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Blue Mountains Family Day Care Family brochure My Family, Your Home The Natural Choice in Child Care
Blue Mountains
Family Day Care
Family brochure
My Family, Your Home
The Natural
Choice inChild Care
Cnr San Jose Avenue and Loftus St LawsonPh: (02) 4780 5280
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours:8.30am-5.00pm Mon-Fri
www.bmfdc.com.aufacebook.com/bluemountainsfamilydaycare
Service Coordintor: Bev Foden 0414 195 696
In case of an emergency
Care Placement: Vicki Roy(02) 4780 5280
Payment enquiries: Nonnie Aldridge(02) 4780 5280
Service CRN: 555 002 187 V
Imagine your child in a small group setting, playing, learning and having fun with an educator they know and trust!
This is Family Day Care!
Children are nurtured and cared for in the homes of approved Family Day Care educators who are resourced, supported and monitored by our central coordination unit. This network of educators, coordination unit and families is collectively referred to as a family day care service.
What is family day care?
In the natural learning environment of the home, children who attend Family Day Care learn through play and exploration within a small group setting.
Blue Mountains Family Day Care is a not-for-profit service provided by Blue Mountains City Council.
Family Day Care is a service that understands families need all types of care, depending on their circumstances. We provide many types of care including long day care, occasional care, before and after school care, weekend care, care for shift workers, vacation care, in home care and emergency or respite care.
Children receive individual care and attention and are acknowledged as strong and competent learners who can initiate their own learning experiences. This approach utilises the understanding of children’s strengths, skills and knowledge as an important basis for program design making.
Play, Learn , Nurture
Family Day Care’s child-centred approach puts the child’s wellbeing first by focusing on their unique interests and respecting their individual routines.
The service respects the key role of parents and works within a collaborative partnership model that helps children to thrive.
Your child’s wellbeing and early learning are vitally important to us!We invite you to provide us with feedback on our service provision.
Family Day Care operates under the same regulations and legislationas all other childcare services such as long day care and preschools.
All services, including Family Day Care, are assessed and rated under theNational Quality Framework.
How is Family Day Care monitored?
Blue Mountains Family Day Care has achieved an overall rating of EXCEEDING the National Quality Standard.
Family Day Care is licensed through the NSW Government department of Education and Communities and this enables families to receive their Federal Government Child Care Subsidy.
Family Day Care educators are monitored, supported and mentored by the co-ordination unit team through regular visits from Children’s Services Officers (CSO’s). These CSO’s are experienced and qualified to at least Diploma level in children’s services.
Family Day Care educators have to go through a selection process including a Working with Children Check for both themselves and family members prior to being registered.
Blue Mountains Family Day Care has an Educational Leader who is a university qualified Early Childhood Teacher. The educational leader’s role is to lead the educators and support them in delivering educational outcomes for the children in their care.
Who are the providers/educators?The providers of Family Day Care are educators working from their own homes who have been trained, mentored and supervised by our service Blue Mountains Family Day Care. Educators are self employed business owners who work in partnership with the coordination unit.
Blue Mountains Family Day Care have educators qualified from certificate 3 in Children’s Services through to university qualified Early Childhood teachers. We have educators operating from Oberon/Wallerawang/ Lithgow, throughout the Blue Mountains and into the Penrith/Kingswood/Werrington area working with our service.
Moochy Kids, Springwood
The Coordination Unit consists of the Service Supervisor, an administration officer, a marketing officer and Childcare Services officers. Staff are employed by Blue Mountains City Council, the DECS approved provider of the service.
Bev Foden is the Service Supervisor. She is responsible to Blue Mountains City Council for the overall management of the service including:• Licensing, implementing quality standards and accreditation of the
service• Staff recruitment• Service promotion and development, and the maintenance of
educator and staff relationships• Seeking feedback and handling complaints• Financial management and Service reporting to Government
departments and Blue Mountains City Council• Organising relief and alternative care - if your educator is unavailable
through illness or holidays• Educator and staff professional development• Overseeing the In Home Care Service• Administration services for families and educators• Work with prospective educators to determine their suitability for the operation of a child care service• Registration of new educatorsBev is contactable 24/7 as the emergency contact for you and educators on 0414 195 696 or in the Family Day Care Office on 47805547.
Who is the coordination unit?
The administration functions of the coordination unit include:• Processing attendance records and payment of Child Care Subsidy to
educators• Provision of administration training and business support to
educators and the service• Answering CCS and administrative enquiries - from families and
educators• Maintaining office records• Implementing the administrative requirements of the Federal and
State Government• Develpment of service administration systems and improvements
Family Liaison Officer:• Assist families and educators with care placement• Liaise with families about any aspect of the service or their children’s
development• Consultation with families about their experience with Family Day
Care
Child Care Services Officers:• Provide support and resources to educators, specific to your child’s
needs• New educator set up and training• Provide play sessions for educators• Regularly visit the educator’s homes and monitor your child’s
wellbeing and development• Check educator’s homes for safety and compliance within the
regulations and national quality standards• Follow up care placement and liaison with families about any aspect
of the service or their children’s development• Provide ongoing professional development opportunities for
educators• Implement the Marte Meo program, a program that supports and
guides children’s behaviour and development• Support babies and young children to settle into care• Support educators with planning, documenting and evaluating • children’s learning and development. • Assist with the In Home Care service
We have no enrolment fee. The cost of Family Day Care is determined by the individual educator’s fees so it varies from service to service. The current range of fees we have within our scheme are from approximately $8 to $12 per child, per hour.
Eligible families can have their fees reduced by the Government Child Care Subsidy.
Blue Mountains Family Day Care is paid your CCS portion directly by Centrelink and we then pass onyour entitlement to your educator. You then pay just the difference between your fee entitlement and the full fee directly to your educator.
An educator will outline their fees for you in a Fees and Charges Agreement. You will also sign a contract with your educator that will outline the hours and days you want to use. Other forms our office will give you provide us with the family and personal details of your child relevant to their care.
Please Note: If you apply to Centrelink for a fee subsidy, full fees will need to be paid to your educator until notice of your Child Care Subsidyentitlements has been received by the Family Day Care Service.
What is the cost?
It is free to join!
How to enrol your child
Step 1. Apply!Phone or email the coordination unit and complete an application form.
Step 2. Educator vacancies/waitlistAfter you have completed the application process, you will be provided with a list of suitable educators that have a vacancy. You are more than welcome to request an educator or ask to be placed on a wait list if our vacancies are not suitable at that time.
Step 3. Meet & greet with the educator/s. At your meet and greet you will have the opportunity to see the educator’s family day care space, and ask any questions about how their service operates. This is also an opportunity for the educator to meet your child and for you to share any information about your child that will be relevant to their care.
Step 4. EnrolmentOnce you have decided which educator is the best fit, it is time to enrol. Your educator will provide you with a selection of forms to complete, including an enrolment form. You will also need to provide up to date immunisation information before your child can be enrolled to start care.
Step 5. Welcome to Family Day Care!It is our vision, that through their experiences in Family Day Care, every child will reach for their full potential.
What do families say about us?“Family Day Care provided me with more than just a childcare service. My daughter was welcomed into a family home for 5 years (age 2 - 7) and cared for by a highly trained and skilled childcare professional. I never had to worry about her welfare either physically or emotionally.”
“The greatest advantage of Family Day Care is the small number of children who are given individual attention. My child was given love as well as activities that suited her learning, imagination and creativity.”
“The educator worked alongside me to develop enrichment programs that were best for my child. The diary entries and photos that were given to me have become treasures for us to look back on.”
“The biggest gift was how the Educator was willing to take on board the challenges and hard times with sensitivity, compassion and without judgement, all within a home environment. The support and encouragement I received as a parent was also pricesless- I felt I wasn't alone in my parenting.”
“My daughter formed relationships during her formative years that have stayed with her. As a teenager she still looks forward to spending time with her extended Family Day Care family and I am grateful that they are still a big part of our lives.”
BLUE MOUNTAINS FAMILY DAY CARECnr San Jose Avenue and Loftus St Lawson
Ph: (02) 4780 5280 Email: [email protected]
Office Hours:8.30am-5.00pm Mon-Fri
www.bmfdc.com.aufacebook.com/bluemountainsfamilydaycare
