Co Kildare creche reopening Monday with 'physical distancing'

Newbridge creche owner of Stepping Stones, Ballymany, Sharon O'Carroll, says that while social distancing, or as she is renaming 'physical distancing', is 'inhumane', she will be reopening this Monday, due to overwhelming requests from parents.

She was not planning on reopening but will do this Monday, for just six children.

The plan this Monday is to have two babies, who will be in a separate area, with each other. In another pod there will children aged between three and nine years old. By August, the creche owner, expects to have 20 children attending, including babies and those up to nine years old, for after school. Last year there were 72 attending and 30 of these were early years.

Ms O'Carroll, who has received a Government grant to support her reopening, said: “I will mark the floor for physical distancing, there will be gazebos in the garden, there will be a different entrance and exit point for the garden.”

She said: “I hate the pods and I think that they are inhumane, it is on my mind. It will be very difficult. My own personal opinion is that masks are not good, and shields might be better. Children are resilient, and these years are very formative, the social distancing or as I call it physical distancing will be difficult as children are like magnets to each other.”

Also as parents will not be allowed enter the creche, difficulties could arise for settling in.

Grannies are likely to be called to childmind, around the country, instead of sending to creches, says Ms O'Carroll.

The general guidelines for creches are that children in pods must stay away from other children in different pods, and two staff must be in each pod, it is estimated that there will be between six and 12 children per pod, depending on ages.

There will be entry and exit points and masks for staff changing nappies. Parents are not allowed enter the creches.