What is Family Day Care?
Family day care is an approved form of child care that truly focuses on each individual child’s development, while providing high quality early learning in an educator’s own home.
In small groups, children will enjoy a natural approach to play and discovery and form genuine lasting bonds with their qualified and passionate early childhood educator, while you will enjoy peace of mind knowing your child is happy in a nurturing, genuine and flexible home learning environment.
When choosing care for your child, family day care isn’t just the right choice — it’s the natural one.
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 child care; incorporating the National Law, National Regulations, National Quality Standards, approved educational frameworks and the assessment and ratings process.
- Parents are eligible for the same Federal Government Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate subsidies.
- Your child’s education and care is provided by an individual educator who is an early childhood education and care professional, operating within their own home or approved venue.
- Educators work with small groups of no more than four children under school age at any one time.
- Educators work with an approved service that carries out regular visits to monitor the children’s individual development and provide business support.
Information for families
What to consider when viewing a registered residence or approved venue.
We encourage families to look at all different services and as many educators as possible when education and care is required. Each child and family is unique and the environment that brings contentment and joy for one family may be very different to another.
We suggest you consider the following when exploring possibilities.
- A place that offers valuable play and learning experiences for your individual child and their specific needs.
- An environment that makes sure there is a caring and consistent relationship between staff, your child and yourself; that gut feeling that you’ll connect.
- A routine that allows children time to explore and learn new activities.
- A setting that supports all aspects of your child’s development, including their social, emotional, physical and cognitive needs.
- Educators that set clear and reasonable expectations of behaviour.
- A scheme that works in partnership with your family.
- When you first enter the service, you will be able to tell if its atmosphere is inviting or cold, relaxed or frantic. It should be a safe and comfortable place and the children should have a choice of fun and interesting activities. Educators should be engaged with children, playing and talking with them.
- Information about the service’s operations, policies and procedures should be displayed and made available to you on request. These policies should be child and family focussed, and sensitive to each family’s cultural and social background, lifestyle and child rearing practices. Nurturing Family Day Care provides a tablet to each registered residence or approved venue for access at the premise or this information can be emailed directly to families.
To decide if the child care service is suitable for you and your child, the following questions should be helpful:
Are places available for the day/s and hour/s I need?
Each registered residence or approved venue creates their own opening and closing times, with minimum days and hours set by each educator.
Does the service operate throughout the year or only for school terms?
This is to be discussed with each educator as this is as individual as they are.
Does the service offer extended hours of care?
This is vital to discuss before choosing an educator as if you are in a position where you are required to work late occasionally, you need to ensure that your educator is able to do this as well.
What is the ratio of qualified staff?
All family day care registered residences or approved venues have a ratio requirement of one educator to seven children, with only four of these children being under school age. An educator’s own children are included in the numbers until they are thirteen unless another adult is responsible for their care.
What are the staff’s values and philosophies around caring and educating children?
Nurturing Family Day Care Scheme’s philosophy underpins everything we do, and is able to be viewed in our about us section. Our educators are chosen to ensure that they too share the beliefs and their practices reflect the ethos at every level of education and care. Remember to discuss your parenting ideals to ensure that they are reflect in the educator with whom will be a part of your child’s growth.
What are the fees?
Fees are comprised of an educator’s education and care fee (which is determined by them with consolation form the approved providers and reflects experience, qualifications, etc.) and a scheme fee which is charged as a per child per hour administration cost (is that same for all enrolled children).
There is also an enrolment fee for educator’s when they start a family day care business or transfer scheme’s.
There is also an enrolment fee for educator’s when they start a family day care business or transfer scheme’s.
Is there a fee to be placed on the waiting list?
No, Nurturing Family Day Care Scheme endeavours to place children immediately and if unable to we will continually update you as vacancies in the area required come available.
Are there any other costs I’ll be asked to pay over and above the fees?
Some educators have extra services available at a small cost (meals, etc.) and this should be discussed as interviews occur.
How does the program meet the different needs, interests and experiences of the children?
Each registered residence or approved venue has their own individual way of meeting the National Law, Regulation and Standard requirements for planning and programming, and each program is able to be viewed by parents or guardians.
How does the service support children with additional needs?
Nurturing Family Day Care hold all educators, visitors and families to the highest standards in regard to their partnership with children, recognising that a child is a holistic individual that will, at all times, be treated with the utmost respect and dignity.
Can parents or guardians be involved and how?
We adore and encourage family participation at any level. We understand that families are as busy as they’ve ever been, but whether it’s discussing with your educator about your weekend to coming along for the morning to share your skills with the group, we welcome all involvement.
Can I visit at any time of the day?
Any time that your child is at the registered residence or approve venue, parents or guardians are always welcome to visit.
How are food and drink provided for the children?
Each educator is different as to whether they provide food or request lunch boxes, with some services having restrictions due to anaphylaxis. Water is always available to children.
What are the sleeping arrangements for the children?
We have a sleep and rest policy that ensures that the individual needs of children are at the heart of all educator actions.
Information for Educators
Why Chose Nurturing Family Day Care?
When an educator chooses and is chosen to be a part of Nurturing Family Day Care Scheme they become educators who are with a team that have worked in the childcare industry, understand what it means to be supported and work tirelessly to ensure that an educator is never alone in their business.
Child Protection and Mandatory Reporting
Under the Child Protection Act, all early childhood education and care professionals are now classified as mandatory reporters, and this requires an individual to make a report to Child Safety if they have a reasonable suspicion that a child has suffered, is suffering, or is at an unacceptable risk of suffering significant harm caused by abuse.A person may form a belief on reasonable grounds that a child is in need of protection after becoming aware that a child or young person’s health, safety or wellbeing is at risk and the child’s parents are unwilling or unable to protect the child.
Resources on mandatory reporting can be accessed on the Queensland Government’s Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services website; https://www.communities.qld.gov.au/childsafety/protecting-children/about-child-protection/mandatory-reporting
All educators and families, upon enrolling with Nurturing Family Day Care Scheme will be forwarded a copy of the Protecting children and supporting families; A guide to reporting child protection concerns and referring to support services brochure.