Childcare services launch Strategic plan

LORD Mayor Darryl Barron visited the Cherry Orchard Community Childcare Services to launch its Strategic Plan, following an extensive period of consultation with the service’s children, families, staff and community partners.

The launch, which was also attended by Minister Catherine Ardagh, not only showcased its vision for the next five years but also showcased the positive impact that the Service has provided to the local community over the years.

In its review, which was completed by the CEO of Childhood Development Initiative, Marian Quinn, it was found that the Service’s main aim is to provide high-quality, evidence-informed early years and after-school care for children up to the age of 10.

The Service also aims to effectively engage parents and families in the service by respecting parents and carers as the child’s primary educator.

Based on feedback from staff, management is determined to support ongoing professional development for staff so that they are best enabled to provide high-quality services in the coming years.

The series of aims are based on feedback from parents, staff and children, which was hugely positive, with 95 per cent of parents “really happy to leave their child at the service.”

The Service was granted €750,000 under the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme in May 2025 to build a 200 sqm extension with capacity for 40 new under-two spaces, allowing a much-needed expansion.

Manager at Cherry Orchard Community Childcare Services, Rachel Galvin has been in her role for nine years and has witnessed firsthand the expansion of the service, with 118 children and 43 staff currently on board.

“Children were included in the plan, as were the local area service providers and partners that we work with in the community, the parents and the staff as well.

“It was hugely important for us to get feedback, see where we’re all at, see what the concerns are, and see what we’re doing well, and then to just make a plan for going forward.”

Rachel also highlighted the importance of community to a not- for-profit service such as this, as they “want to give back to the community” and do so by putting all profits into training their staff.

“We have recently funded staff members to get their Masters in Play Therapy, so now we have on-site play therapists working with the children and we have trained all the staff in trauma-informed care … We try to invest in and respond to needs as they arise; that’s what we want to keep on doing and keep on advocating for.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme