Family day care is a professional home-based childcare service
established in Australia for 30 years. It is the only formal childcare option that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Over 90,000 children aged from birth to twelve years are currently enrolled through 340 schemes supporting over 12,000 carers in almost every region of Australia.

• 38%* of family day care is provided in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia

• 26%* of children using family day care are school-aged

• family day care provides the highest percentage* of care to children with a disability when compared with other service types

          *Source: Commonwealth Childcare Census 2004

Family day care is highly regulated and complies with Australian
government guidelines, state/territory regulations and Family Day Care Quality Assurance [accreditation] through the National Childcare Accreditation Council, National standards and individual Scheme Policies.

The key point of difference between family day care and centre based care is the lower carer-to-child ratios, which enable individual attention and strong relationships with one primary carer.

Current early years brain research confirms that the single most
important element in stimulating a child’s learning is strong relationships with significant adults – family day care’s small group care enables children to build those bonds that are so critical to their early learning and social development.

In family day care, children learn naturally through play and everyday
activities in a ‘real world’ environment. Each day is tailored to their
individual needs and development.

Family day care has in common with centre-based care:
qualifications, quality assurance and health and safety/OHS requirements:

• as in centre-based care, the authorised supervisor of a family day care service is required to hold formal qualifications under licensing regulations
• a key role of tertiary qualified staff is to lead the continuous training of service workers
• all workers with direct contact with children are required to hold a current first aid certificate
• carers and their immediate family undergo background checks to make sure they are suitable to work with children

All carers are skilled, experienced and highly trained; many hold
formal qualifications ranging from Certificate III in Childcare to
university degrees.

Carers work in partnership with professionally qualified family day care staff, and both staff and carers attend ongoing in-service training in contemporary childcare practice to ensure continued positive outcomes for children.

• According to the 2004 Childcare Census, 73% of family day care staff held formal qualifications, compared with 60% of centre-based services staff

• Bayside Family Day Care has 100% of the Service’s Carers qualified or progressing to completion of formal qualifications

Carers are required to undergo rigorous pre-service training prior to
starting in family day and this training isled and supported by early
childhood professionals.

Family day care is an affordable childcare option where care is
charged on an hourly basis. Fees are generally set by individual carers.

The Australian Government's childcare benefit is available for families, as is the 30 percent tax rebate.

·Family day care is a viable career choice offering the flexibility of
working from home and the ability for carers to set their own hours and fees for service.

Depending on the number of children in care and the hours worked, carers can earn anywhere from $20,000 to over $100,000 a year.

Many expenses relating to the operation of a family day care
business are tax deductible.

Our scheme provides an extraordinary level of free training and continuing support to help you become a professionally licensed care provider operating a business out of your own home.

Why Choose Family Day Care?

Family Day Care is a professional and regulated home-based childcare service offering care for children from birth to 12 years.

"Highly trained carers develop and plan individual experiences to suit your child and form close relationships, necessary for early learning and social development. Family day care is the preferred child care choice for over 90,000 families across Australia."

                        Monique Webber,
                        General Manager,
                        Family Day Care Australia, 2007

• Warm, home-like environment

• Individual attention to children in small groups

• Care for children is provided from a very young age and can continue right through to age 12

• Childcare can be offered during standard hours, overnight, weekends, school holidays, before/after school and occasional care

• Family day care is flexible and can support parents in shift working employment, such as nursing or hospitality, or roles which require travel

• Family Day Care can also assist families in crisis or as a respite care option.

► If you are a parent interested in quality, individual  
    care and learning experiences for your child:

       contact Bayside Family Day Care

‘If you are interested in children and want to earn a healthy income working in your own home-based business, then family day care could be the career choice for you.

‘Opportunities currently exist for suitable people to join their local family day care service where full training and ongoing support is provided.’

           Linda Latham, CEO, Family Day Care

► If you are interested in becoming a Care Provider and
    operating your own childcare business in
    collaboration with our Service:

       contact Bayside Family Day Care

 

 

Acknowledgement and Thanks to Family Day Care Australia
for adapted use of material in this fact sheet