Family Day Care Capability Trial supports regional early learning access

The Australian Government’s Family Day Care Capability Trial is testing new ways to strengthen family day care, support educator recruitment and improve access to flexible early childhood education and care in regional communities with limited supply.

Family day care (FDC) has long played an important role in Australia’s early childhood education and care (ECEC) system, offering flexible, home-based education and care that can respond to the needs of children, families and communities.

This role is especially important in regional and remote areas, where access to centre based day care may be limited, or where families need smaller, more flexible local options.

A Department of Education case study, Shaping new pathways through the Family Day Care Capability Trial, highlights how the Australian Government’s Family Day Care Capability Trial is supporting the growth and sustainability of FDC in areas with limited supply. 

The Trial is being delivered by Family Day Care Australia and runs from 6 June 2024 to 30 June 2026. It aims to strengthen the integrity of the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and reduce the risk of non-compliance with Family Assistance Law obligations. 

The Department said the Trial also aims to strengthen the FDC model and improve access to flexible ECEC in regional areas where supply is limited. 

The Trial is being delivered through four work streams:

• Business Process Review
• Digital Attendance Verification tool
• Educator Recruitment Strategy
• Exploration of Innovative Models. 

The Business Process Review supports participating FDC providers to strengthen business practices, including financial management and risk management. The Digital Attendance Verification tool involves trialling a platform to verify children’s real-time attendance for FDC sessions of care. 

The Educator Recruitment Strategy is focused on increasing access to FDC in regional areas of need, with ongoing support for new educators to support attraction, retention and sustainability. Recruitment activity is limited to selected Australian Statistical Geography Standard Statistical Area 2 priority locations and a limited number of participating services. 

Through the recruitment stream, Family Day Care Australia provides tailored support and resources for educators and services, including business support payments and educator start-up reimbursement payments for approved educators. 

The Exploration of Innovative Models work stream is examining approaches that could inform potential changes to the current FDC model, including case studies on in-venue FDC care and partnership opportunities. 

The Department’s case study focuses on Nature Alliance Family Day Care, a Western Australian provider participating in the Trial.

Nature Alliance was named Family Day Care Australia’s Service of the Year in 2023. Co-founder and manager Beryl Mort said the service hoped to attract more educators through the Trial, particularly in areas where demand for ECEC is growing. 

“We want to instil sustainability in regional communities and further explore the benefits of FDC,” Ms Mort said.

“Some of these benefits include no added [building] footprint, and care delivered in small group settings.” 

One of Nature Alliance’s services, Bambini Di Natura, is presented in the case study as an example of FDC’s viability. The Spearwood-based service provides flexible, home-based education in an environment shaped by connection, nature and community. 

Educator Karin said FDC plays an important role in supporting children’s sense of belonging. She described the service as a “home away from home”, where children feel safe, welcome and supported to learn, grow and explore at their own pace. 

The case study notes that the natural outdoor spaces and home-like atmosphere at Bambini Di Natura support children’s learning, with children moving through the day in a calm and responsive way rather than following a strict routine. 

For many families, FDC offers benefits that can be difficult to replicate in larger settings.

The Department said families often report a strong sense of trust, belonging and connection through FDC, with educators and families building relationships through flexibility, shared values and close communication. This is particularly important in rural communities where access to early learning options can be limited. 

In regional and remote communities, FDC can help address access gaps by supporting small group care, flexible arrangements and local educator-led provision.

For services, the model also offers opportunities to build local workforce pathways, support educators to operate in their own communities and provide families with care options that reflect local needs.

The Trial is not only focused on compliance. It is also testing how to build a stronger and more sustainable FDC workforce.

The Department said a key part of the Trial is helping services recruit and retain new educators, particularly in areas where families rely on flexible and local care. 

For approved providers and service leaders, this focus is significant. FDC growth depends not only on demand from families, but also on educators feeling supported, prepared and confident to operate within a regulated service model.

The Trial’s emphasis on business practice, attendance verification, educator recruitment and innovative models reflects the need to balance access, quality, sustainability and regulatory integrity.

For the broader ECEC sector, the Trial highlights the continuing importance of diverse service models.

Centre based day care will remain central to Australia’s early learning system, but FDC can play a complementary role, particularly in communities where traditional centre-based provision is unavailable, unsuitable or difficult to sustain.

The Trial also reinforces the importance of targeted support. Regional communities do not all face the same access challenges, and educator recruitment strategies may need to be tailored to local workforce, housing, transport, family and community conditions.

For policymakers and sector leaders, the Trial may provide useful insights into how FDC can be strengthened without compromising compliance, quality or safety.

As the ECEC sector continues to respond to workforce shortages and access gaps, the Family Day Care Capability Trial points to the value of flexible, community-based solutions that support children and families close to home.

More information is available through the Department of Education’s Family Day Care Capability Trial page and the case study, Shaping new pathways through the Family Day Care Capability Trial.