This week, commencing 3rd May, is National Family Day Care Week and Anglicare Goulburn’s Family Day Care Educational Leader, Katie Beelen-Smith, is calling for more people to consider becoming Family Day Care Educators.
Family Day Care is a unique and flexible model of care, allowing Educators to work from home and choose their own hours and options, including vacation care, after school care and overnight or weekend care. Low Educator to child ratios and mixed age groupings also allow for rich learning opportunities, more personalised attention and frequent excursions and outings into the community.
“There are hundreds of young families in Goulburn, and many of these parents and caregivers are looking for affordable, safe and personalized care options for their children. Family Day Care ticks all these boxes, but unfortunately without enough Educators, our waiting lists are just growing,” explains Katie.
“For people who have never considered becoming a Family Day Care Educator, it’s actually an attractive employment option with competitive pay rates, and great support from Anglicare, who are committed to ensuring that the Goulburn community has access to quality early childhood education and care options. I would highly encourage anyone who is interested in becoming and Educator consider this role,” says Katie. “Anglicare provides ongoing mentorship, facilitates compliance and offers opportunities such as supported playgroups, professional networking and team meetings.”
As a Goulburn local, who moved between Canberra and Sydney before recently making her way home, Katie remembers when she attended Family Day Care in the very building in which she now works.
“It feels like my life has come full circle to be back in Goulburn and working within the Family Day Care service I attended as a child. I have worked as an Early Childhood Teacher previously with Anglicare, and I am delighted to re-join an organization with such strong values,” says Katie. “I remember attending play group here at the Coordination Unit when I was a child. It brings back so many happy memories and reminds me of the importance Family Day Care, and the substantive role it plays in the lives of so many children and families.”
Anglicare also acknowledges the dedicated work of Anglicare Educator, Louise Hill, who won the Regional Educator Award for Goulburn and the Southern Tablelands in the 2020 Family Day Care Australia Excellence Awards which was recently mentioned in the NSW Parliament Legislative Assembly.
For more information about Anglicare’s Family Day Care, phone (02) 4823 4000 or visit www.anglicare.com.au/familydaycare
