Choosing and getting ready to start at an early childhood education and care service can be an exciting and overwhelming time for you and your child, so the earlier you start preparing, the better.
The Australian Government has announced that around one million families are set to receive free child care during the coronavirus pandemic under a plan that will help the early childhood education and care sector make it through to the other side of this crisis.
If your usual school, outside school hours care services (OSHC) or early childhood education and care service is closed for a while and you’re looking for other options, StartingBlocks.gov.au will assist you to find safe, quality services for your child.
The Australian Government has announced ongoing funding for ACECQA, to ensure the continued provision of high quality early learning services for Australian families.
Sophie has Just Turned One! Now I Have to Go Back to Work…. Little Sophie just turned one. I really had to go back to work at Stay at Home Mum (in my new role – as the Stay at Home Mum!), but the thought of putting Soph into daycare, the same little girl that has been joined to my hip for 12 months… well I was packing it!
Our family’s start to daycare was a little bumpy. On my son’s first day he was just ten months old. There were ample tears (mine), lots of confusion (mine) and a little bit of anxiety (also mine.)
In retrospect, I can see that my haste to lock in a centre contributed to our problems; my new job required an immediate start. But also when you’re first time parent, daycare is a whole new world.
Let’s face it, mums and dads. Waving goodbye to our little ones on that first day of childcare is thrilling and gut-wrenching.
We’re so proud that our babies are growing up. And we know they are in good hands. But we also feel that mummy ache that might not go away until we get in the car, shed ALL the tears and drive away.
Whether it happens at three months or three years, it’s important for you to feel comfortable about putting your little one in the care of someone else.
One of the decisions many parents feel they need help with is picking the right childcare centre to meet their family’s needs.
The National Quality Framework (NQF), which provides a national approach to regulation of the quality of education and care services across Australia, and impacts your child’s learning and development, is under review.
