How do children benefit from Family Day Care?
Children benefit from Family Day Care through:
- Developing a close relationship with one consistent Educator
- Opportunities to learn through play-based exploration in a small group in a home environment
- Socialising with mixed age groups in family settings
- Opportunities to be an active participant in making decisions and planning for learning experiences
- Participating in activities provided to suit the child’s individual needs - such as singing, story telling, make believe, play, creative experiences and inquiry based projects
- Providing a connection with their local community by way of outings which may include visits to the library, parks and shops
- Opportunities to engage within a larger group of children through regular, supervised play group sessions and visiting other Educator’s environments
- Learning about tolerance and acceptance of families and children with different cultures, lifestyles and needs
- Families working in partnerships with Educators and Coordinators to ensure children’s cultural background, interests and strengths are celebrated, shared and enhanced
- Spending their time with a qualified and skilled educator able to scaffold and build onto the child’s existing knowledge and skills.
What is family day care?
Family Day Care is an approved form of child care that is provided in the family day care educators own home. Family day care educators are early childhood education and care professionals, registered with a family day care service that is responsible for approving, supporting, training and advising its educators.
How is it similar to centre based child care?
Family Day Care is an approved form of child care that is provided in the family day care educators own home. Family day care educators are early childhood education and care professionals, registered with a family day care service that is responsible for approving, supporting, training and advising its educators.
How is it similar to centre based child care?
- Family day care provides early childhood education and care services for children across Australia.
- Family day care operates under the same National Quality Framework (NQF) as other forms of childcare; incorporating national regulations, quality and qualification standards, educational frameworks and an assessment and ratings process.
- Parents are eligible to the same Federal Government Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate subsidies.
How is it different to other forms of child care?
- Your child’s education and care is provided by an individual educator who is an approved, early childhood education and care professional, operating within their own home.
- Educators work with small groups of no more than four children under school age.*
- Educators work in partnership with a local approved service who provide regular visits to monitor the children’s progress and to provide support.
* An educator may care for 3 additional school age children, outside of school hours. Ratios currently vary between states & territories. This will be standardised nationally on Jan 1, 2014.
What are the benefits of family day care?
What are the benefits of family day care?
- The home based setting provides a familiar, safe and secure learning environment.
- Current research confirms the importance of strong relationships with significant adults to a child’s early learning; family day care’s small group environment facilitates strong bonds and promotes effective early learning and social development.
- Family day care can offer care during standard hours, evenings, before/after school, during school holidays and in some cases overnight and weekends.
- Family day care can provide education and care for children from babies to school age; offering the possibility for siblings to be cared for together, all in one location.
- Family day care provides experiences which reflect the diversity of your community.
Did you know that across Australia:
- Family day care has operated for over 35 years.
- Over 98,000* families use family day care.
- Over 165,000* children are enrolled in family day care.
- There are over 25,000** family day care educators.
- There are 675* family day care approved services.
- Family day care is the major provider of regulated, flexible, non standard hours child care.
About family day care educators
Family day care educators are approved, early childhood education and care professionals who engage in the principles and practices of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and work within the requirements of the National Quality Framework.
In order to provide a safe educational environment for your child, there are requirements for all educators to:
Family day care educators are approved, early childhood education and care professionals who engage in the principles and practices of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and work within the requirements of the National Quality Framework.
In order to provide a safe educational environment for your child, there are requirements for all educators to:
- Hold or be actively working towards a Certificate III level education and care qualification.
- Meet national standards which include maintaining quality learning programs, safe and hygienic learning environments, record keeping and qualifications.
- Maintain current first aid and CPR certificates and training in the emergency management of asthma and anaphylaxis.
- Maintain a clearance for working with children.
- Participate in regular support and monitoring visits conducted by their coordination unit.
- Attend training, meetings and workshops periodically to maintain currency of skills and knowledge.
- Maintain current public liability insurance coverage.
Enrolling your child in family day care
Approved service staff are the initial contact point for advice and information about family day care. They will work with you to match your child care needs with the best care environment for your child taking account of diversity of language, culture and ability to ensure the right fit between children, educators and their respective families.
Pending availability, you will usually have the opportunity to meet with a number of educators in selecting the service that best meets your needs.
The approved service may also offer relief care if your usual educator is unwell or plans to take leave.
Approved service staff are the initial contact point for advice and information about family day care. They will work with you to match your child care needs with the best care environment for your child taking account of diversity of language, culture and ability to ensure the right fit between children, educators and their respective families.
Pending availability, you will usually have the opportunity to meet with a number of educators in selecting the service that best meets your needs.
The approved service may also offer relief care if your usual educator is unwell or plans to take leave.
Types of care
In Family Day Care the hours of care are flexible and in most cases can be matched to the needs of your family. Types of care provided include:
- Full time care
- Part time care
- Occasional care
- Care for children of shiftworkers
- Before and after school care
- Vacation Care
- Weekend care
- Overnight care
- 24 hour care
Get more information and find family day care in your area from the link below.
