Become part of a family of Family Day Care professionals in your local area whom strive towards quality Family Day Care.

If you would like to combine your passion for children with the opportunity to create a financially rewarding, professional home based career as a Family Day Care educator, our Scheme can provide:

• An extensive Orientation training resource package giving you the opportunity to provide quality education and care to families
• Support by a Professional Co-ordination team
• An opportunity to attend extra – curricular activities, such as, Music Therapy, Butterfly Wings, PALS program and play sessions
• Your Family Day Care children an opportunity to attend an approved Kindergarten program while in your education and care service
• Access to a resource/equipment library
• The ability to earn a good income with many tax benefits
• An opportunity to study while working
• An opportunity to nominate the days and hours you would like to work
• An opportunity to be at home with your own children while earning an income

Our experienced, qualified, professional staff in the Family Day Care Co-ordination unit are there to support you by:

• Regular visits to your home to provide support and advice
• Organised extracurricular activities
• Phone, email and face to face support
• Regular professional development training and advice and assistance on further education
• Child placements and registrations
• Child linkage to the Child Care Management System to ensure government assistance for families
• Payment of Government Assistance to Educators
• Facebook/Website advertising
• Advice and support in business management and professional conduct, including conflict resolution
• Administrative support

Training

Setting up your own home business can be an exciting venture. Our recruitment process provides support through face- to -face training covering a variety of subjects, such as:

• Child placement procedures and parent interviews 
• How to set up your environment
• Child Development and Behaviour Guidance
• Legislative Requirements, and
• The necessary flyers and forms to assist you in your business

You are further supported through home visits from qualified and experienced co-ordinators who will assist you to develop play-based learning programs that are responsive to each child’s ideas, interests, strengths and abilities. On-going training is also available should you wish to gain child care related qualifications.

Pre requisites

• Educators are required to have or be working towards a child care qualification (minimum Certificate 111)
• The educator and all adults over the age of 18 who are residents or regular visitors must have a Suitability Card
• Educators must hold a 1st Aid certificate including CPR, Asthma and Anaphylaxis
• Educators must have Public Liability Insurance  (for further information please contact Kerry)

Registration Process

Prospective educators are required to attend an interview with Co-ordination staff and complete an ‘Expression of Interest’ form.  An initial home check will also be conducted to identify any safety issues.  Successful applicants will then be invited to attend the training sessions.  On completion of the training and the above pre requisites educators will commence work as a Probationary Educator.  During this time, educators are visited weekly to assist them in establishing their business, settling the children into care and becoming familiar with the schemes Policies and Procedures. On completion of the probationary period educators will become registered educators contracted on an annual basis to the scheme.  Co-ordinators will continue to visit educators 3 weekly or as required.

Being a contractor for Family Day Care South Cairns Scheme enables educators to have access to a Toy and Resource Library. This library provides Educators with resources to assist with the learning and development of children in their care.

For new educators there is some equipment, such as cots and car seats available for hire on a short term basis.  The scheme also has an assistance package for the purchase of equipment (please contact the Co- ordination unit for details)