Deciding on the right form of childcare for your child is every parent’s nightmare. From the moment the little cherub/s enter our lives we’re racked with guilt about whether we are doing the right thing? Choosing childcare either because we’re returning to work or just because we need a break is fraught with this same guilt. We’ve put together an overview of the different types of childcare available throughout Australia to help you through the initial steps.

Choosing childcare for your baby can be one of the most important decisions you make as a new parent. Therefore, it is important that you thoroughly research your available options. Try discussing the types of childcare you may prefer (and can afford) with your partner or family, as well as what might suit your family’s needs (and that of your baby).

Whoever you choose to care for your child, you must feel comfortable with your decision. The primary goal for most parents is that their child will be cared for in a nurturing, safe and stimulating environment. Planning is the key to a successful placement and you should start this planning well in advance of you needing the care. Many childcare centres and Family Day Care schemes have long waiting lists, and other options such as selecting a nanny can be very time consuming.

Visiting and talking to the carers will be your best chance of finding the perfect place for your child. If possible try to drop into the centre or Family Day care home outside of your appointment time so that you can see how things “really” work and try to visit at a couple of different times of the day. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, you’re entrusting these people with your baby. For example, ask to see the meal prepared for that day, take a look at the nappy change area and assess its cleanliness, ask to see the baby’s sleep area, ask questions about how the staff would respond to a specific first aid or safety situation.

The most common types of childcare available in Australia are:

This includes care by family and friends, for fees or otherwise, as well as people who have some children in their home under private arrangements.

For those people with this option, this is often a good starting point for childcare as both parents and child find it more familiar. Depending on the arrangements, this can also be the cheapest option.

Family Day Care is a government regulated and accredited service that provides care for children up to the age of 12 years within the registered carer’s home. Carers are offered support through an established network, either local government, church or a similar community body but are not required to have any formal training. Registered carers are selected & monitored by professional Childcare Coordination Unit Staff. The Family Day Care coordination unit provides both a supportive and a training role for carers to assist them in maintaining quality childcare and ongoing personal and professional development.

The age of the children in care will determine the number of children a Family Day Carer can accept. The maximum number of pre-school aged children is 5. This small number allows for more individual care in a home environment. As there are only a few children the spread of germs is generally less than in a childcare centre.

A benefit of Family Day Care is, depending on your particular carer, you can arrange flexible hours including overnight stays, weekend care, after school hours, part time and holiday care. This is useful for those mums and dads who work shift work.

In most Family Day Care situations you will need to provide all of your child’s food and drinks for the day.

Long Day Care centres are facilities that are operated by either private or government bodies and provide care that covers the normal working day for parents. Hours of operation broadly fall into 7.30am to around 6pm (of course each centre will have its own business hours) and most are open 10 hours per day Monday to Friday. They must be licensed by the Department Of Community Services to operate.

Childcare places seem to be few and far between and you may need to place your name on a number of waiting lists (which can be quite long) and this will normally incur a waitlist fee.

Occasional Care is exactly that, it’s for occasional use and available for 0-6 year olds. Many mums use this care for casual appointments, study, and casual work or just for the occasional break from the kids. It is often provided by community groups, churches, or local councils. The staff at an Occasional Care centre are not necessarily trained in childcare and some may be volunteers. Despite the term “occasional”, many such centres require bookings and regular usage whilst some require a booking for up to a week in advance. All centres with booking systems are likely to expect payment whether or not the child attended a booked session.

Pre-school is a preparation for your child before commencing school. There are quite large variations between the states as to the format and timing of starting preschool so for more information you will need to seek clarification from your local government. In general pre-school is available to children between the ages of 3-5 and the hours of operation are either a morning or afternoon session, 5 days per week or a couple of days a week between 9am-3pm.

The arrangements that you make with a nanny or babysitter are a private transaction between you and your chosen carer. They do not have to be licensed or approved by the government and as a result no Child Care rebate is claimable.

This type of care means that your child can be cared for in their own home environment and allows for greater flexibility in the hours you select, although this usually comes at a price with Nanny and Babysitting services charging quite a high premium.

Many people find using an Agency to help select their child’s carer useful. Agencies will have ensured that all of their candidates comply with the conditions of the Working with Children police check, have a current First Aid certificate and will have checked their references. They will also attempt to match all of your requested criteria to a suitable candidate which may possibly reduce the number of people you will have to interview.

There is an In Home care scheme available throughout Australia that is coordinated and monitored by a government agency that assists with finding, and monitoring the care for some members of the community. The service was introduced in 2001 and access is still quite limited. To be eligible for this assistance you must fall within one of the following categories:

The first few times you leave your child in the new childcare situation it will be traumatic for both of you. Rest assured your little one will cope better than you, and will be off playing within minutes of you leaving. Here are a few tips to help you both through the difficult separation.

For most parents, returning to work means that they require some type of care arrangements for their child(ren). This may include enrolling in family day care and childcare centres, finding an in-home carer, securing after school care or relying on a family carer. The transition to a new carer can be one of the most challenging and anxious experiences for both parents and children alike, so here are some things you can do to prepare yourself and your family.

Where to go for more information:

This information adapted from Huggies feature article for more information click here.