Churches of Christ Early Childhood
Family Day Care
Family day care is a home based child care service providing monitored care within a family environment in the approved homes of registered carers. Parents, carers and coordinators work together to provide quality child care in a safe, warm and creative environment where children feel secure and have the freedom to explore. Parents are able to choose the carer who best suits their needs and the needs of the child.
In family day care children learn through play and exploration with a small group of children. Carers provide experiences that are designed to meet children's individual needs and interests.
The hours of care are flexible and can be matched to your family's needs. The type of care provided includes full-time, part-time and casual care, care for children of shift workers, before and after school care, vacation, weekend and overnight care.
Care’s family day care schemes employ coordinators with early childhood qualifications who manage the day-to-day operation of the scheme. The coordinators recruit, assess, register and monitor all carers and provide support, training and resources to carers. They also provide families with information on the family day care scheme, assist parents to choose a suitable carer for their child and provide ongoing support to families. Coordinators conduct regular safety checks of the carer’s home and unannounced home visits to monitor the quality of care.
Carers registered with Care’s family day care schemes are assessed for their suitability and have to pass an intensive screening process. All carers and adult occupants of the home must hold a positive suitability card, current first aid certificate and CPR certificate. Additionally, they must abide by safety requirements to ensure their homes are safe for children.
The Government Child Care Benefit is available for approved families.
Care’s family day care schemes are licensed under the Queensland State Government Child Care Act and Regulations, which specify the number of children under one person’s care, carer requirements and health and safety requirements. The scheme works to Australia’s National Standards for Family Day Care, developed by the Commonwealth and State/Territory Governments. These standards determine the minimum requirements for providing a safe, nurturing and developmental childcare environment.
Care’s family day care schemes are assessed and accredited under the National Family Day Care Quality Assurance (FDCQA) system, which ensures all family day care services meet quality standards beyond the minimum requirements.
