Childcare centre set for major expansion in Graiguecullen

Discussing the expansion of Graiguecullen Parish Childcare into what was formerly known as the ‘Charity Warehouse,’ Diane Darcy, Manager says “this is a very exciting time for us. There is such a demand for wrap-around care in the Graiguecullen area that we decided to expand. It means that we can provide an extra 96 Breakfast Club and Afterschool places. We are very excited about our next step,” she said. “We’ve spent two years acquiring our new premises, including getting planning permission and fire certs”.

Local councillors and representatives were recently invited to view the building before major works begin, and Minister of State, Seán Fleming, who was also in attendance warmly welcomed the development “The Committee is to be congratulated, first of all, for providing such a great childcare service so that people can go to work knowing that their children are being well looked after,” said Minister Fleming. “The demand for childcare is very high, so the fact that they’ve acquired a premises to expand their services is great. There’s a lot of work to be done on it and as a TD for the Graiguecullen region, I’ll do everything I can to support their work and in assisting them in getting any funding they may need.” Deputy Jennifer Murnane O’Connor also warmly welcomed the news about the childcare centre’s expansion. “I’ve been working with Diane, her staff and the Board of Management for a number of years now. Congratulations to them all, this will be an excellent facility. It’s a great initiative and will provide much-needed places for local children and their families when it’s up and running.” The current Centre which includes 4 preschools and full day care, and a Breakfast Club for 36 children and an Afterschool Club for 132 children is already located in the grounds of St Fiacc’s Primary School. The new building also has direct access into the school grounds allowing children to walk directly from school into the new Afterschool Club which means GPCC can continue to offer a service where parents are not charged a collection fee.

The expansion is just the latest in a series of innovations that have characterised the running of GPCC. Indeed, the Centre has been developing and evolving since it was opened by Fr John Fingleton and former Manager Mary Redmond in 2002.

For example, even in the depths of Covid-19 restrictions, Diane and the Board of Management thought outside the box, with the result that a wonderful garden and all-weather outdoor classroom were built, thus allowing the children to be educated in a safe way.

The ethos of the Centre is to treat each child with the utmost respect, ensure each one is valued as an individual and is encouraged to reach his/her maximum potential.

All of the staff are highly qualified early years teachers with Degree/Masters qualifications and have all been extensively trained in elements such as the new Early Talk Boost programme, health promotion and anti-bullying with the Centre recently awarded Shield Anti-Bullying Status.

GPCC are also the first early years’ service in Ireland, and the 10th internationally, to be awarded a Certificate of Completion by OMEP, a worldwide organisation for early childhood education that encourages awareness of environmental sustainability from an early age.

Manager, Diane Darcy attended workshops in 2023 and 2024 in the Czech Republic and Sweden with the OMEP organisation in order to deepen her understanding of sustainability and sustainable development and discuss and evaluate the proposed modules of the program Sustainability from the Start: An Online ESD Curriculum for Early Childhood Education. The early years teachers in GPCC then undertook this programme to enhance their ability to teach these concepts to the children in Preschool.

The award was recently presented to GPCC in the Seven Oaks Hotel by OMEP Ireland President, Muireann Ranta. More information on the free online module ‘Sustainability from the Start’ and other ESD resources for early childhood can be found on the OMEP Ireland website www.omepireland.ie The Centre is supported by it’s Board of Management, which includes Chairperson, Terry Smith, and Secretary, Mary Redmond, who work hand-in-hand with Diane and the team. It is a not-for-profit organisation with charitable status and has not increased fees since 2008. The Centre has continuously passed vigorous inspections by Tusla, the Department of Education and Skills and Pobal. GPCC’s strong record of quality service is evident in its impeccable record, with 100% adherence to all requirements over its two decades in existence.

All GPCC early years teachers are members of Professional Educators and Managers Ireland (PEMI), of which Diane is the National Secretary.

PEMI is a voluntary professional body for the early childhood and school-age profession. It focuses solely upon promoting and supporting professional standards and professional practice among those working within this sector.

“This means working to hold ourselves accountable for our words and actions in relation to our work with children and their families. Being a member of a professional body will help towards getting the recognition for the important work that we do,” said Diane Diane, the staff and the Board of Management are looking forward to the year ahead and to welcoming new and returning children into their care.