Parents have been left in a state of limbo today following the announcement that a Laois childcare facility has been forced to close ‘indefinitely’.
Sonas Mountmellick Community Childcare is the impacted provider and they say the closure is due to an ‘administrative issue with our registration as a service provider’.
Sonas is based in the MDA Business Park, Irishtown, Mountmellick and is a community facility which provides sessional, full day, part time and afterschool care.
It provides care for around 200 children but is now closed ‘until further notice’.
It is understood that somewhere in the region of 50 creches across the country have issued similar correspondence to parents this week.
A statement from the Board of Management outlined the situation that Sonas is facing.
“Due to an administrative issue with our registration as a service provider, Sonas is closed, Thursday January 8 2026, and will remain closed until further notice.
“The Board has been advised by Tusla that Sonas can no longer legally provide a service until this issue is resolved.
“The Management are doing everything humanly possible to resolve this situation as speedily as possible and resume our service delivery.
“Sonas Childcare is one of a large number of service providers nationally in this situation at present.
“The Board acknowledges the disruption this is causing to parents and guardians, the children who attend our facility, and to our staff.
“The Board and Management Team will keep all impacted parties updated daily until a resolution is reached.”
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