Looking for the right childcare for your little one?
Family daycare is one great option you may not have considered.
Read on to find out what it's all about and why it might work for you
Having children is all about choice.
You choose your baby's name, the colour of their room, the toys they play with and what they wear. If you intend to go back to work, then you also face the choice of the type of childcare setting and early education experiences you want for your child.
- Do you want individual attention for your child in a small group setting, for example, or would you prefer your child to have greater social interaction as part of a larger group?
- Will the familiarity of a home or a purpose-built facility be better for your child?
- Is a natural learning environment important to you?
- How much say do you want to have in choosing the person who is caring for your child?
Selecting the right childcare is an important and critical decision a parent needs to make. If you don't have family or friends to help, you must look to options like nannies, au pairs, daycare centres and preschools. One childcare option that you may not have considered is family daycare. WHAT IS FAMILY DAYCARE?
Family daycare is a home-based childcare service that provides you with choice and flexibility about how you wish your child to be raised and how you want your child's early years to be shaped. You can usually interview several carers to find the best fit for yourself and your child. This person will be a significant adult in your child's life and it is important that you are happy with all aspects of the care arrangement.
Family daycare carers work in their own homes with small groups of children - usually four or five who are under school age, and no more than seven children at any one time. Each
day is planned with the individual needs and preferences of the children in mind - creating experiences that help them to grow and learn through play in a secure home environment.
NOT ONLY FOR LITTLIES
Over 104,000 children, aged from six weeks to 13 years, are growing up in family daycare across Australia. The service caters well for babies and children under the age of five, but it is also the choice of many families for before and after school care. The flexibility of family daycare can also accommodate shiftworking parents with overnight and weekend care. Leaving your child with someone you know and trust makes it a lot easier to go to work. What's more, brothers and sisters can be together in one place, growing up with each other, just as they would at home.
Rhonda Bignell, Chief Executive Officer of the national peak body Family Day Care Australia, says, 'We are seeing carers create really good services by understanding that flexibility is appreciated by parents, particularly those who have demanding jobs with long hours, and those who work shiftwork or travel. The greater a carer's ability to offer a flexible service, the more the children benefit.'
There are currently around 12,000 family daycare carers operating in partnership with 307 co-ordination units, which provide monitoring, resources and training to the carers. Co-ordination unit staff
are a vital element of the family daycare service, and their support is what sets family daycare apart from other home-based services.
LOCAL COMMUNITY
One of the most natural aspects of family daycare is the connection that children have with their local community. Trips to the library and park may be regular outings for your child, and they can take part in organised excursions to other facilities such as the local fire station or school agriculture farm. "Going out" may be as simple as walking to the letterbox to check the mail - a natural part of growing up at home. While the small group setting of the family daycare service is an important factor, your child will not miss out on interacting with larger groups of children and other adults through regular playgroup sessions co-ordinated by staff and carers.
LEARNING THROUGH PLAY
Children love to learn in a natural environment and in a family daycare home they experience unhurried opportunities, such as learning the colours in the garden by observing pink roses, green trees, brown sticks and blue sky. This can be supplemented with resources like paint, play dough and books. It's all about nurturing the child's natural learning abilities and interests.
Your carer will talk to you about your child's day - what they did, what they ate, how they slept and how they were feeling in themselves. Your carer will be in tune with your child and will
be able to tell you if something is not quite right. Ideally, you and your carer will develop a strong partnership where open communication enables each of you to provide the best care for your child.
WHAT WILL IT COST?
Most carers set their own fees, which will vary according to location, the carer's qualifications, the hours of care and the age of the child. Carers may also provide food, nappies and transport, which may also affect the rate. Generally, parents can expect to pay around $6 per hour without taking fee subsidies into account. In most cases the scheme will pay the carer the Child Care Benefit (CCB) part of the fee and the parent will pay the difference between the hourly fee and the CCB subsidy (the "gap fee") directly to the carer.
WHAT ARE THE CARERS LIKE?
Sharyn Stradwick is a carer who celebrates 21 years of service in family daycare this year. She 'loves children' and has four of her own, and grew up with seven brothers and sisters. Family daycare is her calling and she happily chose a career that matched her passion.
Sharyn says, 'I've cared for more than 150 children during my time. At the moment I have 19 children in care over a one-week period. I've cared for newborn babies during the day and teenagers before and after school. I also have five children in overnight care on Thursdays and Fridays when parents work the night shift.
'Part of my program is to provide parents with an overview of their children's development, so
I produce my own newsletters with photographs,
and have also produced a DVD which helps to keep it interesting,' she explains.
Kym Groth is another carer who, over an 18-year period, has cared for more than 180 children. Although Kym no longer provides care in her home, she still has children visiting, but now they visit with their girlfriends/boyfriends, husbands/wives and their own families.
Kym says, 'I still see many of the kids I cared for. I get invited to graduations, weddings, 21st birthdays and family barbeques - they have all become my extended family. The parents are some of my closest friends. Many of the kids are still good friends with each other, too. Two girls, in particular, are now at the same school and
are inseparable. They met at my family daycare service and will be friends forever - they'll have one of those lucky lifetime friendships.'
Kym is still very much involved in family daycare as the president of Family Day Care Australia. She explains, 'Family daycare is such a valuable and important service to families and to local communities. In my role as president
of the national association, I can help to ensure that the richness and diversity of our unique childcare service is maintained, acknowledged and celebrated.'
Kym and Sharyn's experiences and stories
are not uncommon. Carers in family daycare share a passion for working with children and believe that children deserve the best quality care possible. They understand that the experiences kids receive in their early years will impact upon their entire lives.
So what choice will you make for your child? Family daycare can offer a sense of belonging and security within an authentic home environment with one consistent carer who offers natural learning experiences tailored to your child's age and stage of development.
- Call Family Day Care Australia to find out more on 1800 621 218 or go to www.familydaycare.com.au.
 This article brought to you by My Child Magazine: Words Sis Santos
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Childcare Section: Family Day Care