Frequently Asked Questions

Monday to Friday 7.30am – 6.15pm

• Full Day Care: 8.30am – 5.30pm
• + Wrap hour: this hour can be used in full before FDC or up to 45minutes after FDC. It can be split to use 30 minutes before and after or split in any way am/pm to suit your families needs within our opening hours.
• Preschool: 8.45am – 11.45am
• Preschool extension includes an additional 2 hours from 11.45am – 1.45pm giving the child a part time 5 hour booking daily.
• School Age Childcare: 1.40pm – 5.40pm
• Junior & Senior infants are collected at 1.40pm and 1st to 6th class are collected at 2.40pm.
• Breakfast Club: 7.45am – 8.45am

For lunch, please provide a healthy, balanced snack such as a sandwich or wrap, pasta, rice, crackers, yogurt or any other nutritious food along with fruit or vegetables. Water or milk are preferred drinks. Please avoid fizzy drinks, juices, sweets, chocolate, crisps, popcorn, chewing gum, nuts and nut spreads. Processed foods are not recommended. Please refer to our healthy eating policy. (link)

If your child has any allergies or special dietary requirements, please let us know so we can ensure their needs are safely supported.

Buttercup Childcare are the proud winners of the Healthy Ireland Smart Start Award since 2024 and encourage healthy options only at all times.

Only persons named on the child’s registration form may collect a child, and all collectors must be aged 18 or over. Parents/guardians are expected to collect their child at the agreed collection time and must provide the names of at least two additional authorised collectors.

If a parent/guardian is late, the Room Leader or Manager will contact an authorised collector. A child will not be released to anyone under 18, or to anyone who appears unable to safely care for the child, or anyone unknown to staff without prior arrangement.

All alternative collectors must be agreed in advance and may be asked to provide identification. If no authorised person is available, staff will contact the Duty Social Worker with Tusla.

For a parent/guardian collecting another child, prior permission must be arranged with the service. Please refer to our Collection Policy for further information.

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We ask that parents let us know if they are picking up their child early. This is to allow us to have the child ready for home and minimise disrupting the class.

We understand that sometimes a parent is unavoidably delayed when coming to collect their child. Parents must contact the Service to notify us that they will be late and arrange with staff what to do.

Yes. Our practitioners are trained to administer certain medications for specific medical conditions. Medication will only be administered with the appropriate signed parental/guardian consent and supporting documentation from the child’s doctor.

Medication should only be provided to the service when it is essential for the child’s health and wellbeing and would be detrimental to their health if not administered. Please refer to our Administration of Medication Policy for further information. (link)

Only necessary medications will be administered by our practitioners when the appropriate permissions are signed by the parent. Please refer to our policy. (link)

Yes. Children throughout the service go on regular trips outside the service. We visit the local village park, Griston bog, the GAA pitch, the Soccer pitch and like to visit businesses within the community. Our Preschool children are lucky enough to go on a school tour each year in which they travel by bus to a suitable destination with indoor and outdoor facilities, usually within 1 hour travel distance.

Adult child ratios are as follows:

• Pre School: 1:11
• School Age Childcare: 1:12
• Breakfast Club: 1:12
• 2-3 years: 1:6
• Full Day Care: 1:8

Where possible, Buttercup Childcare, endeavour to have 2 adults with the children at all times. Preschool rooms may have an additional staff member in each room with AIM support staff.

Yes, the child care regulation states that a minimum of level 5 childcare is required for a person to work in a registered childcare service. Level 6 childcare, is required to be in charge of the room (Room Leader) Since 2019 after school has been regulated and there is no stated education requirement for a person to be in charge of the school age childcare room.

However, at Buttercup Childcare we promote best practice and have fully qualified staff in place in all rooms. We have Level 7 & 8 educators leading all three Early Learning Care (ELC) rooms and also in the School Age Childcare (SAC) after school room.

Yes, all childcare staff are Garda vetted and must have a minimum of 2 references from previous employers. Garda vetting is renewed every 2 years.

We ask parents/guardians to provide a few changes of clothes for their child. Comfortable, practical clothing is best for play; please avoid tight jeans, belts or clothing that may make toileting difficult. Outdoor play is an important part of our learning environment and takes place throughout the year, so please ensure your child has suitable warm clothing, rainwear and wellington boots available at all times.

Children can, of course, get messy or dirty during play and activities, so spare clothes are particularly important. Children attending after-school are also encouraged to have a change of clothes, as uniforms may become wet or dirty during activities.

If the service provides spare clothing for your child, we kindly ask that it is washed and returned within a reasonable timeframe.

No, we prefer not to give our resources out on loan.

Yes, we celebrate everyone’s birthday in our service. Birthday parties can be arranged for your child in our childcare service. You may bring in a birthday cake and some healthy treats for the whole group. We will take photos of the party and give them to you.

For any child whose birthday falls outside of term time, we usually celebrate before we break up for the appropriate holiday period.

We respect the right for all information, records and observations to be treated with respect and with due attention to confidentiality and privacy. Information will not be shared with third parties, unless required under law or Child Protection Guidelines. Within our service, family and child information is only shared beyond the child’s key worker and own room on a need to know basis.

Parents and children must not post any photos or videos containing other children, parents or staff of the service onto social networking sites as it may cause offence. It is our preferred policy that you do not take photos while inside the gate.

If you do not have access to your phone during working hours, please ensure we have two up-to-date emergency contacts, including their addresses and telephone numbers. It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to notify Buttercup Childcare of any changes to contact details. Parents/guardians or carers are also required to provide written consent for Buttercup chldcare to arrange emergency medical treatment or hospitalisation if necessary.

In the event of an accident or injury, staff trained in First Aid will provide appropriate care. Where medical attention is required, emergency services and/or our local doctor will be contacted immediately, followed by the parent/guardian or nominated emergency contact.

All accidents and incidents will be recorded and shared with the parent/guardian, who will be asked to sign the relevant record.

Yes. Children who are not fully vaccinated may attend Buttercup Childcare. We strongly encourage parents/guardians to follow the HSE childhood immunisation schedule, as vaccination helps protect children and the wider community from serious infectious diseases. If your child has missed any vaccinations, we recommend speaking with your GP about catching up on any outstanding doses.

To help protect all children and staff, children who are unwell or have certain infectious symptoms or conditions will be required to remain at home. This includes a temperature of 38°C or above, vomiting or diarrhoea within the previous 48 hours, difficulty breathing, an unexplained rash, or a diagnosed infectious or contagious illness.

If a child becomes unwell while attending the service, parents/guardians will be contacted and arrangements must be made for the child to be collected. If there is an infectious disease outbreak, parents/guardians will be informed and appropriate public health guidance will be followed.

Please refer to our Infection Control and Exclusion Policy for further information.

The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) program is a free, universal two-year preschool program in Ireland, funded by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. It provides children with their first formal experience of early learning before starting primary school.

Eligibility: Children must be aged 2 years and 8 months by 31 August and not older than 5 years and 6 months by 30 June of the program year.

Duration: The program runs for 38 weeks, from September to June, providing 3 hours per day, 5 days a week.

Funding: The State pays a capitation fee to participating childcare providers, ensuring that the program is free for parents.

Support: Local County Childcare Committees (CCCs) offer support and advice to parents and childcare providers.

Your child can avail of preschool from 2 years and 8 months, as long as they are this age before 1st September on that year. Please refer to the ECCE calculator here

Yes, your child can stay for up to 10 hours on any day as we are a Full Day Care (FDC).

Yes, your child can start once they are 2 years and 8 months, paying the daily rate (please refer to our rates here and you can apply for the UNIVERSAL SUBSIDY)

Preschool helps children:·

Make sure your child can:

The ECCE Programme offers both indoor and outdoor learning experiences, as well as opportunities for solo play and group play.

Indoor learning experiences often include:

• painting
• drawing and writing
• playdough
• play and sensory activities
• puzzles and games
• construction – for example, with blocks or Lego
• books
• home corners with play kitchens and dressing up

Outdoor learning experiences often include:

• play in the natural environment
• constructing with others
• sand and water play
• pretend play
• climbing, running and jumping

Group learning experiences often include:

• stories
• songs
• circle time
• music and movement
• visiting the community

Because children have spent so much time at home, some children will find it more difficult than usual to separate from their parents when the ECCE Programme commences in September. Be assured that this is perfectly normal and slow and gradual introduction to preschool will be necessary for some children. The preschool staff will be prepared for this and will offer advice and support. Knowing it is difficult, we do encourage parents to slip away as soon as the opportunity arise to allow the child to begin their short time with us. Since Buttercup Childcare have previously won the Early Childhood Ireland Transitions for Children Award, we have lots of tricks up our sleves to help children settle. In June each year we hold 3 days where children come into experience our service. This is a wonderful support for all children as they know what to expect in September. We also hold a Parent & Toddler group here at Buttercup Childcare on the last Friday of every month, giving parents and young children another opportunity to come into our service so the child can become familiar with their new environment.

At Buttercup Childcare we aim to ensure children feel safe and secure in the absence of their parents/carers. We will therefore endeavour to make the settling in process a positive experience for children and will work closely in partnership with parents/carers to ensure this is achieved. We invite and welcome all new parents and children to visit the service before the first day. We offer phased/staggered settling in. This can be extended if necessary. The settling in period will be guided by the child and their response to their new environment. Therefore individual arrangements will be made with parents. If children are upset staff will text or telephone the parents to let them know. Please refer to our settling in policy.

We will give you regular information about your child’s progress and welcome your contribution- please share information with us. We have a preschool Home/Service Book that is routinely updated and will be sent home on a regular basis. Please update with information on your child’s care at home to facilitate shared communication between the parent and service. Please tell us of any difficulties that your child is experiencing at home such as bereavement, illness, relationship breakdown, a new baby – all these can change a child’s behaviour and we want to help. If a parent needs to be contacted in relation to a concern about behaviour we will do this in a helpful rather than a complaining manner and we will try to resolve the situation.Please refer to our policy for partnership with families.

Speak to the preschool Leader and your concerns will be discussed and followed up to establish the supports required. In general, our experienced practioneer, will contact you if we feel that your child would benefit from additional supports that are available.

• Yes, we do liaise with all health professionals to support your child's needs. Given parental consent we can share observations with the professionals involved and support your child with the feedback that they give us.

At Buttercup Childcare, we recognise that every child is unique and that some children may need additional support to fully participate, learn and enjoy their time with us.

We work within the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), which provides a range of supports to help children participate meaningfully in the ECCE preschool programme. Support is based on each child’s individual needs and does not require a formal diagnosis. Depending on the child’s needs, AIM support may include specialist advice, equipment, environmental adaptations, therapeutic support or additional assistance within the preschool room.

If you have any concerns about your child’s development, communication, behaviour, social skills, physical needs or ability to participate in the preschool environment, we encourage you to speak with your child’s Key Worker or Room Leader. Together, we can discuss your child’s individual needs, identify what support may be helpful and, where appropriate, explore an AIM application.

AIM applications for targeted supports are made by the preschool in partnership with the child’s parent or guardian. Our team will support and guide you through the process and work together with you and relevant professionals to help your child feel included, confident and supported.

At Buttercup Childcare, our aim is to ensure every child has the opportunity to participate, develop their abilities and enjoy a positive and inclusive early learning experience.

Yes, the practitioners at Buttercup Childcare remind the whole group to use the toilet on a regular basis throughout the session.

Yes, the practitioners at Buttercup Childcare are highly trained and will support you child whilst promoting independence until the child becomes confident on their own in the toilet. We also have a suitable learning exercise in the classroom to educate the child how to do the bum wiping procedure.

We understand that a familiar toy or comfort item can be very reassuring for some children, particularly when they are settling into a new environment. However, we generally do not allow personal toys or comfort items to be brought from home. This helps to prevent items being lost or damaged and avoids difficulties around sharing with other children.

If your child is experiencing significant upset or is finding the transition into childcare particularly difficult, we are happy to discuss their individual needs with you. Where appropriate, we may allow a comfort item on a short-term basis while your child settles and builds confidence.

Our priority is always to help children feel safe, secure and comfortable at Buttercup Childcare, while gradually supporting them towards feeling confident without their personal comfort items.

At Buttercup Childcare, we follow a child-led, play-based approach guided by Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, and Síolta, the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education.

We believe children learn best when they are interested, engaged and actively involved in their own learning. Our educators observe each child, follow their interests and provide meaningful experiences that encourage curiosity, creativity, communication, problem-solving, independence and positive relationships.

Our curriculum is flexible and responsive rather than one-size-fits-all. Children are supported at their own pace, with educators providing the right level of encouragement, guidance and challenge. Learning takes place through a balance of child-led play, educator-supported experiences, everyday routines and opportunities to explore both indoors and outdoors.

Aistear’s four themes of Well-being, Identity and Belonging, Communication, and Exploring and Thinking are woven naturally throughout our daily experiences. We recognise that every child is unique and that their development is interconnected across all areas of learning.

At Buttercup Childcare, our aim is to create a warm, inclusive environment where children feel safe, valued and confident to explore, make choices, ask questions and develop a lifelong love of learning.

We understand that after a busy day at primary school, children need time to unwind. When they arrive at Buttercup Childcare, around twenty minutes before the hour, they have time for free play, chatting with friends and simply relaxing and letting off some steam.

By 3.00pm, children are offered a warm, nutritious meal or snack. Homework time begins around 3.30pm and is supported for approximately 30–45 minutes, depending on the child’s class and individual needs.

After homework, we offer a range of fun, structured activities, but participation is always optional. Children are encouraged to have a voice in what they would like to do, whether that is getting involved in an activity, playing with friends, or simply having some quiet time to relax.

Our routine is flexible and child-led. We want The Loft to feel like a true home-from-home, where children feel comfortable, listened to and valued, with a balance of play, relaxation, social time and activities.

Yes, where possible we want to accommodate all parents. Again, you need to inform us about this in good time, as we have adult: child ratios to maintain at all times. It is your responsibility to inform us if your child should not be collected at the booked time. Without this information, in the interest of safety, we have to collect the child at the booked time.

We currently have fibre in Buttercup Childcare, if children require it, yes they can use it. We don’t encourage too much use of internet access, as we have many children to supervise, we have no control over the content any individual child may access. If we find any child accessing inappropriate content, they will no longer be granted access to the internet at any time.

If your child wants to have breakfast in the service, we accommodate this. If you child is having breakfast with us, them must be in before 8.30am to have enough time for them to enjoy their breakfast.

School age childcare (SAC) provides care and developmental activities for children under 15 outside of school hours, supporting families when parents are unavailable.

School age childcare (SAC) refers to services designed for children in primary or post-primary education, typically under the age of 15, that operate outside of regular school hours. The primary purpose of SAC is to provide care, supervision, and a range of developmental, educational, and recreational activities for children while their parents or guardians are unavailable, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for growth and learning.

Types of Services

SAC services can take many forms, including:

• After-school clubs
• Breakfast clubs
• Out-of-school programs
• Summer camps
• Homework support programs

If your child is eligible for the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, their preschool place is provided free of charge under the scheme.

ECCE covers 3 hours of preschool each day, 5 days a week, from 8.45am to 11.45am, for 38 weeks of the year from September to June, in line with the school calendar. The ECCE funding is paid directly to Buttercup Childcare through Pobal.

A €100 preschool deposit is required to secure your child’s ECCE place. This deposit is fully refundable in October once your child has taken up their place. The deposit is non-refundable if the place is cancelled or your child does not take up their preschool place.

If your child is not yet eligible for ECCE, or requires childcare outside the ECCE hours, additional fees may apply. Please contact Buttercup Childcare for our current preschool and childcare rates.

Payment for ECCE is made directly from POBAL to the service and covers 3 hours daily 8.45am to 11.45am from September to June for 38 weeks running in line with the school calendar. All ECCE places do require a deposit of €100.00 which is fully refundable in October when the place has been taken. The deposit is non-refundable if a place is not taken.

All childcare fees are paid monthly in advance. You will receive an invoice every 4 weeks outlining your childcare costs and clearly showing any ECCE and NCS subsidies deducted from your balance.

Childcare fees are collected by Direct Debit (DD) within 7 days of your invoice being issued.

If a payment is missed, the outstanding balance can be paid directly to:

• Buttercup Childcare
• AIB
• IBAN: IE66AIBK93532833162068
• BIC: AIBKIE2D

All camps and extracurricular activities are booked and paid for directly through our website.

If you have any questions about your invoice or payment, please contact the Buttercup Childcare team.

After school fees vary, depending on each person’s individual needs, we have many options available. Please refer to our fees list for your options.

Yes. Most families using a Tusla-registered childcare service can benefit from the National Childcare Scheme (NCS). The scheme provides financial support towards childcare costs for children from 24 weeks up to 15 years of age.

There are two main types of NCS subsidy:

Universal Subsidy
The Universal Subsidy is available to all eligible families, regardless of income. The current rate is €2.14 per hour, for up to 45 hours of childcare per week. This can provide savings of up to €96.30 per week per child when the full 45 hours are used.

Income-Assessed Subsidy
Families with lower or moderate household incomes may qualify for a higher subsidy. From September 2026, families with reckonable income below €68,000 may qualify, with the level of support depending on household income, your child’s age and educational stage, and the number of children in your family. Families on lower incomes generally receive a higher hourly subsidy.

How do I apply?
Parents or guardians apply directly for the NCS through the NCS website. You will need a verified MyGovID and your child’s PPS number. Once your application is approved, you will receive a CHICK number, which you provide to Buttercup Childcare so we can register your child’s NCS subsidy.

The subsidy is paid directly to Buttercup Childcare and deducted from your childcare fees, so you only pay the balance.

We encourage all Buttercup Childcare families to apply for NCS, even if you are unsure whether you qualify for the higher income-assessed subsidy. If you need help with your application, please speak to a member of our team.

Apply for NCS or check your entitlement

A regular booking is a planned childcare arrangement where your child attends Buttercup on agreed days and hours each week. Regular places are booked for a minimum of 38 weeks, in line with our childcare calendar. This allows us to provide consistency for children and plan our staffing effectively.

A late or occasional booking is a one-off request to add or change childcare outside your child’s usual booking pattern. These requests are welcome where possible, but are subject to availability and adult-to-child ratios, so we cannot always guarantee a place.

Yes. We are happy to consider requests to increase your child’s booked days or hours, subject to availability and adult-to-child ratios.

If you wish to reduce your child’s booked days or hours, an 8-week written notice period applies. Reductions will take effect at the beginning of a new term, following the required notice period.

Yes. If your childcare requirements change and you need to cancel your child’s place, we require 8 weeks’ written notice. This gives us time to plan appropriately and offer the place to another family.

To ensure that we can provide a consistent and sustainable service for all families, every child must attend for a minimum of 3 days per week or 10 hours of childcare per week.

All changes and cancellations must be made in writing and are subject to the terms of your childcare agreement. We are always happy to discuss your individual childcare needs with you.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer fortnightly or bi-weekly bookings. A place would need to remain available for your child every week, which means we cannot offer that place to another family who may require regular weekly childcare. We appreciate your understanding.

We understand that family schedules can change, but unfortunately we cannot accommodate regular changes to your child’s booked days from week to week. Our adult-to-child ratios and staffing requirements mean that we need to plan our rooms and staffing in advance.

Absolutely. We understand that unexpected family emergencies can arise, and we will always do our best to support families during difficult or unforeseen circumstances.

Where we can safely accommodate a change of day or an extension to your child’s usual hours, we will be happy to help. Any changes will, of course, be subject to availability, staffing and adult-to-child ratios.

Please speak to a member of our team as soon as possible, and we will do everything we can to support you.

We are always happy to discuss your childcare requirements and will do our best to find a regular booking pattern that works well for your family and provides consistency for your child.