Working parents hit the same wall twice: once when preschool hours don’t stretch to cover a working day, and again once school starts and the gap just moves rather than closing. Deciding between a school-run childminder and a full-day place comes down to which gap you’re actually trying to fill.
Key Takeaways
– ECCE preschool hours run 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 38 weeks, well short of a standard working day (Citizens Information).
– A school-run childminder covers the hours before and after school; a full-day childminder covers a preschooler’s entire working day.
– Under current regulations, a childminder can mind a maximum of six children, no more than two under 15 months.
– The National Childcare Scheme subsidy applies to both a school-run childminder and a full-day place, as long as the childminder is Tusla-registered.
A school-run childminder and a full-day place solve different gaps
Before choosing between a school-run childminder and a full-day place, it helps to see exactly how big the gap is. ECCE gives most preschoolers 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 38 weeks of the year, entirely free. That’s a fraction of a typical working day, and it doesn’t run through school holidays at all.
Primary school doesn’t close that gap either. Our guide to junior infants in Ireland notes that junior infants classes “typically run a shorter day than older primary classes, especially in the first term.” Even once a child moves into a full school day, that day still ends mid-afternoon, well before most parents finish work.
What a part-time, school-run childminder actually covers
A school-run childminder typically covers the hours immediately before and after school, and sometimes the school run itself: collecting your child, minding them for an hour or two, and handing them back to you once you’re home. Some also cover the gaps around a shorter junior-infants day or a half-day preschool session.
This arrangement suits families whose working hours mostly overlap with the school day, with just the edges needing cover. It’s usually a smaller, cheaper commitment than full-day care, since you’re only paying for a couple of hours rather than a full day.
What a full-day childminder place covers, and when you need one
A full-day childminder place covers a preschooler’s or school-age child’s entire working day, not just the edges. Our full breakdown of childminder fees in Ireland sets out real hourly and daily rates for exactly this kind of arrangement.
You’ll usually need a full-day place if your child hasn’t started school yet, if your working hours don’t leave room for a shorter arrangement, or if you’d rather have one consistent carer covering the whole day. Our plain look at what a childminder does day to day gives a sense of what that full day actually involves, beyond just supervision.
How the cost structure differs between the two
There’s no official rate card splitting part-time and full-day childminder pricing in Ireland. Treat any specific split as a rough guide rather than a fixed rule. In practice, part-time or school-run cover tends to cost less overall, since it covers fewer hours. The per-hour rate itself can still sit close to, or occasionally above, a full-day rate.
A few things shift the real cost either way:
- How predictable the hours are: a fixed daily school-run slot is usually cheaper to arrange than irregular, on-demand cover.
- Whether holidays are included: school-run-only arrangements often need separate cover during school holidays, which full-day childminding already includes.
- Registration and the National Childcare Scheme: covered next, and it applies the same way regardless of hours.
What the National Childcare Scheme covers for each
The National Childcare Scheme’s universal subsidy pays a minimum of €2.14 an hour, and it applies to a school-run childminder and a full-day childminder equally, as long as the childminder is Tusla-registered. This covers wraparound care in Ireland too, whether that’s morning drop-off, after-school collection, or both. Our guide to childcare in Ireland covers how NCS interacts with other schemes like ECCE if you’re claiming both.
Hours matter more than the label here. NCS pays per hour of registered care, so a school-run arrangement of two hours a day claims a smaller total subsidy than a full working day, not because the scheme treats it differently, but simply because there are fewer hours to subsidise.
Which one you actually need
A few honest questions narrow this down faster than a feature comparison:
- Does your working day fit almost entirely inside school hours, with only the edges needing cover?
- Do you need cover through school holidays, not just term time?
- Would you rather have one carer for the whole day, or is splitting school-run and after-school cover manageable?
- Is your child not yet in school, meaning a full working day needs covering regardless?
If your answers point toward the edges rather than the whole day, a school-run childminder is usually the lighter, cheaper option. If they point toward the whole day, a full-day place is worth budgeting for from the start rather than patching together shorter arrangements.
Plenty of families don’t pick just one. A school-run childminder handles term-time mornings and afternoons, while the same childminder, or a different one, covers full days during school holidays. Ask any childminder you’re considering whether they offer both, since switching between two separate arrangements partway through the year adds friction neither side wants.
Once you’ve worked out which shape of care you need, you can find a Garda-vetted childminder on TrustedCarers.ie and compare profiles who specifically offer school-run or full-day cover, rather than guessing from a generic listing.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Can a childminder do just the school run?
A: Yes. A school-run childminder typically minds a child for an hour or two before or after school rather than a full working day.
Q: Is part-time childminding cheaper per hour than full-day care?
A: Not always. Part-time or school-run cover usually costs less overall since it covers fewer hours, but the per-hour rate can sit close to a full-day rate rather than below it.
Q: Does the National Childcare Scheme cover school-run-only childcare?
A: Yes, as long as the childminder is Tusla-registered. The subsidy pays per hour, so a shorter school-run arrangement claims a smaller total amount than a full working day.
Q: What age can a childminder start doing school collections?
A: There’s no separate age rule for school collections specifically. A school-run childminder falls under the same ratios and registration rules that apply to minding children of any age.
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