First Steps Crèche celebrates 25 years serving Ballybeg
Sean, Hazel and Dominic, at First Steps Creche & Pre-School. Photo: Joe Evans
First Steps Crèche and Pre-School celebrated their milestone 25th birthday last week in Ballybeg.
The crèche was officially opened by President Mary McAleese in 2000, an event captured by our photographer Joe Evans.
Over the last quarter century, the crèche has gone from strength to strength.
In 2024, First Steps won a Child & Youth Participation Award from Túsla, for involving the children in making decisions and changes in the service. The crèche is planning on expansion in the future, and have applied for a grant from Pobal.
Currently there are 107 children enrolled in First Steps. The premises caters to children aged between three months up to six years.
Manager, Doireann Nix welcomed the Waterford News and Star to their celebration. Doireann began working at First Steps in September 2020, during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. She said: "It was very daunting because there were massive challenges for the early years sector."
Today, the major challenges are in retaining staff in the sector. Doriean said: "We're very lucky that we have retained our staff here, we've staff that have been here for 20, 25 years, we've loads of new staff as well. Any staff that have left us, since I've been here, have either left the country to do childcare in a different country or have left the sector all together."
There are myriad reasons as to why this happens, for instance poor pay. According to Doireann: "We do pay way more than other crèches pay. But there still would be a lack of investment into the sector. While the Government have made great efforts in recent years, they're not anywhere they need to be."
