There is nothing like an early-morning walk in the park for Castlebar’s Buggy Buddies before they head in for a cuppa and a talk on potty training in the county town’s Lough Lannagh leisure complex. It is just one of a broad schedule of events – including breastfeeding supports, baby massages and parenting classes – organised by Le Chéile Family Resource Centre (FRC).
These walks and talks offer the perfect time for young mothers to discuss matters beyond the confines of their busy households. Like, for example, the fact that last month’s budget offered no increase in core funding by Tusla for their family resource centre, or indeed any of the 121 such centres throughout the country.
Annmarie Gallagher, a mother of three, isn’t slow to let her views be known about the essential services provided by Le Chéile.
“I recently highlighted the urgency of proper funding for these vital services to [Fianna Fáil Senator] Lisa Chambers. We were both attending a National Breastfeeding event, and I trust the fact that she heard me, since she is a hardworking mum herself,” says Gallagher.
While her youngest, 12-week-old Sofia, may not be ready for potty training yet, Gallagher embraces the sociability and camaraderie of the Le Chéile events. She is due to return to work as a public servant in February – that is if she can find childcare.
“Our eldest was born during Covid and we also had a family bereavement so there was a lot of isolation and sadness,” says Gallagher. “Then I had a traumatic birth with our second baby, so we really needed support and Le Chéile is just fantastic and so accessible. Ann Conway [the project manager] set up a big WhatsApp group too. There are over 140 mums in it, and there is always someone there to listen or help.”
Gallagher, from the Erris village of Ballycroy, and her partner rent in Castlebar but are trying to build a house also.
“Of course, the costs are extortionate,” she says. “Then, we are panicking already that we won’t find childcare and I need to return to work. Obviously, creches don’t take children aged under one, and anyway there is a shortage of them in the Castlebar area. I’m off out to meet someone later this week in the hope they will mind the two youngest in their own home but they might only be able to mind Cathal, so we may have to go back to the drawing board.”
Anita Prendergast empathises with Gallagher. She and her partner live in Bohola and have four children aged from nine to one. She is passionate in her belief that the incoming government must make childcare more community-based and integrated into society.
“I had great supports here at Le Chéile as I prepared to return to work a year ago. I work in the health sector and it was quite daunting to be called to interview when I was 11 days postpartum. But here I could just bring all the children in to an event or meeting and feel welcome and supported. Take, for example, during the early days of breastfeeding, the other, more experienced mothers had my back; the emotional connection was so important.”
Prendergast says she feels “very lucky” that both she and her husband have flexible employers. “Our four kids are across different age ranges, with two in school and two in creche,” she says. “But the reality is that I had to keep one of my kids in creche for another year because there were no after-school places. It would be great if there was a government initiative, which worked alongside schools, where there were breakfast clubs or after-school clubs integrated into the community. The buildings are there.”
[ ‘Organise childcare’ means one of two things: ask Granny or take a day off workOpens in new window ]
She argues that the next government must also address pay and conditions for childcare staff.
“I was hoping to return to work last September time but I had to take another two months of unpaid leave because my excellent childcare provider couldn’t recruit a staff member they needed, obviously because of the poor pay conditions,” she says, adding that she feels very lucky that she has two parents living nearby who can support her.
For Scottish native Chelsea Conway, moving to Castlebar during the pandemic provided its challenges.
“I have ‘Irish twins’: Freya is two and Shay is one. Just sometimes it is a bit lonely. It is good for your mental health to get out of the house, meet other mothers for coffees and walks and it is good for their social skills too,” she says.
Ann Conway, Le Chéile’s project manager, says: “There isn’t a week that goes by that we don’t have queries from parents seeking childcare or looking for a childminder.
“We once thought that accessing childcare was a crisis in bigger cities but it’s a reality in rural Ireland and in our own town now as the fabric of society changes. We need more family and community supports. These infant years are so important both for parents and babies.”
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Our In The News podcast is now published daily – Find the latest episode here
