The crèche at youth Horizons is a community play-based service that has been a part of the Jobstown community since 2003. The service gives some of our students who have children the opportunity to return to education, while also providing their children with a positive early education experience.
We primarily cater for the children of students within Youth Horizons; however, places are offered to the families in the community if available.
We are guided by the Siolta quality framework to ensure our service meets all regulatory requirements. We pride ourselves in offering a service that has a 'home from home' feel, welcoming parents and families for visits when possible.
Facilities
The crèche is a vibrant space where children are provided with the highest standard of childcare that is delivered in our purpose-designed crèche. Our service has 2 rooms that cater for children between the ages of 10 months and 5 years. The secure boundary garden provides a safe space where children can explore the natural world, play and develop friendships.
We provide healthy and nutritious meals for all children who attend our service, including breakfast, morning and afternoon snacks, and hot dinners cooked on site by our cook. Our menu changes seasonally and all fresh produce is brought in from local sources.
Curriculum
Our curriculum is a play-based curriculum that incorporates the emerging interests of the children as they arise. We use the Aistear curriculum framework to guide our planning and assess the children's learning and development.
We encourage the children to learn at their own pace, through hands on experiences and a flexible routine. Our aim is to promote the social and emotional development of young children, which has been proven to best support children in their future primary school education.
Our Early Years Educators
All our educators are qualified childcare professionals and participate in regular ongoing professional development. All are trained in First Aid, Fire Safety, Health and Safety, curriculum development as well as regular training in supporting children's and parental needs. We strive for inclusion and are delighted to participate and work in conjunction with better start and and Aim inclusion module.
Youth Horizons employs CE participants, and in the crèche, we aim to support participants in their training towards a qualification in Early Education and Care.
Crèche Places
We open in line with the school academic year, typically from the end of August/start of September to the end of June each year. We offer places on a full-time and part-time basis as well as places on the ECCE scheme. As our service has limited availability, we operate a waiting list when the service is full.