Kids at Play
Our Story
I developed a keen interest and grá for working with children who have additional needs during my second year in college. I completed my work experience module as a SNA for a two-year-old boy who was diagnosed with autism. I went to Montessori with him everyday and assisted him with communication, play and academic skills.
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From here, I left my job in a local hotel and began working with another child who is on the autism spectrum. This is where my passion for teaching began. I did a mixture of childminding and tuition with this boy and we both loved it.
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About a year later, I was contacted by parents of a child who was in a creche, but the setting did not suit his needs. They were looking for a childminder who could understand their child’s needs and provide a space for him to just be a kid and learn and explore at his own pace in a comfortable setting. This was a great opportunity for me, but also for the child I was already working with- he now had a friend that he saw three times a week.
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Six months later I was contacted by another two families, again looking for a childminder for their daughters. These little girl had a different variety of complex needs. This was an opportunity for me to gain hands on experience with additional needs other than autism. This also created a wider friend circle for the two boys which was another bonus!
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Shortly after, it became clear that my name was circulating among parents, particularly parents of children with additional needs. I heard the same thing time and time again- ‘mainstream’ childcare services did not meet the children’s needs. The settings were overwhelming and often staff did not have any experience working with children who have additional and complex needs. With this in mind, and an increasing demand for a service for children with additional needs, I decided to expand, minimally to begin with. I was put in touch with Anna and together we provided a childminding service for children with additional needs. I felt this was the best way to provide this service as I needed an extra set of hands to ensure the children were cared for appropriately.
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In 2019, we moved into a space in Waterford city and opened a play and social skills group for children with additional needs. Demand soared and we created a lovely community for the children we worked with. We created a space that suited their needs and allowed them to be kids, just kids, like every other child in the country.
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In 2021, we moved to our new space in Carnglas Court, and I restructured our service as an afterschool. We registered with Tusla which meant we could now offer subsidies to our parents and apply for much needed funding. What started with one child has now expanded to over 50 children coming through our doors every week.
I am extremely proud of the service we offer. Every day, we are reminded that regardless of anything else a child deserves a space to be a child, something that underpins our practice always. I am equally as thankful to all of our parents and families for their trust, patience, kindness and support.