Information for Prospective Carers with Wynnum Family Day Care
Thank you for your interest in becoming a Family Day Care Provider with Wynnum Family Day Care. Wynnum Family Day Care won the 2009 Business Achievers Award and were acknowledged by the local business community for providing excellence in service to the industry. This award is testament to our strong links to community and our dedication to offering high quality service.
Become an Early Childhood Professional with Wynnum Family Day Care
If you are looking to return to work or change direction in your working life, family day care represents a unique opportunity to work from home, build a successful business and earn a good income.
If you are interested in operating a child care business from home with resources, support and training provided through a partnership, then family day care with Wynnum Family Day Care (WFDC) may be the career you’re looking for.
Carers work with small groups of children between the ages of birth and 12 years of age. Carers are able to have up to 4 children under school age (including your own) and 3 school-age children. Carers plan for each day with the individual needs and preferences of the children in mind – creating experiences that help them grow and learn through plan in a secure, family home environment.
If you are a person who is energetic, reliable and capable…and who enjoys the company of children, this maybe the opportunity you’ve been looking for.
Opening your home to families and children takes a special kind of person who is able to adapt to different people, cultures and lifestyles. You will also need the support of your family as it will have an impact on their lives as well.
Do you have experience caring for children? We welcome carers with existing early childhood qualifications, such as a Certificate in Children’s Services and those who are willing to study. WFDC provides full induction training and opportunities for training and professional development to support all Carers including those with skills other than direct child related focus.
Why work in family day care?
As a carer with WFDC you will be part of an established child care scheme of over 65 carers that has been operating for twenty plus years. Your home based business offers tax advantages and the ability to spend more time with your own children. You can choose your income level and work hours to suit the priorities of you and your clients. Wynnum Family Day Care scheme is part of the national childcare accreditation system, so the parents using your service will know that their children are receiving quality care.
As an approved child care service, parents who use family day care can receive the full range of child care fee subsidies that are available through the Australian Government. This includes full Child Care Benefit (CCB) and the Child Care Rebate.
Start-up costs
As with any small business, there are number of costs that you will need to outlay before you get started. Start up costs include; any home maintenance or changes required to meet safety standards; equipment and materials; and registration costs. The safety and health of children is the number one priority. These are guidelines and standards in place to ensure that you home and garden are safe for children.
You may be eligible to apply for the Australian Government family day care start up payment of up to $1500 to help reduce the initial cost of setting up your business.
To fully equip your business you will need age-appropriate toys, books, craft materials and equipment such as bedding and furniture. WFDC has a large toy library and lends equipment such as children’s car seats, cots, prams and high chairs to carers.
Other business costs include public liability insurance (about $480 per year), working with children suitability card (around $61) and a first aid certificate (around $150).
If you are approved as a carer with WFDC there is a Carer Registration Fee of $185 which includes CD and book resources. This fee will be invoiced to you and can be paid off in weekly instalments. There is a weekly Carer Levy of $5 which contributes to the administration and support services they provide to you, use of equipment and access to our toy library, play sessions and training.
Please note that these costs are approximate and are subject to change.
Your income
As a Carer you will be self employed and therefore set your own hourly rates. As a rough guide, caring for four full time children 40 hours per week may provide a gross income of around $45,000 per annum. Carer business operating longer hours, weekend and evenings gross much higher incomes.
Business expenses are tax deductible so it's essential to keep good records. You can also claim a proportion of costs that are used both in your family day care business and in your private life, eg electricity, cleaning products etc.
Many of your clients will be eligible for Child Care Benefit (CCB) fee subsidies. Generally the scheme will pay you the CCB on behalf of the parent, and the parent will pay you the difference between the CCB and the full fee.
Paperwork
A certain amount of paperwork is required in every business and family day care is no exception. WFDC will help you with this side of your new business, but typical paperwork will include, timesheets, programs, observations and other forms and records.
It's a great idea to have a computer in your business to help with your paperwork and perhaps publish a weekly or monthly news sheet for parents. You will also need to keep your finances in order, and if you are going to get an Australian Business Number (ABN) and/or claim GST you will need software that can calculate your activity statements.
What do we expect from you?
If we were to write a job description for Carers it would go something like this:
· Be responsive to children
· Be physically and emotionally able to care for young children
· Be able to plan and provide play-based learning experiences for children
· Be able to respond appropriately to an emergency
· Have a positive approach to behaviour guidance
· Be able to communicate with families, staff and especially children
· Have a knowledge of good nutrition, health and safety
· Willing to undertake further study
We believe that ongoing professional development is very important and we encourage carers to formalise their skills and experience with a Certificate in Children's Services. These days there are so many different ways that training courses can be delivered - face to face, self-paced correspondence courses or even online. Costs are reasonable, fully tax deductible, and are often Government subsidised. For example a Certificate III can be completed part-time in 12 or 24 months and costs around $1,400.
One of the key differences between family day care and other forms of child care is our ability to accommodate a range of child care needs. Family day care offers full-time care, eg when the same child comes to your home Monday to Friday; part-time care, eg when a child comes two or three days a week; before/after school and vacation care for older children; evening hours and sometimes overnight stays and weekends.
A flexible service will be appreciated by your clients, particularly those who have demanding jobs with long hours, and those who work shiftwork or travel as part of their job. The greater your ability to offer a flexible service, the more you will enjoy a good, stable income … and just watch the waiting list for your service grow!
You need to be ready to take responsibility for your own business and the management and administration that goes with it. WFDC will help you set up and get started and we will provide you with ongoing training and support through regular visits, phone calls and scheme events. But it's your business - your clients, your relationships and your unique service.
Next steps
If you are interested in finding out more about family day care, contact Wynnum Family Day Care. We will help you through the steps to setting up your family day care business.
The process takes time:
· You will be visited by three coordinators from WFDC to discuss professional and personal requirements and your suitability as a Care Provider. Your home will also be inspected to ensure a safe environment and areas for play and rest. Legislation, quality assurance, policies and procedures will also be addressed.
· You will visit two other carers homes to see how they have set up and operate their family day care business
· You will need a first aid certificate, medical certificate, suitability cards for yourself and each adult occupant and two references
· A decision will be made about your suitability and you may be offered registration with Wynnum Family Day Care
· Once all that is in place and your home has been given a final safety check, you will need to organise insurance and sign a carer agreement. Families can then be referred to you.
Please call for a confidential chat, WFDC is open Monday to Friday 8.00am to 4.30pm
Shop 3/66 Bay Terrace, Wynnum QLD 4178
Telephone: 3393 4311 | Fax: 3893 1136
