By Jamie Salter
Windermere Child and Family Services is leading the way in family day care as thousands of parents across the country consider their options for childcare in 2022.
Family Day Care is an education and childcare service run from the homes of early childhood education and care professionals.
Set in a nurturing home environment, educators can offer personalised play-based learning programs and small group sizes to aid children’s individual development.
Windermere chief executive officer Dr Lynette Buoy said Family Day Care can suit families who were seeking an alternative option to larger child care settings.
“There’s a network of educators that have purposefully redesigned their home to enable them to provide quality care and the difference between that and a childcare centre is that the numbers are different, there’s a smaller ratio of about one to seven children,” Ms Buoy said.
Ms Buoy said Family Day Care offers flexible and extended hours of care to suit parents seeking childcare during non-standard hours.
“This time of year parents are looking for carers as they return to work including families that aren’t just working from nine to five,” she said.
“There’s greater flexibility with their hours and in some cases educators provide care overnight and on the weekends.”
Windermere is approved as a provider by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority and provides Family Day Care across 100 homes in South-East Melbourne and West Gippsland in line with the National Quality Framework.
“We identify educators and make sure their homes meet the requirements and under our license provide that service,” Ms Buoy said.
To learn more about Windermere’s Family Day Care Services, contact 1300 946 337 or visit windermere.org.au/childcare/family-day-care
