County Donegal has the lowest weekly rates for childminding in the country, a survey said today.
Childminding Ireland, which represents about 1,000 people who mind children in their own homes, also found many parents are reducing the number of hours their children are being looked after.
Nearly half of parents have reduced the number of hours for which they are seeking childcare in the past year as a result of the recession, the survey found.
In Donegal at €110 the county has one of the lowest weekly rates quoted by childminders.
Overall, 45 per cent of childminders reported that parents had reduced the number of hours for which they were seeking childcare in 2010.
Of these 76 per cent reported a reduction in the parents’ working hours or pay as the reason for this change.
