Childcare costs in the Mid-West are among the lowest in Ireland.
However, parents here are still feeling the pinch as Clare FM’s Fiona McGarry reports:
New CSO figures show that parents of pre-school children in Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary pay an average of 97 euro per week on care for them.
An average hourly cost of €3.50 is among the cheapest in Ireland,but many aren’t paying even that as one-in-six pre-school children here, and one-in-nine primary school children, are being cared for by an unpaid relative or family friend.
Hourly childcare ocsts rise to €4.80 for children who have reached primary school.
While costs in other parts of the country are higher, parents locally still saw it is an issue as 40 per cent said they do not have access to affordable childcare in their community.
The majority of parents seem broadly happy with childcare standards, however, while the figures also show that only half of MidWest children avail of the free pre-school year under the Early Childhood Care and Education scheme.
