Enrolment, Admission and Fees
Parents are welcome to put children’s name on a waiting list during pregnancy or after. You can do this by completing and returning a waiting list application form and that will allow us to get your child’s details onto our database. Any place on our waiting list does not necessarily constitute a place at the centre. We normally under take placements for the centre each April and May for the following September.
To secure an available place in the centre, you may have to pay the appropriate deposit and fill out the registration form. This deposit can be refunded on take up of the place or can be left on your child’s account to offset against fees or other expenses. We require 60 days’ notice of a cancellation of a place or the deposit will not be refunded. Fees are payable weekly or monthly in advance.
Fees are appropriated for time booked rather than time used. Fees may also apply over bank holidays. We are registered for the ECCE scheme which covers Sessional fees (3 hour morning). We also offer the CCS scheme (Childcare Subvention Scheme) which in generally can be availed by those families in receipt of another government payment or support. From September 2017 the government has introduced the CCSP (Affordable childcare or universal subsidy scheme) scheme and this gives parents a daily contribution for children under 3 years. A discount of 10% is offered for a second child attending the centre and a further 5% discount for a second subsequent sibling attending the place.
What are the opening hours?
We are open 50 weeks of the year and operate from 7.30am – 6.00pm daily. We are closed on all bank holidays, normally Christmas Eve and the week between Christmas and New Year. We are also closed for a week in August usually around the Puck Fair Festival.
You’re always welcome to visit us. We operate an open door policy and encourage parents and guardians to drop in at anytime.
Will my child have a settling-in period?
Leaving a child can be a traumatic and upsetting experience for parents. We will do everything possible to ensure a smooth transition for both you and your child. We work together with parents over a settling in period (this could take 2 weeks particularly for the younger age groups), to ensure that your child is happy and secure in their new surroundings.
During this period, as your child settles in and establishes a bond with our childcare professionals and gains confidence, we learn about your child’s daily routine, their mealtimes, sleeping patterns and all the other little things special to your child.
What are the ratios?
We run our Centre adhering strictly to the 2016 Childcare Regulations. We follow the ratios that are included in this Act.
• Babies under 1 year 3:1 staff member
• Babies 1–2 years 5:1 staff member
• Children 2–3 years 6:1 staff member
• Children 3 – 5 years 8:1 Staff member
• Sessional preschool, the regulation is 1:11 staff member
Is all the food prepared and cooked on the premises?
At Scamps & Scholars, we have a full equipped kitchen and qualified staff who prepare freshly cooked meals and snacks for the centre. We post Menus on our notice boards to inform families of the weekly menu’s. Indeed the 4-week rotating menu’s are also posted on our Food & Kitchen page. We use only fresh meat and vegetables in all our dishes and we do not add any salt, artificial flavourings, or colouring, to the food and all our stock is home made.
Children under 12 months who are weaned and eating solids, will be provided with pureed freshly cooked vegetables, etc. However, all bottles of formula must be provided by parents, ready to drink, which will be stored in a fridge clearly labelled. They will not be sterilised in the centre. Children attending sessional services are provided with a mid morning nutritious snack. Milk and water are served but we do not allow any fizzy drinks or sweets in line with our healthy eating policy.
IF YOU ARE, OR BECOME, AWARE OF ANY KIND OF ALLERGIES REACTION TO FOOD, PLEASE ADVISE US IMMEDIATELY.
My child is toilet training, how do you support this?
When your child is ready for toilet training, we expect that this will be started at home and our staff will do everything to assist in this procedure.
Our toilets and washbasins are all child sized and your child is encouraged throughout the day in this process. We work closely with parents and ask that you bring in plenty of spare underwear and clothing.