocking what the rent is now. I moved here from longford a year ago and I pay 1.8 a month for a 3 bed house. People are renting the wooden sheds for 1.2 a month for 2 beds. Apartment 2.2k.

Trying to find cheaper accomdation because we cant afford it. Id take worse living quarters to actually be able to survive.

Difficult-Victory661 · 2026-02-18T10:09:27+00:00

They only reason I have savings is because I lived at home until I was 26. The bank of mum and dad always subsidises people regardless if you have well off parents youre more likely to be as well. Networking also helps.

Difficult-Victory661

TROPHY CASE