Family daycare is an alternative to centre-based daycare and allows your child to access child care in the family daycare provider's own home. Providers of this type of care are trained in early childhood education and care and provide a home-away-from-home environment for the children in their care. If you're getting ready to return to work and need to find child care that's right for your child, you may be feeling overwhelmed choosing between the different child care models. Centre-based daycare is very popular and tends to follow the same hours and daily routine of local schools. Lots of children thrive in that type of environment, but it may not be the best option for some young children. Family daycare perhaps has more unknowns for those in the early stages of selecting a type of child care, so read on to learn more about what you can expect from this type of care.
What Are The Opening Hours?
Family daycare providers can offer more flexibility in terms of their hours of operation when compared to some other types of child care. Providers may offer extended hours to accommodate parents who aren't home until early evening, and some providers offer weekend child care. You don't have to commit to your child attending full-time hours when enrolling them in family daycare, so if you're looking for child care for just a couple of days or half days per week, this can be a good option.
How Many Kids Can Be Looked After?
Family daycare does not provide a classroom environment, and as care is carried out in the provider's own home, places are restricted to just a handful of children. This can be beneficial for children who may not enjoy being in a loud, busy environment with 20-30 other kids. They have the opportunity to play and socialise with children each day but in a more toned-down way.
Are Meals Provided?
Family daycare providers will typically provide your child with meals and snacks throughout the day. They should be able to accommodate any dietary requirements, and parents can put some rules in place with regards to the types of foods they want their child to eat. For example, if you don't want your child eating biscuits and cakes at snack time, you can ask that they are given a piece of fruit instead. Some providers are happy for you to send your child with a packed lunch if you prefer.
How Do Kids Spend Their Time?
In addition to a family daycare provider having a range of play and learning resources available for children to access, you can expect your child to spend some of their time outdoors. This may mean they play in the provider's garden, they go on walks or they visit the local playpark. A family daycare provider can also take children to the library and community groups, such as arts and crafts classes.
If you think family daycare may be the best child care option for your child, take some time to speak with a number of providers and gain a strong understanding of the environment they provide in their home and the values that are important to them.
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