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In the heart of rural Western Australia, Willi Wag Tails Family Day Care is showing how innovation and community spirit can work hand in hand. Since gaining service approval in 2019, Willi Wag Tails has created meaningful early learning opportunities in towns where traditional long day care models are simply not sustainable.

Across small towns in regional Victoria, underused community spaces are being transformed into early learning environments, expanding access to family day care in communities where care has traditionally been limited. From town halls and libraries to former kindergarten rooms, these venues are now supporting family day care educators to deliver education and care in communities where traditional centre-based models are not always viable.

In the mining communities of Dysart and Moranbah in Central Queensland, families are experiencing new opportunities to access early education and care through an innovative partnership between BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), Family Day Care Australia (FDCA) and Excellence in Care (EIC) Family Day Care.

As workforce shortages continue to challenge the early childhood education and care sector, innovative, place-based approaches are emerging as powerful ways to strengthen local educator pipelines while expanding access to care for families.In Devonport, Tasmania, a partnership between Thrive Group and Don College is demonstrating how family day care can play a dual role in supporting local families with much-needed early learning places, while also creating accessible training pathways for students working towards careers in early childhood education and care.

Busy Butterflies Family Day Care in Beaudesert, Queensland is using traineeships to help shape the next generation of family day care educators, combining formal study with hands-on experience to build practical skills, confidence and nationally recognised qualifications, all while earning an income.

At Blue Gum Family Day Care, every child is celebrated for who they are and supported to reach their full potential.For educator Ashton, inclusion isn’t an added feature of her program, it’s the foundation on which everything is built. Her neurodiversity-affirming approach ensures that children with diverse developmental needs feel welcome, safe and able to thrive in a nurturing family day care environment.

When devastating floods swept through the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales in 2022, families, businesses and community infrastructure were significantly impacted. For family day care educators in Woodburn, the floods also meant losing access to their approved residences and being unable to continue providing education and care from their homes.

When Lila opened her family day care service in Stokers Siding, a village of just 600 people in north-eastern New South Wales, she became the only early childhood education and care option in the town. Prior to this, families were travelling up to 40 minutes each way to access care in neighbouring communities, often facing long waitlists or being unable to secure a place at all.

In the small township of St Marys in north-east Tasmania, home to fewer than 800 people, access to early childhood education and care has long been limited. With only a small number of long day care places available locally, families often travel more than 30 minutes along winding mountain roads to neighbouring towns in search of care. For some, the commute becomes part of daily life.

In the small regional town of Woodburn, NSW, children arriving at Shannon’s family day care begin their day in a calm, familiar environment where they are known, understood and supported to learn at their own pace. For many, it was the first time children have truly settled into care. For their families, it has brought stability after significant disruption.

When Western Australian educator Kate opened her family day care service last year, she fulfilled not just a personal dream, but a crucial need for working families in her small rural community of Gidgegannup. Before she opened, local families were navigating long waitlists, limited care options and very few flexible choices, forcing some to reduce work hours or consider leaving the workforce entirely.

For Moranbah family day care educator Jade, attending the Family Day Care Australia (FDCA) 2025 National Conference in Melbourne was more than a professional development opportunity - it was a unique chance to learn, connect and be inspired alongside other educators from across the country, something that isn’t easily accessible in rural and remote communities.

For Queensland family day care educator Tracey, caring for children isn’t just a job, it’s a lifelong calling shaped by experience, reflection and deep understanding. With more than 20 years of experience in early childhood education, she has dedicated her career to creating safe, emotionally attuned learning environments that build connections and engage young learners.

When Miriam decided to return to early childhood education after raising her children, family day care felt like the perfect fit – a way of creating a nurturing space for young children to learn and grow, while balancing family life and flexibility. After completing her Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care in 2004, Miriam worked in centre-based care for several years before taking time away to raise her family. During that time, she homeschooled her children, travelled around Australia in a caravan but found herself at a crossroads.For Miriam, family day care was always part of the plan. She had the intention of becoming a family day care educator but at 19 and living at home with her parents, the idea wasn’t possible.

When Jess reflects on her journey to becoming a family day care educator, she describes it as both a return to her first love and the start of something brand new. Originally, Jess dreamed of becoming a kindergarten (preschool) teacher, but life took her in a different direction. For two decades, she worked as a myotherapist before finding her way back to early childhood education. After having her two children, it was their experience in family day care that reignited her passion. For Jess, the opportunity to provide that same nurturing environment was a natural step.