The Perfect Crèche 
Mary Regan, The Irish Examiner

In the Daisy Chain Crèche even the wooden spoon puppets on the walls are smiling. Outside, children are playing a variety of games with staff. Inside, small babies are sleeping peacefully.
Hanging on the wall of the Centre in Milltown along with paintings and craft works, is a Centre of Excellence Award one of just 16 in the country. The award is made each year by the National Children’s Nurseries Association (NCNA), which has more than 600 members around the country. These Crèche’s must adhere to a set of rules to keep standards high. These include aspects of staff, parent and children interaction, health and safety, food and nutrition, the physical environment and administration. 

Daisy Chain’s Group Administration Manager said, “Everything has to be to the highest standards, and we have to keep a self assessment folder to prove we are doing this. This is sent to the NCNA and they then visit for inspection” These regular “validation days” ensure the Crèche is subject to regular checks.
Unlike HSE inspections, NCNA staff interview parents to hear their view on how the facility is run. The children in Daisy Chain range from three months to five years old. Each group has a different room, or setting, appropriate to their needs. In the baby room, children are playing in a ball pool or being fed their bottles.  Next door, other babies are sleeping in a darkened room. Each one has a little note pad detailing what time they slept, when they were fed and if they had any problems throughout the day. This is given to parents every evening, under the rules set out by the NCNA. If there are any small problems, staff is well trained to deal with them. First aid and baby health are two of many training courses staff attends.
 
Daisy Chain owner, Siobhan Fahy, said good organisation is the key to winning the Excellence Award. “It’s not difficult at all to teach children the importance of washing their hands and being clean.
They will actual come out and say” Mary didn’t wash her hands. Once you give them the basics and the time, they are very aware.
 
She said the same applies to the crèches healthy eating plan. The older children are served a hot meal each day. The NCNA standards require that a full compliment of protein, carbohydrates and vitamins be provided for on a daily basis. And children with special dietary requirements are catered for.
Ms.Fahy said its a very safe environment because there are so many adults in the room at all times, which is one of the main reasons childcare is expensive. You have to have extra staff on top of your full time staff to cover the times when someone is out.
 
NCNA registered crèches are also subject to HSE inspections. Ms. Fahy said crèche owners should not be fearful of the HSE. We actually work with the HSE a lot. “If we were looking to make a big change, we would ask the HSE out to advise us,” she said.