It received the funding over the course of five years
A controversial daycare in West Belfast that was part owned by a priest received tens of thousands in Department of Education funding it can be revealed.
Acrewood Daycare on Grosvenor Road told its staff last week that it was going to become insolvent just days after it had been condemned from stopping children from attending it at short notice and telling other workers they no longer had jobs. Staff were told to fill in RP1 Forms, normally associated with businesses becoming insolvent, to claim redundancy and any unpaid wages.
Concerns were also raised about an Airbnb that was operating on the same premises as the daycare that did not have planning permission.
Following a question to the Education Minister from West Belfast People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll, it can now be revealed that the daycare received £160,000 in Pathway funding from the Department of Education in the past five years, including £38,000 in the 2025/26 financial year.
The DE Pathway Fund aims to improve the development of children who are at risk of educational underachievement and is provided to a range of different childcare providers and projects.
Former staff at Acrewood Daycare and families spoke to Belfast Live about the issues they have had with the daycare that is part owned by Hannahstown Parish priest Father Patrick Devlin.
They said they couldn’t believe the way that they had been treated with some former staff having to wait up to eight weeks to claim unpaid wages and families having to take unpaid time off work due to a lack of childcare.
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