Family day care
Family day care is a registered service providing home based childcare for a small group of children, aged from 6 weeks to 12 years old.
It is approved by the Australian Government and eligible for child care subsidy. It is also licensed by state governments.
The service provides flexible hours and small groups with planned programs focused on helping children develop a sense of confidence, connect with their community and develop social skills.
The family day care service offers:
- full-time and part-time care
- outside school hours care
- school holiday care
- respite care.
In 2023 City of Whittlesea Family Day Care was rated as exceeding the National Quality Standard under the National Quality Framework. The National Quality Standard (NQS) sets a national benchmark for the quality of children’s education and care services across Australia.
Family day care educators
Family day care educators are qualified early childhood education and care professionals.
All educators:
- hold qualifications in Certificate III in Children’s Services or in a higher child care qualification
- have experience in working in the sector
- provide a safe, hygienic, secure and smoke-free childcare environment
- hold a current first aid certificate, anaphylaxis and asthma training
- undertake a National Police Record Check and Working with Children Check
- provide developmentally appropriate programs for children
- represent the cultural diversity of the local community
- sub-contract to Council under a license agreement.
Family day care educators are also supported by Council’s Coordination Unit, who are responsible for approving, supporting, training and monitoring educators.
Family day care educator profiles
Download and view details of the current family day care educators registered with City of Whittlesea.
Coordination Unit
The Coordination Unit is a team of qualified early childhood professionals and administration staff who are responsible for supporting, resourcing and monitoring educators and the service they provide.
The Coordination Unit provides:
- responsive support and information to parents and educators
- mentoring and professional guidance to educators to meet National Quality Standards, National Law and Regulations, and National Quality Standards
- help to all families in choosing an educator
- regular visits to the educators’ homes offering ongoing professional training, resources and support.
Fees and child care subsidy
Fees for family day care are charged at an hourly rate and are set independently by individual educators under Council’s guidance.
You may be eligible for Child Care Subsidy after Centrelink assess the following:
- your family’s income
- the hourly rate cap based on the type of approved child care you use and your child’s age
- the hours of activity/work you and your partner do.
The amount of subsidised child care you can access per fortnight applies to each child.
To find out if you are eligible:
- Visit the Services Australia website
- Call 13 61 50 between 8 am and 8 pm (local time) Monday to Friday
- Visit a service centre (located in Medicare offices and Centrelink Service Centres).
'No jab, no play' legislation
Before enrolling a child, early childhood services will have to first obtain evidence that the child is one of the following:
- fully immunised for their age
- on a vaccination catch-up program
- unable to be fully immunised for medical reasons.
Conscientious objection is not an exemption under the legislation.
Find out more about the 'no jab no play' legislation on the Department of Health website.
Policy document and parent handbook