Family Day Care
About the program
With modern working hours extending outside the usual ‘9 to 5’, five-day week, many working parents struggle to find appropriate child care. Family Day Care (FDC) is high quality, flexible child care provided at low cost in the homes of registered, trained carers.
The Brotherhood’s FDC team recruits, screens, trains and monitors carers. Because care is home-based and offered by one person, it is consistent and helps strengthen family relations.
Care ranges from full-time to emergency care depending on carer availability. Our FDC scheme is available for families living in the City of Yarra and the northern and eastern suburbs of the City of Hume. FDC fieldworkers are based in Fitzroy and at our Craigieburn Centre.
Who is eligible?
Family Day Care is available to families who:
- have children under 12 years old
- need time for work or training, or are looking for work
- need a break, including new mums or new dads
- have a disability OR a child with a disability
- need emergency care for family illness or other reasons.
Features
Family Day Care offers:
- flexible and high-quality care in the homes of care providers
- small group care to ensure individual attention
- care providers who have undergone a national police check and a Victorian Working with Children Check (and whose adult family members have undergone these checks), and are trained and supported by the Brotherhood
- regular visits by our Family Day Care Coordination Unit to monitor children’s progress and provide support, resources and ongoing training
- employment opportunities via training for the Certificate III in Children’s Services
- transport between care providers’ homes and kindergarten or school where required.
Depending on care provider availability, Family Day Care can offer:
- full-time and part-time care
- relief care
- casual care
- before and after school care
- school holiday care
- emergency and 24-hour care
- rostered or rotating shift care.
Family Day Care fees are:
- set out in the Brotherhood’s Family Day Care fee schedule
- subject to reduction through an approved income-related Child Care Benefit (CCB) entitlement, applied for through the Federal Family Assistance Office (FAO)
- reviewed annually to coincide with annual CCB adjustments.
Partners
We acknowledge the following partners for their valuable contributions to Family Day Care:
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Department of Human Services
Family Day Care Victoria
National Childcare Accreditation Council
Family Day Care Australia
Help us improve
We welcome feedback about Family Day Care. Please use the online feedback form.
Contact us
To discuss becoming a carer or to arrange care in the City of Yarra or City of Hume, please contact:
Brotherhood of St Laurence
Family Day Care
Craigieburn Centre
120 Hothlyn Drive
Craigieburn Vic. 3064
Phone: (03) 8339 6500
Email: familydaycare@nullbsl.org.au