Crying children left without comfort at Wexford Creche.

Tusla has published its report following an inspection at (Wexford Creche) Discoveryland Creche and Montessori in Wexford town, highlighting concerns relating to childcare neglect in Wexford.

Inspectors found that babies and toddlers were left to cry for long periods because there were not enough staff to comfort them, and were concerned that their individual needs were not adequately met.

The report stated that the inspectors heard persistent crying in the baby room, to such a degree that the noise level made it difficult for staff to speak and respond to each other in the room when answering questions about the babies’ care.

A number of concerning scenes were noted. One young child was seen crying for long periods, over an hour and a half, and was at times sitting on the floor alone.

Another child was observed crying, but staff struggled to provide comfort as there were 10 children under the age of 2 in the room, 2 of whom were less than a year old.

An inspector asked a staff member to contact the parent of a baby they described as inconsolable. The staff member responded that the child was not really upset, as there were no tears.

Child’s additional needs not met.

The report also noted that the needs of one child, who required additional support, were not met at this Wexford Creche. The child had minimal interaction with the staff and was left in a highchair with no assistance in feeding.

Information provided to parents is not accurate.

The Tusla inspector also noted that the information given to parents at the end of the day regarding their children was not correct, in one case advising a parent that their child was “a little unsettled, but had a good day.” This was observed as being inaccurate.

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