Summer brings little respite from the childcare problem

Alternative care arrangements often need to be made as the classroom doors shut for the holidays, writes Laura Slattery

It's summer time and the hated maroon jumpers, navy pleated skirts and grey trousers have been banished to the bottom of the wardrobe for another two months.

But while primary school children across the country are free at last, their parents might not be. Alternative care arrangements need to be made.

Crèches and day-care centres are not usually the answer to a seasonal crisis: most have long waiting lists and cut-off age points of about five or six.

And there's not always a ready-made network of friends, family and neighbours willing to help out parents with school-aged children once the classroom door shuts for the summer.

Some primary schools do provide after-hours care facilities up to 5 or 6 o'clock, when parents with rigid work hours are free to collect their kids, but these generally close during summer months.

Parents who tend to use casual after-school care arrangements during term-time may find that their childminder is not available to look after their kids on a full-time basis.

According to Childminding Ireland, the national association for childminding funded by the Department of Health and Children, it is "hugely difficult" for parents to find childcare at any time of the year. "Demand always outstrips supply," says Ms Bernie Griffiths, manager of Childminding Ireland.

For parents lucky enough to find a childminder, Childminding Ireland strongly recommends that a contract is agreed and signed by both parties.

The association suggests minimum charges per child for childminders who are registered members and comply with regulations under the Child Care Act. It suggests a minimum weekly rate for up to 40 hours of €160 per child or a €4 hourly rate.

There should also be rate increases for short sessions, part-time hours of less than 22 hours, anti-social hours and overtime.

For additional children from the same family, the association recommends that childminders give a 10 per cent reduction in their rates.

The association will help people find registered and trained childminders for an associate parent membership fee of €60. If the referral service is unsuccessful, €34.60 will be retained for administrative costs.

But there are just 400 registered childminders and most will already have long-term, 52-week contracts with working parents of pre-school children.

"At this time of year, if the children are too old to go into a childcare facility like a crèche, parents will take in au pairs or students, who might not have that much experience. But these are the problems that parents face every year," says Ms Griffiths.

For short-term placements, au pairs have become a traditional and affordable solution, but some au pairs tend to come to Ireland for the duration of the academic year only, attending English language classes at night or weekends.

Parents usually look for childminders through local community groups, school events and neighbourhood friends. Library or shopping centre notice boards often provide contact numbers for self-employed childminders available to look after children in their own home.

Website notice boards and chat rooms are also becoming a way for stuck parents to search for a childcare solution, according to Mr Jamie Lawlor, a former crèche owner who has developed a web resource for parents called the Childcare Directory, which can be found at www.childcare.ie.

"Finding childcare is still about relying on people you know, word of mouth and recommendations," says Mr Lawlor.

The site contains links to childminder and au pair agencies, as well as a county-by-county information on registered crèche facilities with "open door" links leading to photographs and contact numbers.

The recruitment page of the website is encouragingly busy. "Some are Irish people who are just finishing childcare courses; others are Australian girls who would post their availability as childminders on the website before coming over," he says.

Parents of school-aged children will typically use the bulk of their annual leave entitlement during July and August for family holidays.

Easing the additional childcare expenses incurred during summer months provides another motivation for employees to book as much time off as they can.