Celebrations for National Family Day Care week are just around the corner

National Family Day Care week, the annual celebration of the vital role family day care (FDC) educators and services play for families and in the development and wellbeing of over 75,000 Australian children, will commence next week. 

 

Running from 6-12 May, National Family Day Care week marks its 12th year in 2024, and thousands of educators, service staff, families and children across the country will gather together to celebrate this unique facet of the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. 

 

Picnic celebrations will showcase the unique benefits of FDC which include small group settings, personalised educational programming and flexible hours of care. 

 

For more than 40 years FDC has offered Australian families access to an approved, government funded form of ECEC which nurtures children in a home based learning environment. 

 

For educators who choose to work in FDC, the system offers a career opportunity which is one of Australia’s largest networks of women in small business.

 

FDC Australia CEO Andrew Patterson said National Family Day Care week is “a wonderful time for the FDC sector to come together nationally and reflect on the important role family day care plays in the lives of Australian children, families and communities.”

 

For many families, small group settings, home environments and the bond created between educators and children are a deciding factor in selecting family day care as their early learning option of choice, he continued.

 

“The natural home environment and one-on-one attention that family day care provides means children receive the attention they need to thrive, and educators are able to follow their passion and educate their way,” Mr Paterson said.

 

“A number of recent reports have highlighted the critical role that family day care can play for families across Australia, in particular for families needing care outside the usual 9 to 5. The flexibility and agility of family day care and its unique approach to early learning, makes it an essential part of the education and care landscape.”

 

Learn more about National Family Day Care Week by visiting www.fdcweek.com.au