History
Central Canberra Family Day Care was started by the Research Students Association on the Australian National University in 1975 and was the known as RSA Family Day Care. It is the oldest Family Day Care scheme in Canberra.
In 1982 the organisation became an independent incorporated association. While all other Family Day Care schemes in the ACT are managed by larger sponsor bodies Central Canberra Family Day Care remains the only independent scheme in the ACT.
In 1996, our scheme was at the forefront of the struggle for award conditions for Child Care Workers in Family Day Care. The campaign resulted in the Family Day Care (Australian Capital Territory) Award 1996, the only award of its kind in Australia. Four of the five Family Day Care schemes in the ACT including Central Canberra Family Day Care employ their Child Care Workers under this award today.
Today, we are a strong organisation with committed Child Care Providers most of whom hold formal child care qualifications. Nevertheless, we are facing problems in the medium to long term due to demographic developments in our area of service and a further drop in funding levels. Since funding is tied to the number of child care places we can offer and that number depends on the number of Child Care Workers we employ, we rely on successful recruitment campaigns to increase the number of employees.
How We Operate
Central Canberra Family Day Care endeavours to provide high quality childcare in the homes of qualified Child Care Workers. The groups of children in care are small which provides for maximum attention to the needs and developmental potential of your child. The service by our Child Care Workers is personal and consistent which means that your child grows and develops under the guidance of one person over a long period of time instead of getting used to and acquiring trust to a different person every so often. You can find out about your child’s adventures of the day through personal communication with the Child Care Workers rather than through reading a note in a big diary.
We at Central Canberra Family Day Care are proud of the achievements over the 28 years of operation and we are confident to remain one of the most creative, progressive and diverse Family Day Care Schemes in Australia for many years to come. We are also one of the only left-over independent Schemes in the country. That brings with it a level of freedom others don’t enjoy, but it also brings with it costs other Schemes don’t incur.
Registration and Admission Procedure
Objectives
- To ensure fairness in allocating available child care places based on the needs of families and the abilities of Child Care Workers.
- To provide an effective process of entering into a care arrangement between the scheme and the parent.
- To ensure that parents who are interested in care for their children make a reliable commitment toward the Child Care Worker and the scheme.
Procedure
- The parent makes first contact with the scheme via phone, fax, e-mail, in person, or using the relevant form available online.
- The Coordination Unit staff member who takes the call, fax or e-mail, or who speaks to the parent making contact fills out the Parent Initial Contact Form, if that form hasn’t already been filled out online
- Information recorded on the Parent Initial Contact Form is stored in our waiting list.
- The Coordination Unit attempts to regularly update the waiting list and whenever a place becomes available, the Coordination Unit matches the Child Care Worker’s criteria for acceptance with the needs of parents on the waiting list.
- When a parent is identified as being next in line for an offer of a place, the parent is contacted and invited to fill out a Child Registration Form, which can be sent out by mail, fax, e-mail, and is available online.
- The parent is then invited to attend an interview at the Coordination Units office in 16 Balmain Lane, Acton. The parent is asked to allow for 1 hour and to bring along the completed Child Registration Form and all immunisation records to be photocopied. The parent is also asked to bring along a bond of $ 50 in cash, cheque or money order.
- If the Coordination Unit staff member who conducts the interview determines that there is a potential for a successful care arrangement with the Child Care Workers who has a vacancy, the Child Care Worker is phoned immediately to again confirm the vacancy. The parent is then given the name, address and contact numbers of that Child Care Worker for arrangement of an on-site appointment.
- The parent discusses all details of care with the Child Care Worker and if both parties are happy they sign a Care Contract. From the moment a contract is signed the bond paid by the parent at the interview with the Coordination Unit is activated.
- The bond of $50 can be used for three purposes: (1) as compensation for potential loss of earnings for the Child Care Worker in cases where the parent cancels a care arrangement after signing a contract; (2) as contribution to cover outstanding arrears in cases where the parent fails to pay an invoice over more than two consecutive fortnights; (3) as contribution to settle a final account after the termination of care in cases where outstanding arrears exceed $ 50.
Management
Central Canberra Family Day Care is managed by a Board of Governance headed by the President.The Board has appointed a Director, Joanne Williams, as executive officer who is responsible for managing the day-to-day affairs.
The Board of Governance is responsible for the long term planning, direction, financial integrity, and compliance with legal and licensing requirements. A new Board is appointed annually and this consists of parents and interested community members
Staffing
Central Canberra Family Day Care employs more than 20 Child Care Workers who work from their own homes located throughout Canberra. These in-home Child Care providers are supervised and trained by a Coordination Unit located on ANU campus.
The Coordination Unit is currently staffed by the Director, two Field Coordinator Officers and a Playgroup leader.
Cubby House, the small child care centre on our premises is operated by a two Child Care Workers.
Contact Us
Central Canberra Family Day Care
GPO Box 2846
Canberra ACT 2601
Ph. 6125 2000
Fax 6248 8194
E-mail
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Office Location
Central Canberra Family Day Care
16 Balmain Lane,Acton ACT 2601
GPO Box 2846, Canberra ACT 2601
Office Hours
Monday to Friday
9.00am - 5.00pm