Background

The place is a registered Childcare provider primarily run with Government funds.  Currently there are 100 children attending its services which employ 21 staff.  There are 2 employees through the CE Scheme and 2 TUS employees.  This Childcare provider runs a Creche, Toddler Room, Junior Pre-school Room, 2 Pre-School rooms and a Montessori Room.  Also, it runs an Afterschool Club from 1:30 – to 5:30 which caters for children from all local primary schools.  Children attending the Afterschool service have 1-hour supervised homework, assisted by the staff.  They also have a hot and home cooked dinner daily.  The Breakfast Club is open from 8:00 to 900 and is open to all school-going children as well as children already attending the Childcare.

I was brought by the Manager to the Pre-school room and was introduced to two staff.   The room holds 5 children, 4 girls and a boy aged 3 to 4.  Entering the room there are a lot of stuff on the wall, like certificate from Tusla, combined CCS and ECCE fees policy, ECCE letter to parents/guardian, reminders of Healthy Eating policy, staff support and supervision time table, lunch rota, first aid, emergency contact and persons in charge.  In the children’s room, there are 3 tables and 8 chairs. On the wall you will see a colourful cut out coloured paper with the shape of a beehive and with the picture of every child and their birth date.  It is a colourful room, with a lot of toys, like dolls, fancy dress, clay, coloured pencils, coloured papers, scissors, etc.  All activities done by the children were posted on the wall and some were displayed on top of the press.  Sink area and bathroom are clean and accessible with complete toiletries.

Since I have no experience in childcare, I talked to the staff and asked what routine do they do.  One girl was looking at me and I said hello to her, and asked her name and gave my name at the same time we shook hands.  Entering the room, I greeted them with a smile, “Hello good morning” waving my hands.  There are busy playing, one by one I shake hands with them. I sing a song to them, like “Hello, hello, hello, Hello how do you do, I’m glad to be with you and you and you and you.”  This will help the kids to be at ease to a stranger like me.   Another girl asked me, is your skin brown? She was curious, and I said yes, it is.  Another girl asked me, why are you here?  I replied with a smile, to do my assignment, because I am doing a course.

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