For children of preschool age, there are over 300 childcare options throughout the Midlands’ counties, including both public and private childcare options, creches, Montessori schools, preschools, after-school programs, and on-site creches in business parks.
One of the best places to find out about local childcare options is from your local Citizen Information Centre, while you may also find information on notice boards in places such as your GP’s waiting room and local community centres. Citizen Information will be able to advise you on the different types of childcare available in your local area and on any financial supports that you may be eligible for.
Ireland’s National Childcare Directory is another excellent resource for both public and private childcare options in your area, and on childcare funding information for parents. More information on these supports can be found through the National Childcare Scheme, where parents may apply for a Universal Subsidy or an Income-Related Subsidy. Early Childhood Ireland and the NCS offer a brilliant explainer for these subsidies in clear, digestible information in the National Childcare Scheme booklet.
When looking for childcare near your home or work, remember that some business parks often offer on-site childcare services. For example, Grovelands Childcare can be found in multiple locations across the Midlands, including several in Athlone, and others in Tullamore and Mullingar, within IDA business parks and elsewhere.
At Westmeath County Childcare Committee you can find a great directory of childcare providers within the following categories – Childminder, Early Learning Centre, SAC After-School, Sessional Montessori, Special Education and Private, all searchable by funding options, TUSLA registered, location and more.
Grovelands Childcare has four locations across Athlone: at the IDA Business Park Athlone, Millbrook Avenue, Ballymahon Road and Corran Riada. Opening hours vary per location, with some offering preschool and after-school childcare also.
Operating since 2001, Chatterboxes is located in Cornamaddy, Athlone. They cater for children from 5 months to school age, and offer an after-school club too. Their large spaces allow for indoor and outdoor experiences for children who attend.
Juniper Tree Autism Services provides individualised, child-centred support for autistic children, including preschool, after-school and mainstream support. Juniper Tree’s services are a combination of group and 1 to 1 teaching, tailored to suit each child’s needs.
The Offaly County Childcare Committee is a wonderful resource for parents looking for childcare in the county, as well as childcare professionals and people looking to start their childcare career. They also have valuable information on childcare funding schemes such as ECCE, CCS Plus and NCS, and a local event calendar.
Bright Beginnings Childcare Centre offers affordable and secure childcare at their location in the Ferbane Business & Technology Park. Operating 51 weeks per year on a full daycare and sessional care basis, you can get a glimpse of their facilities on their Facebook page.
Located in Tullamore, Little Scholars Childcare is a childcare centre that offers preschool, after-school and full daycare services. Children aged 6 months to 12 years can enjoy a caring and stimulating environment with a diverse curriculum catered to each child’s individual development.
Happy Days Montessori in Birr offers full-time, part-time, sessional and after-school childcare for children aged 2 to 12 years, with learning and development through the Aistear curriculum of well-being, identity and belonging, communicating, exploring and thinking.
The Longford Childcare Committee offers a wealth of information for parents and childcare professionals, including providers, services, and supports throughout Longford County. They also provide a childcare finder on-site, and we have listed some of the most popular locations for Longford below.
Located in the Longford Women’s Link, Longford Town and established in 1999, Catkins Early Years Service is a community based early years childcare service. They cater to children aged 4 months to 5 years with indoor, outdoor and sensory rooms for all children.
Springlawn Childcare is at the Community Childcare Centre in Longford Town. The preschool service caters for children from 3 to 5 years old, and the after-school service caters for children between 5 and 12 years old. The Parent & Toddler Group ranges from 0 to 3 years of age.
Laois County Childcare Committee has an extensive list of childcare options in the county, ranging from Parent & Baby/Toddler Groups and creches to private in-home childminders, and everything in between. They also provide lots of insight on financial support for parents as well as a noticeboard for training and events, and job opportunities in childcare.
Maples Creche operates in several locations throughout Laois and Portlaoise at Forest Park, The Hive, Stradbrook and The Mushroom. They provide a breakfast club as well as an after-school program, with collection and drop-off at certain schools in the county.
Laois Partnership provides community-based childcare at two locations in Portlaoise – O’Moore Place Preschool and After-School and Birchgrove After-School. They also run summer camps and cater to children from all backgrounds and to a diverse range of needs.
Orchard Childminding is a private early childhood care service for children aged 4 months and up. They accept several grants and schemes, and on top of their breakfast club, after-school and homework club and bus service, they run seasonal camps during holidays.
Operating since 1990, Portlaoise Nursery and Montessori provides flexible, affordable and quality full daycare for toddlers, preschool, after-school, ECCE and NCS schemes. There are also individual bedrooms for children to sleep comfortably during the day.