Sir, - Victoria White's article headed "Why our babies are poorer as we get richer" presented her point of view about the best form of childcare for our children. My husband and I both work and both our children are in a creche. I found Ms White's article badly researched and misleading.
Paying a childminder a correct wage with tax and employers' PRSI is not actually cheaper than having two children in a creche. I would need to pay 30 per cent more than what I pay at my creche to pay for a carer in my home. I would gladly pay extra for quality childcare, but because of the unregulated nature of in-the-home care I will not consider this option.
Ms White talks about babies in a line of cots - a negative image of creches. Babies in creches are in their cots only when they are sleeping. I get the impression from Ms White that she has never actually seen the inside of a creche.
I have experienced both home care (when I lived in London and had a fully vetted, qualified nanny) and creche care for my children. In Dublin I have never considered home care as I find that whole area of childcare is completely unregulated in Ireland. In my creche I know exactly what activities both my children have been involved in and there is only 30 minutes of television a day. Home childcare (particularly in a childminder's house as opposed to my own) would not give me this level of assurance. Children looked after by childminders often fall into the childminder's daily routine and this may not be the cosy Mrs Doubtfire image that Ms White paints in her article.
Ms White seems to suggest that creches have a high turnover of staff. My creche has had the same group of staff for the past four years. I would be interested to see how many home carers Ms White will have in this time. If Ms White's childminder leaves, how much notice will she have to find a replacement? If her childminder is ill what cover does she have? With the creche, I don't have these problems.
Working parents are an easy target. We have little energy to fight our corner. The last thing we need is for people to depict parents who use creches as heartless baby-dumpers. - Yours, etc.,
Helen Loughman, Howth, Co Dublin