To find a quality Family Day Care service in your area, go to our locations page or call us on 0430 411 301 to find out more.
How do you match my child with an educator?
Each service has an orientation and enrolment process in place from which they will ask a series of questions about your family and your child to determine how best to cater to your specific needs.
What if I need different hours or days of care each week? Or care outside of regular business hours?
The very nature of Family Day Care is that is it a flexible childcare option. Individual educators can accommodate families of shift workers or people needing after hours childcare.
How about before and after school care and vacation care?
Most educators also provide before and after school care (including transport) and vacation care for school aged children. An educator can provide education and care to a maximum of seven children in total.
What is your orientation and enrolment process? What do I need to provide?
The enrolment process is a key time to exchange information about your child and start a collaborative relationship with the service and the educator. On the enrolment form you will note your family details, the days and hours of care needed, your child’s medical information or allergies and any other relevant information. When a suitable educator is found, you and your child will be invited to visit the educator’s home and meet the educator. You will be asked about your child’s habits, such as their eating and sleeping routines, likes and dislikes, interests and health needs. If vacancies are available, you can expect a service to provide you with two or three educators to choose from. Some of the things your service will ask you to provide are your child’s birth certificate, immunisation statement or letter of exemption, CRN number if claiming government childcare subsidy and the details of your emergency contacts.
What if my child is not settling in with the educator?
Every child is different when it comes to settling into care and it is normal that a child will need some time to adjust to the new situation. If possible, gradually build up the length of time your child stays with the educator. Your child’s educator will do everything possible to help your child settle in, such as keeping to your home routine, encourage your child to bring a favourite toy or comforter, engage your little one into their favourite activity and reassure your child that you will pick them up later.
How often do you visit your educators in their home?
The frequency of home visits varies per service, but best practice is for each educator to receive a home visit every 4 to 6 weeks.
What if my child’s educator is sick?
Many Family Day Care services have a pool of relief educators that will take over temporarily if your regular educator is unavailable. The relief care can take place in your regular educator’s home or in the relief educator’s home, which will also be in your local area and is subject to the same safety audits.
Will my child go on excursions? How is this handled?
Your child can only go on excursions with your written permission. Regular routine excursions, such as going to the library, the park or the local shops will be covered in a blanket permission note. Other excursions that occur less frequently (a visit to the zoo or a museum) require you to sign a form for each activity.
What is your emergency procedure?
In the unlikely event of an emergency, you will be notified immediately. Appropriate emergency services are called straight away. If a child requires an ambulance, the educator or a staff member will go in the ambulance with the child to provide comfort and care. A qualified adult will stay with the remaining children. Each service has a copy of their policies and procedures readily available for you.
What are the costs of care?
Family Day Care educators are allowed to set their own fees often with guidance from the Family Day Care service and therefore childcare fees may vary. Family Day Care is an approved form of childcare, so government childcare subsidies are available. Most services also charge a parent or family levy on top of the educator’s hourly rate. This is to cover administration costs. Some educators may also require the family to pay a bond.
How are payments handled?
You will be issued receipts upon payment and receive statements of your child’s actual attendance at least every quarter. Payment is usually made one week in advance. Various payment options are often available.
How is the quality of your service assured?
Family Day Care services are assessed and rated against a national quality standard. State government bodies perform quality assurance visits to make sure that each service is meeting the National Quality Standard (NQS).