A Fermanagh preschool has capped its available places because it makes better financial sense to have fewer staff.

This is just one of the difficult decisions that play groups and others are having to face right across Fermanagh.

A Papier-mâché solar system hangs from the roof of Mullanaskea Pre-School and After Schools club as underneath it, staff tidy up resources in what was the original school for the area. 125 years later it is still educating young minds.

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Childcare ratios mean that for every eight children present, there must be one adult member of staff, any more than 24 children present and a fourth staff member must be added.

The preschool can accommodate 25 children but limits numbers now to 24.

“We only take 24 at the minute because it's better for us only to have the three members just financially.

“If you were to take 26 kids, those two children, the money that comes in from them [through Education Authority funding] doesn't make it up to pay for staff.”

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Mrs. Crowe explained: “As we're in a voluntary community sector we do get PEGS funding from the Education Authority, which pays money per child.

“Parents do give a voluntary contribution towards snacks and it also helps pay for maybe photographs and the odd few resources.

“It was £10 for years and we upped it to £15.”

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This was a difficult decision for the pre-school but they say that they are generously supported by fundraising and parents of the children.

Mrs. Crowe and other staff believe that their preschool is sustainable due to the moves they make around recycling and sustainability.

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She points around the room to displays which have repurposed materials: “Those are posters that come in for road safety awareness and they line everything.

“How we sustain ourselves here is that we're very good at holding on to resources [to re-use] and when sourcing we price around, we just don't go willy nilly and buy.”

She added: “We have a good management committee behind us, they back you as well. They understand the needs and they do try their best to make things work.”

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Mrs. Crowe and fellow staff believe that if a new childcare strategy is introduced it “really needs to listen to all sectors and especially the voluntary sector”.