Close

What is family day care?

Family day care is a type of early childhood education and care approved under the National Quality Framework and has been operating in Australia for 50 years.

Family day care educators register with approved family day care services to educate and care for small groups of children within their own homes – up to four children under school age and up to seven children in total.

How does family day care operate?

Family day care operates under the same National Quality Framework (NQF) as other forms of approved early childhood education and care, which includes the National Law and Regulations, the National Quality Standard, Approved Early Years Learning Frameworks and a robust assessment and ratings process.

Like other forms of Australian Government approved early childhood education and care, families who use family day care may be eligible to receive Child Care Subsidy (CCS).

Family day care educators are independent contractors that run their own businesses, giving them the freedom to offer standard hours care, before and after school care, weekend and even overnight care, from the safety of their own home.

Family day care approved services conduct regular home visits with educators and provide them with ongoing support, including help meeting the initial requirements, induction and training and policies and procedures to guide programming and practice.

For children, family day care means a natural approach to play and discovery in a nurturing home environment.

For educators, family day care means the opportunity to be their own boss and develop educational programs based on their interests and schedules.

For parents, family day care means knowing that their child has the benefit of one-on-one attention and won’t get lost in the crowd.

To find out more about the Trial and becoming a family day care educator, select from the links below.

*Only a limited amount of funding is available as part of the Trial. Please note, not all eligible applicants are guaranteed start-up funding.