Kildare mum left without childcare as afterschool facility gives four hours of notice

A Prosperous, Co Kildare mum has been left without childcare after the afterschool facility she was using unexpectedly ceased services this week due to what management described as “staffing issues.”

Elaine Kinnear had up until this week two children attending Tots Prosperous afterschool facility, and was only informed of the afterschool facility closure on Tuesday January 21.

According to Ms Kinnear, the decision by Tots Prosperous to cease its afterschool facility has left “20 plus families scrambling for childcare.”

“I've two children who were attending the aftershool in Tots, and they'd been attending roughly six years, they were there since they were small kids”, Ms Kinnear told Kildare Now this week.

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“They rang me on Tuesday to say they were closing the afterschool facility and they said collect the kids from school today, and then we're closed. So we were given what?, three or four hours' notice.”

“To be honest with you what they said is that it's not viable anymore, which is fair enough, they can't run a business if it's not making money, but to give us three or four hours' notice... You're talking about 20 families, working families, scrambling now to try and get childcare.

“It's just so unfair how they did it, and they weren't even there the day we picked up the kids. They left staff there to deal with it. The staff were really upset because they didn't know about it, the kids were all upset because they've all been together for the last five or six years.”

According to Ms Kinnear, what was particularly upsetting was the way in which the childcare provider dealt with the news.

“It's just the way they dealt with it, and I asked them for a bit more of an explanation but the email they sent out to us was awful. They're obviously angry themselves, and really I don't know because we haven't done anything on them, but a bit of notice and a bit of respect is all we asked from them after five or six years with them.

“I'm actually on maternity leave and I've a few more weeks left, so I'm not totally stuck. I've a few more weeks left to sort things but all the other creches are full so it's trying to scramble for a childminder to mind them.”

Leinster Leader contacted Tots Prosperous, who declined to comment.

However, a letter issued to parents from the childcare provider stated that it was with “deep regret” that management had taken the decision to close the afterschool service in Tots Prosperous.

The letter continued: “We have tried every angle to keep it (the service) floating, but it is causing untold stress and we understand this is now causing you and your child stress, and for that we are very very sorry!”

The letter stated that any “anger” should be directed towards “your local politicians and the Department of Children.”

The letter also stated that all deposits and fees paid will be refunded over the next 7 days, “and we of course would like to wish you and your families the very best and hope you get sorted with childcare soon.”

The letter concluded: “Maybe if more parents stood up in support of childcare operators and workers we would not all be in this position.”