The Crann Support Group is a dynamic company dedicated to the provision of quality, affordable, inclusive childcare across County Meath. As a company providing a wide range of management support and consultancy services to fifteen childcare outlets in this region, they support Early Childhood Care and Education to almost one thousand children and 720 families on a daily basis.

The Crann Support Group places a strong emphasis on communication with parents and recognizes that parents are the primary care and educators of their children. Childcare facilities managed by the Crann Support Group have traditionally communicated to parents verbally and through the use a picture illustrated diaries and in addition to the large volume of paperwork determined by the Statutory Preschool Regulations. In late 2012, the Board of the Crann Support Group identified the need to explore a more efficient and effective way of communicating with parents. Research was carried out in Canada, the U.K. and Ireland. The findings illustrated that communication, in general, has progressed to a digital format and the main benefit of this being that parents receive communication regarding their children in real time.

The Crann Support Group considered many different digital products on the market, both at home and abroad. The product that could most obviously meet the needs of the childcare facility and parents alike was the Child Paths App. This decision was an outcome of a consultation process, which involved Childcare Professionals and Parents. We have found the team at Child Paths to be extremely professional and helpful with all of our queries and would not hesitate in lending our name to support their product.

We have been working with Ciaran and the Child Paths team for over a year now. We have found every part of the process seamless and easy. From the training of staff to the roll out to parents, Ciaran and his team have been more than willing to help.

We have found the application has improved our childcare environment and interactions. The staff has more time with the children in their care with the use of tablets instead of paperwork. Parents are updated daily on their child’s day improving the link between our services, and home life. Practitioners also learn more about each child with the parent’s ability to add to their child’s file when at home.

As childcare practitioners, we understand that supporting families and open communication and interaction leads to better outcomes for children. We now see Child Paths as an integral part of achieving these close relationships with parents. We would not be without it.

If you are a Creche owner or manager I’m sure like me, you get many phone calls from Sales Reps. I usually cut them short and ask them to call back at a less busy time. The morning Ciaran called the Creche –  was no different. He asked if he could meet for a chat about their new Child Paths App, and even though I tried to put him off his persistence won me over. The morning Ciaran arrived I was very much still of the thinking ‘I’ll give him 10 minutes’ – so as not to be rude!! I had no intention of signing up; it was only when Ciaran told me of how he came up with the idea of the App that I really started paying attention. Ciaran is different to any other sales person in his field – difference being he totally ‘gets’ where the parents (my customers) are coming from and now to a degree the Creche staff also.

Here at First Steps our philosophy has always been Children first – paperwork second. The idea of taking on a new system with a tablet in every room seemed way beyond our capabilities. However, I was intrigued as to how it all worked and how it would enhance the performance of our Creche. The fact that it is another way of linking the child and setting to the parents was a major plus. It’s a great selling point from our perspective too. When I tell new Mammies about it who are leaving their precious baby for the first time, their eyes light up with the idea of being able to see what their little bundle is getting up to while they are apart.  Now don’t get me wrong, the first few weeks was a bit overwhelming. We even nicknamed our tablets ‘The tablet of Terror’. But a bit like a new phone, in time it all becomes second nature. Observations are sent by the touch of a button and parents who are rushing in at collection time love not being bombarded with sheets of paper.

One concern was if the App would take away from our handover chats with the parents. In fact, we have found that it enhances it. The kids seem to love it too. They are always asking us to take photos of them to send to Mam/Dad of their achievements through the day. The after sales care is second to none. Robbie was there every step of the way and never tired of our numerous (and probably annoying) queries. I must say the system is very easy to use once you get used to it.. You can’t really get it wrong!!

Child Paths has certainly brought something new and exciting to First Steps and has connected us even more to the families within our community. In this day and age paper is quickly becoming a thing of the past. I am so glad we took the plunge to move with the times. We can not imagine going back to paper now.