FAQ’s

What do I need to supply? 

Parents of children in the baby and toddler rooms will be asked to provide nappies, wipes and cream that are clearly labelled. Parents of babies also need to provide pre-prepared bottles and formula/breastmilk.

All children attend the centre need to have seasonally appropriate change of clothes all labelled.

Children attending Big Stars and Little Stars need to bring a small healthy snack and a drink.

Where do children sleep?

Babies have their own sleep room that is adjacent to baby rooms. Each child has their own cot and sheet and blankets. Under 2’s we only use cellular blankets.

Our toddlers sleep on our stackable beds these are also individually set so that one child only has one. We set these up in the toddler room after dinner.

Do you cater for special dietary requirements/allergies? 

We adapt our menu for any child with any medical (by your G.P.) diagnosed dietary requirements. If you have any other dietary requirements that are not recommended from your G.P. we can try and suit anything but if it’s a case of a substitute such as goat’s milk instead of cow’s milk you need to provide the goats milk yourself for your child.

If your child has a medically diagnosed allergy we would suggest sending an Epi-Pen with your child to the centre each day. All our staff are Epi-Pen trained.

How am I informed about my child’s day? 

We use a communication app that you can download on your smart phone and you will get updates daily with information on your child’s day. We also encourage communication with parents at drop off and collection so if you are unsure you can ask at this time, our staff members are always happy to help.

Can I come and view the centre before enrolling my child? 

We encourage all our prospective parents to come and visit our centre and meet the manager before booking a place with us. Please ring us to make an appointment if you wish to do so.

We appreciate this is an important decision for you and your child we want to make sure that you are satisfied to proceed with your booking.

How often will my child go outside to play? 

Here in Caisleán Óir we have a state of the art outdoor facilities. We like to get outside as much as possible. Of course if the weather is unsuitable we cannot go outside. We ask all parents to send their children in weather appropriate clothing and send in wellies if possible.

In the summer we ask all parents to provide sun cream and sun hats and in the winter months please send coats and hats for your child. You can leave these items here in the centre, labelled if it is easier for you.

It is important for children’s health and well-being to enjoy outdoor play so we plan lots of sports and activities to develop children’s gross motor skill and hand eye co-ordination.

If your child is not well enough to play outside, then unfortunately your child is not well enough to come to our centre.

Do you accept NCS? 

Yes we accept NCS but you need to apply through the NCS website (https://www.ncs.gov.ie/en/) we cannot apply for this for you.

What are the opening hours and what will happen if I am late collecting my child?

We offer early starts and late closing times to facilitate the flexible working pattern of mums and dads so this shouldn’t really be a problem.  We do request that parents collect their children on time but we do understand that there are rare occasions when you may be running late.

We ask that parents contact the centre directly and advise them so that we can ensure that your child will not be upset. We do have a fee for parents who are frequently late.

What happens if my child becomes sick while at the centre?

If your child has a temperature or becomes unwell at our centre, a staff member will call you and request that you pick up your child, we will administer medication if parental permission has been given while awaiting for you to collect them.

If your child has become unwell with diarrhoea or vomiting your child will need to stay absent for 48hours after the last episode.