More than 10,200 children under three were enrolled for an Early Years place in 2024/25 in the county
Over 3,000 children under the age of three in Kildare are on waiting lists for a place in Early Years providers, according to Early Childhood Ireland.
The early years organisation says up to 3,400 children in the county remain on waiting lists due to ongoing staff challenges.
The waiting list figures come from Pobal’s Annual Sector Profile Survey, which shows that, among those surveyed in Kildare, more than 10,200 children under three were enrolled for an Early Years place in 2024/25 and up to 3,400 remained on waiting lists.
Of those waiting for a place, 476 were under the age of one; 1,599 were 1-2 years old; and 1,348 were 2-3 years old.
Pobal’s data also shows Early Years and School Age Care settings in Kildare are losing 30 per cent of their staff each year.
Meanwhile, a survey published today by The Irish Independent has found that the majority of creches have waiting lists of up to a year, with the average fee at €845 before applicable state subsidies.
The survey found that in Kildare, the lowest creche fees was €185, whilst the most expensive was €275.
Some providers say they have over 200 children looking for a place, with some parents calling looking for creche places from the hospital after giving birth, or even while pregnant.
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