New Respond! Childcare Centre

Respond!, Ireland’s largest housing association, marked the launch of their new childcare centre in Ard na Ghleanna, Tramore, Co Waterford by hosting an Open Day on Thursday January 10th 2008. This new state of the art childcare centre is a huge addition to Waterford County as it is available to both Respond! and non-Respond! residents. The centre will serve Tramore and surrounding area and will be open to the public from next Monday, January 21st 2008.

Childcare Manager Niamh Flavin said: “This facility is a huge bonus to Tramore as we provide high quality affordable childcare for children in a safe, stimulating and educational environment which helps to develop children in every aspect of their development from physical and intellectual to linguistic and social. We try to facilitate parents as much as possible and will be offering both morning and afternoon sessions from 9am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 5.30pm.”

This Respond! Childcare centre is also unique in that it offers Family Sessions known as PEEP (Peers Early Education Partnership). By being part of this group, parents and children benefit from weekly support sessions giving parents mutual support and friendship, resources for use in the home, fun time for parents/carers and children, as well as a “flying start” for children to their early education.

Founded in Waterford in 1982, Ireland’s largest social housing provider have gained more than 25 years in providing community development, childcare, education and training services. The organisation currently manages 19 childcare centres in the South East and a further 20 throughout Ireland. Respond! recently published a Family Resource and Childcare Manual which was launched by the Minister for Children, Brendan Smith, TD.

According to Marguerita Courtney, Respond! Family Resource Co-ordinator: “Following the success of our other childcare centre in Beechmount, Tramore, we were delighted to be able to increase the level of child-oriented services available to the people of Tramore and the surrounding environs. We hope the centre will be accessed by a large portion of the community and Respond! aims to increase the level of childcare services we provide in the South East”.

Respond! Childcare is available to all of the community and facilitates pre-school aged children from two years ten months to five years. Anyone who would like further information or to book a place on the course, please contact Niamh Flavin on 0818 357901 or email niamh.flavin@respond.ie.