What are the Types of Children's Services?
Child Care Centres in General
Child care centres provide care for children aged between birth and five years during their parents' working hours. Centres usually operate between 8 and 12 hours a day for 48 to 52 weeks a year. Childcare Benefit is available at licensed and accredited centres.
Community Based Child Care Centres
The community-based child care centres are incorporated not-for-profit companies operating under Articles of Association and are managed by a Management Committee consisting of parents of children at the centre and the Director. Funding agreements with State and Commonwealth Governments requires the Centres to give preference to community enrolments. Childcare Benefit is available at these centres if they are licensed and accredited.
Employer Sponsored Child Care Service
This is a service provided by the employer for staff. This service can be either; centre based care, family day care, in-home care, vacation care, before and after school care or extended hours care. Some child care centres offer evening care and weekend care to accommodate the needs of shift and after hours staff.
Family Day Care Services
This form of child care is offered in private homes by carers licensed by the Department of Community Services. Family Day Care is usually offered through local Councils. The Council employs a coordinator who organises bookings, recruits carers, oversights the licensing process, and provides equipment and other support. Family Day Care programs sometimes provide care outside of school hours for school aged children, as well as occasional care. Childcare Benefit is available to parents using Family Day Care.
Home Based Care
Home Based Care is a service that is provided in the home of the individual licensee of the service for the purpose of minding, caring or educating children. Home Based Care is licensed by the Department of Community Services and is the same type of care as Family Day Care without the support of a program sponsor or coordinator.
Informal Care
Informal care may be provided on a paid or unpaid basis by relatives, friends, neighbours, individual home based carers, nannies or babysitters.
In-home Care
- Families where the parent/s or child has an illness/disability;
- Families in rural or remote areas.
- Parent/s working shiftwork or non-standard hours;
- Parents who have had multiple birth (more than two) and/or more than two children under school age;
- Breast-feeding mothers working from home.
Childcare Benefit is available to parents using this type of care.
Outside School Hours Care (Before and after school care)
Outside school hours care services provide care for primary school children before and/or after school and, in some services, on 'pupil free' days. Some outside school hours care services also provide school holiday care linked to vacation care services, and provide care for primary school children. Non-profit community groups, religious and charitable organisations, school boards or councils and local governments, may provide services. Childcare Benefit is available to parents using this type of care.
Occasional Care
Occasional Care Services provide short periods of care for children less than 6 years of age. Families can access occasional child care on either a regular or irregular basis. Community organisations, non-profit organisations and local councils may run occasional care centres. Childcare Benefit is available to parents using this type of care.
Preschools and Kindergartens
Preschools provide a range of educational and developmental experiences for children in the year or so before they enter the school system. These services generally operate on a structured sessional basis between 9.00am and 3.00pm during school terms, offering programs for two to three days a week.
Private Child Care Centres
Private child care centres are established by private/commercial businesses and receive no direct government funding. They are profit-making companies. They offer Commonwealth Childcare Benefit if licensed and accredited.
Vacation Care
Vacation care is child care provided for school aged children during school holidays, for at least 8 continuous hours on each normal working day. Organisations may wish to consider developing a vacation care program located near the workplace. Other options include reserving places in community based vacation care programs, or subsidising the costs incurred by employees in accessing places in other programs. Childcare Benefit is available to parents using this type of care.