Family Day Care
CatholicCare’s Family Day Care service offers childcare and education for children from birth up to 12 years of age. The care is provided in the home of a qualified and registered educator. Educators have been carefully selected, are supervised by CatholicCare, and operate under the Education and Care Services National Regulations.
Our educators are committed people who provide high quality childcare for your child. They can care for up to 4 children under school age. This means the educator can give each child the personal care and attention which is vital to help young children develop new skills and interests. The children form friendships with their play mates easily in the small group.
Benefits of family day care include:
- Small group of children
- Flexible hours and/or days
- Individual attention
- Stimulating play-based learning
- Close relationship with the educator who knows your child well.
Family day care offers flexible arrangement options such as:
- Full-time care
- Part-time care
- Casual care
- Emergency care
- Weekend care
- Overnight care
- Before and after school care
- Vacation care
- Siblings cared for together.
If your needs change, your family day care educator will do their best to accommodate your needs. The close relationship between educator and family ensures that the interests of your child and family are our priority!
MORE INFORMATION
Family Day Care Coordination Unit
P: 0448 239 863 or 0417 270 634
E: fdc@catholiccaredbb.org.au
Celebrating 40 years of providing family day care to the community
How we're nurturing the next generation ...
All our centres provide stimulating, supportive and safe environments, where play and discovery allow for children to learn, problem solve, think creatively and grow. Our parents feel happy and secure knowing their child is in a warm, friendly and welcoming environment that promotes a sense of family.
Our Family Day Care educators are in a wide range of suburbs. We currently have educators in the following suburbs:
- Asquith – Hyacinth Street
- Chatswood – Nicholson Street
- Cherrybrook – Gumnut Road, Jennifer Place
- Galston – Mid Dural Road
- Normanhurst – Huddart Avenue
- Schofields – St Alban’s Road
- St Clair – Olympus Drive
- Thornleigh – Gilgandra Avenue, Lovett Street
- Wahroonga – Isis Street
Each educator determines the hourly fee for their service. The educator will discuss with you the fees payable, payment arrangements and conditions of care.
Standard hourly rates range from $11.60 to $16.50 per hour dependent on the experience, qualifications and inclusions of the individual educator. Extended hours rates will apply before 8am and after 6pm. Minimum bookings apply.
Eligible families will be able to claim government assistance with fees through the Child Care Subsidy. For more information click here.
Support for Family Day Care children, families and educators is provided by our Coordination Unit. This is made up of a team of very experienced and qualified staff who are employed by CatholicCare to manage the service and to provide support and monitoring of the care.
Coordination unit staff manage the payment of government fee assistance including the Child Care Subsidy. They also visit your child’s educator regularly to monitor the care provided and also to monitor your child’s development and learning. Parents can contact the staff at any time to discuss all aspects of your child’s care.
Our education and care program is based on the Early Years Learning Framework (for children not yet attending school) and My Time, Our Place (for school aged children).
Educators provide a programme of experiences for the children which is play based and individualised for your child, encouraging them to develop their skills, knowledge and interests. Educators respond to each child’s interests and use everyday events to provide developmentally appropriate learning experiences.
Close relationships with children and families allow educators to implement individually tailored transition to school programs. Due to the small group size, family day care educators can allow for one-to-one work with children in preparing for school. It is important to remember that educators not only focus on specific skills such as numeracy, literacy and motor skills but also place great emphasis on less tangible skills such as social and emotional maturity.
Our philosophy reflects the values and beliefs about high quality childcare. This is what guides best practice in working with children and their families. The philosophy is developed in partnership with families, educators, staff and children.
We will provide a safe place for children, ensuring their wellbeing is protected at all times.
Our philosophy is underpinned by the values – connecting, inspiring and respecting.
CONNECTING
We value the relationships between children, families, educators, staff and the community. We believe this is key to setting the foundations for genuine and meaningful connections, lasting well beyond their time in family day care. We make connections day-to-day by:
- Children and educators developing close attachments through nurturing interactions.
- Encouraging children to develop relationships with each other.
- Understanding and supporting the unique relationships between children and their families, ensuring consistency between care and home.
- Involving families, educators, staff and children in the service by communicating with them, sharing information and actively encouraging participation.
- Building relationships between children, families, educators and staff based on mutual respect, support and openness.
- Networking with the wider community to share and gain knowledge, to access services and to participate in community events.
- Building relationships and a feeling of belonging in a home environment which includes the child’s extended family and the educator’s family.
INSPIRING
Inspiring is when children, families, educators and staff are actively involved and motivated to be the best they can be. Inspiration happens when:
- We engage in interactions and design environments that facilitate and develop curiosity and a love of learning.
- Pedagogical practices ensure individual children have opportunities to build on previous learning and skills and be introduced to new ideas.
- Resources are stimulating, creative and challenging. They promote ideas of sustainability, care for the environment and open ended play.
- Families are supported in their parenting, strengthening their relationships with their children.
- Learning opportunities are embraced and knowledge is shared.
- We value the collective experiences and contributions of children, families, educators and staff.
- Children are inspirited to make choices about their learning by being provided with a broad range of experiences and resources.
RESPECTING
Respect is being inclusive by having a meaningful understanding of people as individuals, as part of a family, as part of a community, as part of a culture. We respect and celebrate diversity. We believe that this brings a richness to the daily life of the program and promotes acceptance and understanding towards others by:
- Recognising children as capable learners and empowering them to contribute ideas for their own experiences and growth.
- Being open and valuing each other’s opinions.
- Encouraging participation in all aspects of the program by giving opportunities for mentoring, networking and sharing.
- Being sensitive to parent’s choices and decisions for their family and encouraging them to be confident in their parenting.
- Building trust.
- Treating people with dignity and valuing their worth.
- Being mindful and considerate when interacting with educators especially in their own homes.
