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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.
Now, with years of experience behind her and with her own children in school, she saw an opportunity to finally bring that vision to life.
“I think the flexibility of family day care is great because I can choose my days and my hours and fit it in with family life as well,” she explained.
Getting started, however, was far from simple. In Miriam’s hometown of Traralgon, Victoria, the rental property market was competitive, and although her family had plans to build a home, that was still some time away.
Fortunately, Miriam’s parents had recently moved and offered their old house to rent to Miriam and her family - giving her a place to start, but one that required a lot of work to transform into a safe and compliant environment.
With guidance and support from her service and together with her husband by her side, Miriam began transforming the home – cleaning, sanding floors, scraping plaster, painting, replacing broken glass doors and installing fencing to make the yard and space safe.
That’s where the Family Day Care Capability Trial has made all the difference. After hearing about the Capability Trial at an information evening through her service, Miriam was able to apply and take part. The start-up funding provided a welcome offset to the significant investments they had made in the property.
“Having that funding was just amazing…we spent a lot of our savings setting up and to have that as a safety net, in case we needed it for the business in the future is a big help,” Miriam said.
Her coordinator also guided her through the Capability Trial process, which Miriam describes as straightforward and supportive.
“The whole process was really easy,” she said. “I actually couldn’t believe how easy it was… I was able to do it all in one day, just upload my receipts and use the template for the invoice. It was all there ready for me.”
In Traralgon, the demand for early education and care is exceptionally high with wait lists stretching into the hundreds, particularly for infants and toddlers. Miriam’s service alone had over 300 families waiting for care before she opened.
For many parents, this shortage meant being unable to secure the days required to maintain employment, accept additional hours or to pursue study and training.
The opening of Miriam’s family day care, supported by the Capability Trial, created new places in a community that urgently needed them, particularly for children aged nine months to three years – a group often most affected by limited local options.
Parents have shared that access to Miriam’s service has enabled them to return to the workforce after parental leave, increase or adjust work hours to better support their family, reduce travel time and transport costs by accessing care locally. Miriam’s family day care is now at full capacity – a clear reflection of unmet demand in the community and the essential role family day care plays in providing flexible, relationship-based care options.
Miriam takes a child-led approach to learning with plenty of free play, guided by the children’s interests and the seasons. As the weather warms, her days are filled with outings to playgroups, park visits, and nature walks, all of which create meaningful experiences for the children in her care.
Her families are equally happy. “They’ve responded really well,” Miriam said. “It is so hard… meeting someone that you don’t know and trusting them with your child. But once you get over that hurdle, it’s great. Parents love seeing what their children have done during the day.”
For Miriam, the Capability Trial has been more than financial assistance, it’s been the foundation for long-term success, allowing her to create a safe, compliant and welcoming environment for local families. She now hopes more educators can benefit from similar opportunities.
“I highly recommend it. There are a few hurdles, a few barriers, but don’t be put off by it. You’re not on your own, there’s so much support. Just give it a go”.
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