By Jade Glen
Family Day Care is growing in popularity as working families seek new flexible childcare options.
Under the Family Day Care model, qualified educators open up their homes to care for up to four pre-school age children at a time, or up to three additional school aged children after hours.
Family Day Carers are able to offer care outside of conventional hours – caring for children during evenings, before or after school, during school holidays and in some cases overnight or on weekends.
Siblings can be cared for together, and parents are still eligible for the government assistance through the Childcare Benefit and Childcare Rebate.
bestchance Family Day Care is a local not-for-profit provider with more than 550 staff over its different care programs, which encompass Family Day Care, Kindergartens and Child Care Centres. CEO Kevin Feeney said Family Day Care offered many benefits for families.
“Our FDC Educators are qualified professionals that provide education and care in a safe and secure learning environment.
“Current research confirms the importance of strong relationships with significant adults to a child’s early learning and parents understand that small group environments facilitate strong bonds and promote effective early learning and social development.
“Our FDC program takes a family-centred approach, the strengths of the child’s family are valued, emphasised, and acted upon. With a smaller group, children develop close friendships and are more likely to avoid illness,” Mr Feeney said.
Family Day Carers comply with the National Education and Care Services Regulations 2011 and the National Law Act 2010, which govern all Early Childhood services in Australia. These encompass Long Day Care, Kindergartens, Outside School Hours Care and all FDC programs.
“FDC Educators at bestchance are highly qualified and experienced in the early Childhood industry. The minimum required qualification is Certificate III in Childcare, however many of our FDC Educators either hold a Diploma in Education and Care or are working towards this qualification through bestchance Training,” Mr Feeney said.
In addition to its Family Day Care program, bestchance has a range of community service programs that support children and families.
“One of these is the Parent and Child Support program, which provides in home assistance to struggling parents, as well as food items and other such necessities,” Mr Feeney said.
“Links + and Links ++ are two new programs that bestchance is offering, designed to reach families who were unable to receive aid from our organisation in the past.
bestchance has created these programs to offer support to those who truly need it most by expanding services on already provided. They understand the growing needs of families and aim to continue to adapt and grow to meet those needs.”
Mr Feeney said another program deserving of recognition was the Cheshire School Program, which worked with children with developmental or social delays who have found it difficult to flourish in a mainstream school environment.
“With so many exciting new programs and opportunities, bestchance is ready to seize the future and continue to ensure that everything possible can be done to keep Australia’s children and parents safe, happy and to ensure their bright futures.”
