Child Care Melbourne

Welcome to Child Care Melbourne!

This website evolved out of my desire to provide all the information on childcare in one place for concerned parents. When I was looking for a good daycare centre, I ran a search on Google for ‘Child Care Melbourne’ and although it threw up several websites, none could give me all the information I needed. After several futile attempts to find a decent and not too expensive childcare centre, I finally found the right place for my little girl more with my gut instincts than any active help from the Net!
So, Child Care Melbourne was born – to address the needs of parents like you and me.

I am assuming that you are here because you are also being driven up the wall trying to locate a good daycare centre or weighing other daycare options for your child and just don’t know where to start. Trust me, I’ve been there and done that. Child Care Melbourne is an attempt to bring together all relevant information on childcare under one roof!

I’ve done a lot of scouting around both online and through friends and relatives for the best childcare or kindercare options and I know how important selecting the right daycare for your child is to you. I wouldn’t be comfortable leaving my baby in care centres that don’t really care for my child.

I will be describing several options in childcare and discussing the pros and cons of each to help you make a considered decision. Whether you are looking for Long Day Care, Family Day Care, Before / After School Hours Care, Occasional Care, In Home Care, or Vacation Care, you can be sure you have come to the right place.

I have spent hours on this so I know what you are looking for. I will be giving you a lot of information on where you can find NCAC certified and accredited caregivers and centres; what are the signs to look for to identify the right centre or caregiver for your child, and what are the issues to consider.

Are you worried about what child care is going to cost you? I’ve found a groovy child care estimator to help you plan better.

Did you know that the government offers a child care benefit to families? Or that you get a 50% rebate on child care if you go in for approved childcare?

Are you worried about exposing your healthy children to infections from other kids in childcare centres? Then In-Home Care would be your best bet; I will be talking about babysitters, childminders, and nannies, and where to look for them, how much to pay, etc.

Given the latest research on the learning abilities of very young children, preschool and nursery are also other options. I have put together some information on this too.

Childminding is serious business and in Child Care Melbourne I will be sharing serious information that will make it easier for you to get the best and most trustworthy nanny / babysitter / childcare providers in your area for the apple of your eye!

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Child Care News

Childcare pledge for south-east families

The Federal Government has pledged $500,000 to redevelop a kindergarten at Keith in South Australia into a childcare centre.

The only childcare facility in the upper south-east town closed last May, leaving dozens of families without support.

Child Care Minister Kate Ellis says $50,000 will be used to investigate how to best upgrade the current site.

She hopes the changed facility can be operating by the end of the year.

"We have committed up to half-a-million dollars in order to make sure that the work takes place, make sure that we have a new childcare facility in place but also we will continue to work with that childcare facility to ensure that the business model is viable and that this is indeed a long-term solution," she said.

The head of the Keith childcare action group, Poppy Lines, says integrated child care will breath life back into the town.

"Parents … that could no longer work when the childcare centre shut down, they can now go back to work and I think for the town it's a massive thing," she said.

From ABC News

 

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Choosing Quality Child Care

This section of Child Care Melbourne is to bring you all the facts about placing your child in daycare. It is designed to make it easy for you to identify the best and yet most cost-effective childcare option for your child.

Here is a complete list of stuff you need to be aware of before venturing into childcare, which I found very useful while I was struggling to figure it all out for myself:

Childcare Fact Sheet
I found a pretty good article that sheds light on the importance of trained childcare staff that helped me in my search.

How To Choose Quality Child Care – The Importance Of Trained Staff

By Eileen Simoni
Questions to consider when choosing a childcare facility
What should I look for in the staff?
You would be interested in how much experience the staff members have at the facility, so ask them how many years of child care experience they have, and whether they have achieved a degree, diploma or certificate in child care. High staff turnover can be a poor indication of the management at the centre. Having a replaced staff members every three to four months can have a negative impact on the children, because it disrupts the childs’ ability to bond with the staff, and means that the staff need to devote time to get to know the personality and learning needs of each child.
When you visited the facility, what were the staff doing?

Consider whether the play and learning needs of the children were being met by the staff. Look at what the staff were engaged in, such as singing a song, doing a puzzle or making a craft with the children. Free play time is undoubtedly important for child development, however consider whether there is a reasonable balance between staff facilitation and free play.
Does it matter if the staff is from a different or varying age bracket?

Each carer has a unique set of skills, interests and talents that they bring to the fore when working with children. Carers of an older age group tend to have more experience in working with children, and thus have a firm grasp on meeting the learning needs of children. By the same token, younger staff may contribute to the care of children through their keenness and different approach to childcare. Centres that have staff in a range of age brackets provide this balance between experience with children, and keenness to get involved. Be wary of centres that have a high percentage of staff of a younger age group, as while it is cost effective for the manager, it can pose to limit the learning opportunities of the children as they may the lack experience. Younger staff may be well equipped with the skills and knowledge of childcare, it is up to you to ask about qualifications and previous experience.
Do the staff appear presentable?
Being neatly dressed is important as it is an indication of pride and respect for yourself, the workplace and others.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eileen_Simoni
The National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC) has an easily accessible database of accredited childcare providers where you can be sure of getting licensed and fully qualified childcare professionals to care of your child.

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Home Care or Day Care ?

At Child Care Melbourne we understand that it is increasingly imperative that both parents work to be able to meet the growing demands of running a family. This makes it impossible to take care of your child unless you go in for In Home Care or place your child in a Day Care Centre. Although it is a delight to spend time with your kids and watch them utter their first word or take their first step, it is most times not possible to manage on a single income.

You can still be a responsible parent and ensure that your child is being taken care of well by professionals while you are out at work. There are several important points you need to check before you can trust your child with a babysitter or nanny, or at a childcare centre.
The benefit of In Home Care is being able to leave the child in a homely atmosphere under the watchful eye of the nanny or babysitter. You also run less risk of infection from other kids.

Here are some guidelines for In Home Care.
Familiarize the caregiver with the location of the first aid box and make sure she knows how to use it in case of an emergency. Explain meal times and bed times and insist that they be followed strictly. If food is to be prepared by the nanny, give clear instructions on how it is to be done. Most times you will find that your babysitter will like to watch TV but you need to be strict about how much TV and what kind of programs your child is allowed to watch. It would be good to keep certain rooms locked if there are any items that may cause harm to your child. Many accidents are known to happen when your babysitter is drinking a hot cup of coffee or tea with your baby in her arms. So you need to stress that all drinking and eating is done away from your baby.

The Day Care option is less expensive as they provide care for several children. The most common problem with Day Care is the high risk of infection. But if your child is generally healthy and eats and plays well, this should not be a major cause for concern. But you do need to know several things before you can trust them with your child.

You need to check if they are accredited and have sufficient qualified staff to constantly supervise the child’s activities. Find out how they enforce discipline; are they gentle but firm with the children; do they encourage good behaviour, etc.

The nappy changing area has to be clean and hygienic. It would do no harm to check how diapers are changed; if the staff wash their hands before and after changing diapers, do they disinfect the surface, do they hold the child while changing the diapers, etc.
You also need to know the procedure followed in case of an emergency and find out where the nearest hospital is located.

On your part, you need to keep your contact details up to date be it at the centre or with the nanny, and make sure you are near a phone all the time!

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