What is Family Day Care?
What is family day care?
Family Day Care is an approved form of child care that is provided in our Family Day Care educators own home. Family day care educators are early childhood education and care professionals who have been approved by Ignite Minds as meeting the professional and ethical qualities required to care for and educate your children. Our educators receive ongoing professional development from our preferred training provider Organisational Learning Australia
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 coordination unit who provide regular visits to monitor the children’s progress and to provide support.
- An educator may care for a Maximum of 7 children, including their own, with a maximum of 4 under the age of 4 at any one time.
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.
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:
- Hold or be actively working towards a Certificate III level education and care qualification. (CHC30712 Certificate III Children's Services)
- 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
Coordination unit 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 coordination unit may also offer relief care if your usual educator is unwell or plans to take leave.