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Family day care

Family day care offers a flexible care and education service in the private homes of registered carers to children.

Family day care educators may provide care for up to seven children and include up to four children who are not yet school children. Family day care educators are monitored and supported by a family day care scheme coordination unit including qualified family day care scheme coordinators.

By 2014, family day care educators will be required to hold or be working towards a Certificate III qualification, although many already hold or are studying towards various early childhood qualifications. Each family day care educator determines their own hours of work and fee arrangements.

Family day care schemes are required to hold a service approval and must comply with the legislative standards of the Education and Care Services National Law 2011 and Education and Care Services National Regulations 2012.

As of 1 January 2012, the National Quality Framework (NQF) applies to all long day care, family day care, outside school hours care, pre-Prep and kindergarten services. A small number of services continue to be regulated under the Child Care Act 2002. The NQF introduces a new quality rating system for services and new national standards that over time will include more educators to educate and care for children and enhanced educator qualification requirements. For more information, visit the NQF page.

For more information on family day care, please call the Family Day Care Association on 07 3847 6900.

Find a family day care service

Getting started
Settling into an early childhood education and care service is a big event in a child's and parent's life. The Getting Started suite of tip sheets has some helpful information and tips to help you both prepare for your child's first day.

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This page was last reviewed on 05 May 2011