A child-care centre being built in Cromwell is likely to ease the burden on the other three centres operating in the town.
Little Wonders has begun work on stage one of a facility in Barry Ave which will take 50 children aged between three months and 5 years.
Last year, two new child-care centres had indicated they would be setting up in Cromwell.
So far, Little Wonders is the only one that has, and owner and operations manager Ben Hurst said it could be open as soon as November.
While facilities for 3- to 5-year-olds are keeping up with demand, there is a long waiting list for children from birth to 2 years old.
Fifty-two children attend the Cromwell Early Learning Centre on Monaghan St in Old Cromwell Town.
It used to cater for all preschool age groups, from birth to school age, but the introduction of 20 hours of free child care a week for children between 3 and 5 had changed that, office manager Elisabeth Nesbit said.
"It is more viable for us to limit our spaces to the 3-5 age group," she said.
Molyneux Educare averaged 60-65 children enrolled.
The facility took children from 6 months to school age and there was a big waiting list for the under 2-year-olds, centre manager Beth Phelps said.
Barnardos head teacher Lisa Lowry said 85 attended their facility and it had a big waiting list.
Children were generally taken in at a young age and they would stay until they went to school, so there were not many openings for older children, she said.
All the centres agreed there was a need for more space for the under 2-year-olds but said there seemed to be adequate space for the 3- to 5-year-olds.
