ABOUT family day care
WHAT IS FAMILY DAY CARE
Family day care has been providing quality home-based child care for Australian families for over 30 years.
The service caters for babies to pre-teens offering care and education safe, secure and stimulating home environments during standard hours, before and after school, during holidays and also overnight and weekends.
There are over 900 family day care schemes across Australia. Each scheme is comprised of a central Service or coordination unit, Educators, and the families utilising the services.
About Family Day Care Educators
Family day care Educators (previously called care providers or carers) are people whose personal qualities reflect community diversity – of families, values and cultures – empathy, warmth, flexibility, professionalism and maturity. A commitment to nurturing and caring for children a given. Many care providers have their own children of varying ages, and all have experience with children.
Educators are contracted, mentored and monitored by the Family Day Care Service (previously called Coordination Unit). The unique relationship between Service and Educator sets Family Day Care apart from child care centres, sole carers and nanny services.
With access to continued learning and leading thinking in child care, Family Day Care Educators have access to the most unique training structure within the child care sector.
About Family Day Care Services
The main role of the Service is to ensure we provide the highest standard of Family Day Care for children. We are here to discuss your childcare needs, to provide information about child care and to assist you to find the right Educator and environment for your child. We are also here to monitor your child’s wellbeing, learning and progress.
Educators are visited regularly by trained fieldworkers (called Educational Practice Mentors), and the Service works in partnership with Educators to uphold our organisational values, meet required legislation and adherence to National Quality Standards.
Family Day Care Services do not receive funding from the Australian Government, but typically charge a small levy to Educators and Families. Each Service must be approved by both State and Federal government (for administration of Child Care Subsidies - CCS) and rated under the Nation Quality Standards. Kids at Home is rated as 'Exceeding' NQS.
Become an educator!
Perhaps you have not been working while you care for your own children?
Or you could be looking for a change of direction? You are considering a job in child care?
Do you realise you can run your own business, working from home caring for children?
Standards and quality assurance
As part of the national child care framework, family day care abides by State licensing, ACECQA National Quality Framework (NQF) and Family Day Care Quality Assurance (the national child care accreditation system), to assure that the quality of care is of the highest standard.
Each educator must meet national requirements in not only early childhood and child care skills, but also in planning, administration and communications. Having passed a police or criminal history check prior to commencing work in family day care, all care providers must be fully insured, have a current first aid certificate and maintain a safe child care environment.
Family Day Care Australia
Family Day Care Australia (FDCA) is family day care’s national peak body. Their role is to support, enhance and resource family day care services, and lead the way for family day care in the Australian child care industry. They work on behalf of the family day care community – care providers, coordination unit staff, families and operators/sponsors – to ensure the strength and continued growth of family day care in Australia.a>
Do you need child care?
Using a Family Day Care Service is a flexible alternative to long day care, in home care or child care centres, providing your child with care in a nurturing home based environment, and you with peace of mind. It can be particularly useful for…