Rachel Berns
Rachel Berns was working with special needs children in a primary school in Meath, her “dream job,” when she found herself uprooted due to her husband’s job transfer to Cavan.

“When we moved, I really missed my job, in particular working with children. Having qualified as a Montessori teacher years ago and always wanting to open my own Montessori business – the time finally felt right.

Cavan Partnership helped me prepare a business plan and then referred me to First Step. After contact with First Step I came away feeling very positive, they seemed to think I had a good chance of making a go of it.”

Mary opened Kavan Kids Montessori school in Redhills, Cavan in September 2005. She started with four children – one was her son, another was the daughter of a lady she had taken on to work with her and there were two other children. A further eight children were enrolled by the end of the year.

“Since the start of operations, I talked about expanding and opened Kavan Kids Kreche, in July 2006, in the next town, Ballyhaise. I’m delighted to report that the creche is nearly full and I employ two staff members, a full-time childcare worker and a chef. In the Montessori school, I also have a full roll of seventeen children for September this year and have started taking bookings for September 2008, with five names already down.”

In the future, Rachel hopes to build on this success and continue with maximum capacity. “We are hoping to open a purpose-built creche and open another Montessori in Ballyhaise. I really enjoy what I do, and there isn’t a day that I don’t look forward to going to work. When I looked at the seventeen children that graduated in June surrounded by more than a hundred family, friends and clients, I couldn’t help but remember how it all started.”

Kavan Kids Montessori, Redhills, Co. Cavan opens from 9.30 to 12.30 Monday to Friday. It provides quality pre-school education, arts and crafts, discos, music, dance, sports, games, play doh, Irish, Christmas concert and a graduation at the year end.

Kavan Kids Kreche, Ballyhaise, Co. Cavan, opens 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. It provides a home from home childminding service with all home cooked meals included.

Kavan Kids,
Killoughter Hall,
Redhills,
Co. Cavan
Tel: +353 86 383 8759