Professional child minders are finding it "virtually impossible" to compete with unregistered operators who are offering to look after children for less than €10 a day.
That's according to Bernadette Orbinski Burke, chief executive of Child-minding Ireland, who told the
Irish Independent that "informal arrangements" mean qualified, registered minders are losing out to the "black market".
Unregistered minders are advertising their fees online, using social media to appeal to struggling parents
paying extortionate creche fees. The average mums and dad can expect to pay as much as €25,200 in Dublin while the average country-wide was about €19,600 for two toddlers.
"They are reporting that fees as low as €10 per day are being charged and in some cases, if the child does not attend, no fee is required." said Ms. Orbinski Burke.
"Our members are self-employed, compliant with statutory regulations and absorbing all the costs associated with running professional services such as tailored insurance, first aid training, membership of the national body and continuing professional development.
"It makes competing with other businesses that are ad hoc and potentially without statutory regulation virtually impossible."
While many parents are comfortable with a known but unregistered minder, Ms. Orbinski Bourke said she's received a number of reports detailing child protection concerns, mainly regarding the number of families using child minders who are not trained, vetted or tax compliant.
Would you consider hiring a trusted but unregistered minder to save on a hefty creche bill? Tell us on Twitter @HerFamilydotie #HerFamChats.
