Childcare & Nannies
For parents with young children, particularly those who aren't yet of
school age, childcare is one of the most important considerations you will
face. When we think of childcare, we tend to think of private
childcare centres, but there are many different child care options available, each with their
own positives, negatives, and important things to think about:
- Childcare Centres - these are a mix of
commercially-run childcare businesses and centres run by local community
not-for-profit organisations, parents, local governments, and church
groups. They
are often called long day care because they tend to run from early in the day to
early in the evening.
- Important considerations:
- The
qualifications of the staff.
- What kinds of activities will the kids will be doing?
- Recommendations from other parents.
- Do they provide food, drink, and nappies?
- Whether the facility is
operating with children in mind rather than profit.
- When you visit the centre is it a welcoming environment and
do the kids in the centre seem happy?
- Nannies - Live-in carers who look after the
children and who may be responsible for any child-related tasks. An
Au Pair is a foreign national who is on an exchange
program who has much the same role as a nanny.
- Important considerations:
- Are they qualified, experienced, and do they have a Blue Card?
- Do they engage well with your children and do your
children like them?
- Will they spend all their time with your family - will they
eat dinner with you, go on holidays with you? Will they have
free time?
- What will happen if they get sick?
- Relatives - Using a relative or many relatives as
either full-time or part-time child carers.
- Important considerations:
- Do your relatives have the time, facilities, and energy to
look after small children?
- Relatives need time to themselves too.
- Family day care - Child care operating out of
private homes. There may be other children who will be looked after . Activities can occur in the home or outside of
the home - e.g. at a park, shopping centre.
- Important considerations:
- How many children will be looked after at the one time?
There are restrictions on the number of children providers are
allowed to look after at one time.
- Who else will be in the home with the children?
- What qualifications or experience does the operator have?
- What activities will the children be doing?
- Do they provide food, drink, and nappies?
- What happens when they are sick?
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