child care services - types of care available
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Looking for local child care services? Not sure what type of child care service you require? See our explanations below of the types of child care services available and where you can find the best type of child care service for your needs in your local area.
This website deals mainly with information relating to children under preschool age and this page concentrates on general information regarding group based and centre based child care for children in that age range. Some basic information is provided for older children. For specific contact details for child care authorities in your state/territory, see our child care contacts page. We recommend reading this page first to ensure that you are aware of the types of child care available before trying to find suitable facilities.
Information relating to private in-home child carers, such as nannies, au-pairs and baby-sitters is covered on our nannies & babysitters pages.
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types of care available
There is a child care option for virtually every situation, including
centres that operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks year - so don't despair!
The types of care available for younger children include:
> full day care at a centre
> part day care at a centre
> casual care at a centre
> full day care in family day care
> part day care in family day care
> care for children of rotating shift workers
> work related evening care
> occasional care
> weekend care in a centre
Special facilities are also available for children with specific needs, such as disabilities or non-English speaking care.
Child care facilities are categorised as following:
> Long Day Care Centres
> Family Day Care
> Occasional, Mobile & Limited Hours Care Centres
The sections below give further information on each type.
long day care centres
Long Day Care Centres usually operate from 7am-6pm, Monday - Friday for
at least 48 weeks of the year. Some centres operate on a full-time basis
opening for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week all year round. Centres offer a wide range of activities,
usually with a number of children of different ages.
Long Day Care Centres accept bookings ranging from full-time care, Monday-Friday, to
care on just 2 or 3 days a week, or sessional care (eg afternoons only).
Centres can get very booked up and you may need to be flexible with the
days that you accept from a centre - particularly if you only require
care on a couple of days a week. If you know that you need particular days,
get your name down on a waiting list early, and if necessary, at more than one
centre. Places often become
available at the end of the school year (or at the start of each school term in some states) when older children leave care to
attend kindergarten or pre-school. To improve your chances of being
considered for the following year, you should ensure that you have registered your
interest with your preferred centre(s) before that time.
family day care
Family day care is provided for small groups of children by licensed carers in their
own family homes. Each carer is approved to look after a certain number of children,
with the maximum group size being 7 (with additional limits on the number of children under school age.)
Family Day Care may be able to provide flexible hours to suit a variety of
situations, including shift workers hours, regular part-time care and occasional care, sometimes even overnight care.
Each carer is monitored by an area co-ordinator who will have details
of the groups and any vacant places in your area that match your needs.
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Family Day Care |
occasional, mobile & limited hours care centres
These centres often operate for shorter hours than long-day care centres and
offer care for regular bookings or casual, one-off bookings to give you a break
whilst you go shopping or attend a doctors' appointment.
Booking regulations can vary, from acceptance of regular bookings to bookings only
a week in advance.
Please note that some facilities labelled as 'long day care' centres offer
occasional and casual bookings too.
finding a service
All child care centres and family day care schemes are licensed by the relevant Government body in each state/territory. These
licensing bodies have full lists of facilities available for each region and have telephone assistance and online search facilities
(in most cases) to help you locate a suitable service for your needs. Contact details and website links for each state/territory are
included on our child care contacts page as well as links to some national bodies who
may also be able to assist with child care enquiries.
choosing a service
Child care services are strictly controlled on numbers, ensuring that
the correct child-to-carer ratio is observed. Many centres and family day
care services become fully
booked and are then not able to offer another place until a current
child leaves - which may not happen for several months. If you are
looking for care on certain days of the week, your chosen service may not
be able to offer your requested times but may offer alternatives. Check
out all the options available to you and make sure that
you put your child on the waiting list for the centre (or centres) that
you are interested in - and be prepared to wait, or be flexible and take
the times/dates that are offered. Places often become available at the
end of the school year (or start of each school term in some states) when older children leave care to go to kindergarten or
pre-school. Get onto waiting lists as early as possible
to give yourself the best chance of having your needs considered for the following year.
The National Child Care Accreditation Council (NCAC) has useful pointers on what to look for and things to consider when
choosing a child care facility to suit your family's needs here.
fees
Fees can vary and you should check the fees charged before you enrol your child into a
child care scheme.
Ensure that you also check what is included in the fee, topics to discuss include:
> holidays - is a retainer fee required if you take the child away from care for a holiday
> late fee - is there are fee if you are late to collect your child
> sickness/absence - is a fee charged when a child is sick or not able to attend for any reason
> meals - are charges made for food & drink provided to your child by the carer
> nappies - are nappies provided by the carer or do you supply your own
> transport - any charges made for transport of your child - eg to a playarea
childcare assistance & childcare rebate
If you are eligible for Family Assistance, you may also be eligible for
help with child care fees. See our government family benefit payments page
for more information on. Assistance is only available for payments made to licensed child care facilities.
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