Family Day Care Educator FAQs

There is a huge demand locally for quality Windermere Family Day Care Educators, and most of them work to full capacity all year.

Depending on your availability you can expect to earn between $45,000 to $70,000 per year.

Your actual income will depend on a number of factors including your qualifications and experience, the quality of your overall care and education, and hours and days you choose to work. Sometimes it can take a little while to get established.

Running a home-based early childhood education and care service will affect your entire family. Because you will be expected to operate professionally at all times, it is vital that you discuss with your family the impact it will have on them, and the ways you deal with this, before you submit your application.

Here are some of the issues you should consider:

• When your working day will begin and end
• How your partner and any older children feel about sharing their home with other children
• How any younger children may feel about sharing their toys (and you) with other children
• How your family will feel about the health and safety requirements of providing Family Day Care, such as not being able to bring the family pet indoors while care is being provided
• How you will deal with the fact that any family members or visitors who smoke cannot do so on the property or in view of children in your care.

If you are accepted as a Family Day Care Educator, be prepared to go through a period of adjustment, which is entirely normal. If you feel it would be helpful, we are happy to visit and discuss your new career with you and your family.

The good news is that the costs of starting up and running a home-based early childhood education and care service business are minimal.

Here is a list of what you will need to cover:

Public Liability Insurance

All Family Day Care Educators are required to have adequate insurance. This is can be arranged through Family Day Care Australia and the cost is very reasonable, premiums payable fortnightly. Information will be sent to you if you are accepted.

Police Check Fee

• Family Day Care Educator
• Others over 18

Working with Children Check

• Cost of Working with Children Check + photo for Family Day Care Educator
• Cost of photo for others over 18

Family Day Care Educators Levy*

Payable to Windermere Early Childhood Education & Care Services

First Aid Course

• Level II
• CPR
• Asthma Management,
• Anaphylaxis Management
• Epipen

Medical Certificate

Cost of a standard visit to your GP only 

Activity materials Items such as play dough, paints, paper and glue

An adequate variety of toys & games

You may prefer to borrow items from the toy library

Safety-related equipment

Items such as:

• Plugs for electrical outlets|
• Child-proof latches for detergent cupboards
• Protection from stove tops
• A guard for your fireplace
• Adequate external fencing

Child-related equipment

You will need to purchase some of your own equipment as you become established.

Home business-related equipment

• Home telephone
• Working mobile phone
• Computer
• Printer access
• Internet connection
• Email address
• Other basic home office equipment.

Windermere’s Family Day Care service caters for children aged birth to 12 years. The service provides quality early childhood education and care with flexible hours to meet the needs of individual families and their children.

It is licensed and funded by the Commonwealth Government. Family Day Care is provided to small groups of children within the Educator’s home, enabling them to deliver highly personalised care and quality learning programs within a stimulating and nurturing environment. This helps to develop a strong connection between the Educator and each
of the children they regularly care for, which helps to support the children’s identity, connection with the community, wellbeing and communication.

Working closely with our Educators, we aim to achieve four main goals:

1. Environment 

Deliver a stimulating and engaging educational program that enhances learning and development.

2. Curriculum

Promote competence, independence and learning through play.

3. Relationships

Develop respectful and equitable relationships which increase children’s sense of security and belonging.

4. Partnerships

Develop strong partnerships with families to achieve positive outcomes for their children.
The services we offer through

Family Day Care include:

• Full or part-time care
• Before and after school care
• School holiday care
• Respite care – up to 24 hours per week
• Occasional and emergency care
• Weekend, evening and overnight care
• Care for children with additional needs.

With our Family Day Care services available 24 hours a day, seven days week, we ask our Educators to nominate the hours and days they would like to work, based on a minimum of 3 x 8-hour days. The maximum number of children a Educator can care for at any time is seven children, with up to four being below school age. (This includes any children of your own aged under 12 years).

Yes. You will need to have completed Certificate III in Children’s Services. You will also need to have completed First Aid, Anaphylaxis management, and Asthma management before you begin caring for children.

There are a number of variables in the way we place children with you, including the area in which you live, how many non-school-age children you have of your own, and whether you transport your own children to and from school.

Children come and go from care, so when a child leaves there is no guarantee that another child can be placed with you immediately. A lot of your success will depend on your enthusiasm, dedication, the quality of the education and care you provide, and most importantly, your professional reputation.