Parents Child Care Options
Parents Child Care Options
- There are many different forms of child care available in Western Australia. If you decide to use child care, you will need to look at each service to see which best meets your family needs.
- You need to decide
whether you want your child cared for:
- with family and friends (informal care)
- in your own home with someone employed to care for them (nanny)
- in a home environment with a small group of children (family day care)
- in a Child Care Centre with a larger group (centre-based care)
- Informal care
- Most children under five whose parents work are cared for by relatives, neighbours or family friends.
- Informal care has flexibility but you do need to have back ups.
- Private nanny
- A nanny is a carer who may have some type of training and who looks after your child in your home.
- They can provide one to one care, avoid the need for your child to travel to care, maintain familiar surroundings.
- Costs for this care vary. Usually a nanny costs more than other types of child care.
- You can find a nanny through specialist employment agencies which are listed in the yellow pages.
- Family day care
- Family day carers provide quality child care in their own homes for other people's children.
- There are two types of family child care - private and those belonging to family day care schemes.
- Caregivers in schemes are supported by coordination units which lend equipment, offer playgroups, support and training, and can access Childcare Assistance for parents on low or middle incomes.
- In Western Australia all family day care caregivers must be licensed and operate under state government child care regulations.
- Care is for children up to 12 years old.
- Care is flexible - full time, part time, emergency, weekend, school holiday and occasional. Fees are set by the scheme.
- People using private family day care cannot access Childcare Assistance.
- Long day care
- Long day care centres usually care for 30 to 45 children under school age.
- Centres are either purpose built or renovated for child care.
- Centres employ both trained and untrained staff according to the number of children enrolled.
- All services must be licensed and operate under state government child care regulations.
- Services provide all day or part time care; some offer places for a limited number of primary school children before and after school and in school holidays.
- Most operate at least eight hours a day, 48 to 50 weeks per year.
- Centres can be operated by private operators, committee management groups or local councils.
- Fees vary and Child Care Assistance is available to low and middle income earners.
- School age care
- Centres provide before and after school care and vacation care programs for primary school children.
- Programs provide creative and sporting activities and time for children to do homework.
- You will need to ask if financial assistance is available.
- Occasional care
- These centres are for parents who need short periods of care for children under school age. They can be used regularly or occasionally while parents shop, go to appointments or take a break.
- Fees vary - you will need to ask if financial assistance is available.
-
These centres may be placed near major shopping complex.
Parenting tips & parenting articles copyright & courtesy
Department for Community Devlp,
Australia.
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