Tipperary childcare provider left 'shaken' by 'violent and abusive' parent

A Tipperary early years education provider, Dr Anne-Marie Ryan, has been left "shaken" by "violent and abusive" parent following incidents at her facility. 

Bright Beginnings is an Early Years Educare Centre situated on the outskirts of Cashel town and on Facebook over the last few days, the facility has issued a shocking statement about an incident at the childcare provider in recent days. 

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The statement, posted on June 6, said: "In the almost 16 years since I opened Bright Beginnings, we have never excluded even one child from the service.

"No matter how challenging things have been, we have always done our best to work with parents and families to do everything in the child(ren)’s best interests in order for them to settle, thrive, and ultimately achieve their own full potential, whatever that may look like for any particular child.

"I have, however, excluded a handful of parents over the past sixteen years. Every single one for the same exact reason - they were rude, disrespectful, or abusive to one or more of our team members.

"Our team are amazing, they work extremely hard in what is a very difficult and often thankless job. Even more impressively, they turn up day after day with smiles on their faces, and they actually make this look easy.

"I can assure you that it most certainly is not easy in any way, shape, or form.

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"What took place today has shaken me and several staff members to the absolute core.

"Thankfully, due to my often referred-to as ‘overkill security measures’ we were able to shield all of the children from what transpired.

"In sixteen years, I have never encountered a parent to be so abusive, so insulting, disrespectful, and violent towards any member of our team.

"Thankfully, I absorbed the majority of the abuse and violence, with a certain amount aimed at one staff member, and the whole situation witnessed by several other staff members.

"I am thankful that our safe-guarding measures has brought about intervention in what transpired to be a very volatile and potentially dangerous home situation.

"So, I am openly putting this out there.

"I have no expectation that every parent is going to like me. I am the person who makes the difficult decisions, has the difficult phone calls, holds the difficult meetings.

"I am the person who is giving parents the information that they do not want to hear. It is absolutely natural that some parents are going to have a negative opinion of me, and that is okay.

"I do not take that personally because I know that the decision to make that phone call, or hold that meeting has been made with the best interests of their child, and the other children attending the service, at the forefront.

"I have no problem with being slated all over social media for making a decision in the best interests of a sick child. The threats were a bit much, but that says more about the people making them than it does about me.

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"I make a promise to every single person who I employ to work at Bright Beginnings. That promise is that ‘I will stand in front of you’.

"When a child is unwell and you do not want to ring a parent at work because they are not answering their mobile and you are afraid at how they will react at being disturbed at work - I will make that call.

"When you do not want to meet a particular parent because you are not sure how they are going to treat you at drop-off or collection, I will be there to take that child in at drop-off and bring them out at collection time, even if it means being on the premises for 11 hours each day.

"Most relevantly, if a parent is being rude, disrespectful, or abusive to you - I will physically stand in front of you, and I will put measures in place to ensure that this parent will never set foot on the grounds of Bright Beginnings ever again.

"‘The Children Come First’ is our motto at Bright Beginnings. This definitely helps with decision-making, because decisions are always made in the best interests of the child.

"Parents may not always see it this way, and that is okay. We understand that it is not nice to be called to come and collect your child because they are unwell, but that is what is best for the child.

"We understand that everyone has tough days, we all have them, but under no circumstances is it okay to take your tough day out on the people who have devoted their lives to taking care of your children.

"I have enclosed a photo of what has become known as ‘Anne-Marie’s Policy 33’. 

"Any situation, no matter how difficult - can be solved with respectful communication. Let’s sit down and have a conversation.

"If you are rude to any member of our team, your child’s place will be revoked.

"Our Team Members deserve better, We deserve better, and as during the handful of times that this has happened, it happened in front of their children - Your children deserve better.

"Please, just be nice."

Gardaí confirmed they attended the scene of an incident in Cashel, Tipperary on Friday, June 6 at approximately 12:30pm.

No offences have been disclosed at this time.