Are you after casual childcare for your little one? Occasional care could be the answer. With that said, each and every child is different, so it pays to do your research to find the right flexible childcare provider for your child.
To help you in your childcare journey, we’ve pulled together some tips to help you find the right occasional, casual and flexible childcare for your child.
What is occasional care?
Occasional childcare, also known as casual or flexible childcare, provides high-quality childcare and early childhood education to below school-age children on an ad hoc basis. Occasional childcare is ideal for families who don’t need ongoing childcare and just need a bit of assistance every once in a while. These services can offer care for as little as one hour of care to a full day, and you’ll only pay for the time that your child is in care.
While at occasional childcare, children have the opportunity to interact with other children and participate in age-appropriate activities that support their learning and development.
This type of casual childcare is offered in dedicated occasional childcare centres and even long day care centres. Flexible childcare may be operated by community organisations, local councils and non-profit organisations.
Tips for choosing the best occasional childcare provider
All children have different needs, so it’s important to find an occasional childcare provider where your little one can flourish. Here are some important factors to consider when choosing the right flexible childcare.
Consider the quality rating of the service
Most occasional care services are subject to the National Quality Framework (NQF), which sets out the relevant legislation and quality standards for childcare providers. Under the National Quality Standard (NQS), childcare providers, including occasional childcare services, are given an overall rating based on their performance against the 7 quality areas set out in the NQS. While the rating certificate must be displayed at the service at all times, you can also search for a service’s NQS rating on the national registers.
Check the service’s reviews
Thanks to the internet, it’s now easier than ever to learn more about a potential occasional childcare service. Checking out reviews of the provider can provide insight into other families’ experiences with the service. A good number of positive reviews can provide you with peace of mind knowing that most families have had a good experience with the service.
Consult our childcare centre checklist
If you’re new to the world of childcare, it can be tricky to know what factors you should be considering when choosing the best flexible childcare for your child. To make life easier for you, we’ve put together a childcare centre checklist that you can use so you can be confident that you’ve got all your bases covered before you make contact with the centre. We’ve even split it into different sections to make it as easy as possible.
Visit the occasional childcare provider
Even though you might not be in need of occasional care at this point in time, it can be worthwhile giving a couple of local casual childcare providers a visit before you need to call upon their services. In the case of an emergency, chances are you won’t have time to do the rounds and pay them a visit before dropping off your child.
Visiting the flexible childcare service is a great opportunity to see the facilities for yourself and connect with the staff while you’re there. Take the time to observe how the staff interact with the children and their colleagues. If you have the time to visit more than one casual childcare provider, the types of insights that you’ll gain will make it easier for you to choose the right childcare for your little one. Not sure what else you should be keeping an eye out for? Check out our childcare centre checklist for a list of things you should keep an eye out for during your visit.
Check the centre’s availability
When it comes to booking your child into casual care, chances are you’re not always going to know in advance when you need to use this service. Especially if you’re in need of last-minute care in the case of an emergency. With that said, it can be worth checking with the occasional childcare provider to see if they reserve emergency places and how many places are usually available on a daily basis.
Alternative flexible childcare options
On the off chance that you’re not able to find an occasional childcare provider when you need it, it can be helpful to familiarise yourself with the different options you have available to you in terms of casual childcare.
Babysitters provide childcare on a regular or ad hoc basis from the comfort of your own home. You can find a babysitter through a professional agency or there may be local teens or young adults in your area that offer babysitting services around their work or studies.
If you think you might be in need of more regular care, then a nanny or au pair could be a better option for your family. Nannies provide live-in or live-out childcare depending on your family's needs. You can even share a nanny (and the cost!) with another family if that works for you. While nannies may or may not have formal childcare qualifications, they usually have plenty of professional experience working with children.
On the other hand, au pairs are international students who are travelling to Australia to learn English and live with a local family. They provide childcare services in exchange for food, board and a weekly allowance. Au pairs tend to have little to no childcare training, so their duties are usually limited to helping the children before and after school.
In some instances, you might be able to call on friends or family to look after your little one when the occasion arises. With that said, it can be worth floating the with any potential candidates before an emergency arises, just so you know they’re available and have had time to prepare themselves if need be.
Finding occasional childcare near you
Now that you’re familiar with the different factors to consider when choosing the right occasional childcare provider for your family, it’s time to find casual care near you. If you have friends, family or colleagues who have children that have used care in the area, it can be worth asking them for suggestions. Getting recommendations from a trusted source can help to put your mind at ease. Plus, they should be able to give you a bit of insight into their experiences with local childcare providers.
Another option is to use the Care for Kids childcare search tool. You can even narrow your search down to just occasional, flexible and casual childcare in your local area. Our tool will return a list of the childcare providers in your area and surrounding suburbs. Click on the service profile for an overview of the service, including their NQS rating, fees, availability and reviews from other parents. Compare the different childcare options based on cost, features, location and learning styles to create a shortlist. Then use our tool to connect with the childcare provider directly to submit an enquiry. Before you know it, you’ll have a casual childcare service on hand when you need it.
