How to run a family day care centre – and how childcare courses help!

You’ve got a love for children, and a passion for shaping young lives.

It’s a no-brainer: a career in childcare might be just what you need.

At the same time, you’re fiercely independent, and you love the idea of being your own boss.

You like working with others, but you’d prefer to make your own decisions.

Guess what? There’s a solution that ticks all the boxes! Family day care.

Just completed your childcare course in Brisbane? Ready to make your first move in the industry? Read on and find out if family day care is the right path for you.

What exactly is family day care, and what makes it different from childcare?

It’s more than just terminology – there’s a real difference between childcare and family day care.

Let’s start with the big one: the location.

Childcare businesses have dedicated centres – by contrast, family day care is hosted in your very own home!

While family day care operators still need to meet the same standards as childcare centres (in terms of nutrition, worker-child ratios, safety etc.), since you’re operating out of your own home the startup costs are significantly lower.

Family day care operators love the flexibility of working within their own home, and can often offer more unconventional or extended hours. As such, many parents love this flexibility, too!

No wonder it’s an increasingly popular option for graduates who’ve recently completed their childcare course!

The essentials of managing a family day care centre – and how our childcare courses in Brisbane help you get there

While the setting is different, the vast majority of the requirements are the exact same as a childcare centre – and that’s a good thing!

That also means that just like childcare workers, you’ll have to complete the exact same childcare courses in Brisbane if you’d like to operate your own family day care centre.

There’s a very good reason for this: namely, it ensures that no matter what type of facility parents choose, they can be confident that their children are looked after by qualified educators in a safe environment.

Understand childhood development

You’re so much more than a babysitter; you’re an essential part of a child’s development.

To do your job, you’ll need a solid understanding of childhood education and care.

As part of our childcare courses in Brisbane, students will participate in a range of classes covering different theories of childhood development, as well as what develops at certain ages.

For example, you’ll learn all about:

Physical development
Mental development
Development and maturation stages

On top of helping you craft curriculums and plan activities to promote healthy development, it’ll also help you identify kids who might need a bit of extra attention.

It’s an often overlooked part of the job – however, it’s one of the most important, so it’s crucial that you choose a childcare course that gives you a good grounding in this area!

Legal requirements

You’re looking after people’s children, after all – naturally, there are many legal requirements you’ll need to adhere to while you work.

Thinking of opening up your very own family day care centre? If so, we recommend paying attention – unlike childcare workers, you’re going to be in charge of all the legal requirements, such as:

Maintaining a suitable educator-child ratio (something that changes depending on age range)
Adhering to sanitation and fire safety regulations
Ensuring the premises, furniture and equipment are fit-for-purpose and well-maintained

These requirements don’t change because you run a family day care centre – you’ll still have to meet strict standards.

Prioritise safety

Safety is king in childcare.

If you’re passionate about operating your own family day care, you’ll need to understand your duty of care, as well as what steps you can take to create a safe environment for kids to play, learn, eat, and sleep.

These safety guidelines and requirements extend beyond the childcare centre.

If you’re looking after children in your own home, this space will need to meet strict safety standards, and guidelines too. This can include bathrooms and toilets as well as any outdoor space.

Make a healthy meal plan

We aren’t just talking about allergies and dietary requirements, either!

Healthy child development requires a healthy diet to fuel it. As a family day care operator, you’ll be the one in charge of providing that diet.

When you study childcare in Brisbane, you’ll also learn about nutrition, and the role it plays in healthy childhood development.

You’ll need to have a thorough understanding of meal planning, portion sizes, as well as the National Quality Standard.

Administration skills

At the end of the day, your family day care centre is a business.

And like any other self-started business, it’s important that you have the administration skills needed to run it on a daily basis.

In addition to giving you a solid grasp of the day-to-day work, our Diploma of Childhood Education and Care features a range of higher-level subjects intended to help you get off the ground.

That includes courses in management, bookkeeping, finance and other essential skills you’ll need to keep your family day care centre running once it gets off the ground.

Study childcare online* with Academia!

One of the hardest parts of retraining is accessibility, especially if you have a current job or kids that make attending classes a bit more challenging.

But in-person isn’t the only way to study childcare in Brisbane anymore!

Each of Academia’s childcare courses is offered online, allowing you to set yourself up for a long and rewarding career, without having to forgo your other obligations.

Explore our childcare courses:

Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC30113)

Learn everything you need to become a successful childcare educator with our Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.

With a focus on preparing you for the day-to-day work you’ll do as a family day care operator (or anywhere in childcare, really), this course builds the foundation for your career.

You’ll learn everything that you need to become a childcare worker, building up your essential knowledge and skills in:

Work health and safety
Child development
Nutrition and diet
Learning frameworks

The course cannot be offered completely online as it is capped off with 120-150 hours of work placement in a certified childcare facility allowing you to put your skills into practice and gain real-world experience in an Academia-affiliated centre. This is a Department of Education Mandatory requirement. Without this you cannot graduate. Unlike other institutes where students are left to fend for themselves in attempting to secure workplace training, we arrange this for you and send an assessor to ensure you are progressing successfully.

Learn more about Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC30113)

Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC50113)

Of course, if your plan is to open and run your very own family day care facility, you’ll need more than just the basic childcare skills – you’ll also need solid business knowledge, as well as administration and management skills.

In addition to essential childcare skills, the DIploma of Early Childhood Education and Care also includes units that focus on the administrative side of your business:

Adhering to legal requirements
Management and administration skills
Finance and bookkeeping

The course cannot be offered completely online as it is capped off with 240 hours of work placement in a certified childcare facility allowing you to put your skills into practice and gain real-world experience in an Academia-affiliated centre. This is a Department of Education Mandatory requirement. Without this you cannot graduate. Unlike other institutes where students are left to fend for themselves in attempting to secure workplace training, we arrange this for you and send an assessor to ensure you are progressing successfully.

Learn more about the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care