Are you looking forward to a weekend event but haven’t decided what to do with the kids yet? While weekend childcare options are a little more limited compared to standard weekday hours, you’ve still got a few choices that are sure to suit your circumstances and keep your little one’s happy while you’re out for a few hours.
Weekend childcare
Whether you’re looking for regular weekend childcare or last-minute childcare, chances are there are more options available to you than you realise. Here are some of the main childcare options available to you over the weekend.
Family day care
Family day care is a form of early childhood education and care that’s offered within the educator’s own home. Family day care is available for children from birth to 12 years of age. Strict educator-to-child ratios mean that family day care operators can only provide care for up to seven children at a time, including four children not yet in school. Family day care can be a great option for children who thrive in small group environments.
If your little one already attends a family day care, it might be worth checking in with the educator to see if they offer weekend childcare.
Nannies and au pairs
Nannies and au pairs provide care for your children within your home. This can be a great option for children who thrive in a familiar environment with a consistent routine. While nannies may or may not hold a qualification, they often have a lot of experience providing care for children. Nannies may work as a live-in or live-out nanny or even under nanny share arrangements with another family.
Au pairs on the other hand are often young, single individuals from overseas who have come to Australia to learn English and live as a member of an Australian family. More often than not, au pairs have little to no childcare training or experience. Au pairs provide childcare services and complete light housework in exchange for board and a small weekly allowance.
While most au pairs are only expected to care for children before and after school during the week, they may be able to cover you for a few hours over the weekend if you’re out for an event. But make sure to lock them down in advance and offer them other time off in lieu.
Babysitters
Babysitters provide regular or ad hoc childcare services in your home. Although it’s fairly easy to find a local babysitter, some people prefer to book a sitter through an agency that’s completed reference and background checks on all their babysitters. Babysitters often provide childcare services on the side of their full-time job or studies, so they don’t always hold childcare qualifications but they should enjoy caring for children.
Occasional care
Occasional care services, also known as flexible or casual care, offer high-quality early childhood education and care on an ad hoc basis. While this service is generally targeted towards parents who work non-standard hours, that’s not to say it isn’t available to parents who are just in need of a few hours of care from time to time.
Dedicated occasional care centres cater to children from birth to five years of age. They’re also family grouped, meaning that siblings stay together while in care. While occasional care can be a great option for last-minute childcare, it’s always worth checking the operating hours of your local centre to make sure they offer weekend childcare too.
If you don’t have a local occasional care centre, many childcare centres are now offering casual and last-minute childcare places to families on an as-needed basis. Once again, it’s worth checking in with your local childcare centre to see if they operate over the weekend.
In-home care
As you’ve probably guessed, in-home care (IHC) provides high-quality early childhood education and care within the comfort of your own home. This type of childcare is only available to those who qualify for the childcare subsidy and work non-standard or variable hours, are geographically isolated or have children with complex or challenging needs. There are only a certain number of IHC places available and eligibility is assessed by your state or territory’s IHC Support Agency.
Family and friends
When it comes to last-minute childcare, it doesn’t hurt to call on family and friends if you’re lucky enough to have some people in your close circle living nearby. Some families like to set up kid-sharing arrangements where they take turns minding each other’s kids.
Although it can be a challenge at times to figure out the logistics, these types of arrangements can be incredibly convenient and cost-efficient if you’re able to make them work.
Tips for finding the best weekend childcare
When it comes to finding the best weekend childcare option for your family, we’ve pulled together a few tips to help you narrow down your options:
- Ask friends and family: Check in with your friends, family, colleagues or neighbours for local recommendations. If they’ve got kids themselves, chances are they may know of a trustworthy and reliable childcare provider that’s available over the weekend.
- Check online reviews: Take the time to have a look at online reviews and ratings for local childcare providers. This is a great way to gain insight into other people’s experiences with them. You can even use the Care for Kids childcare search tool to view reviews that other families have left.
- Verify their qualifications: If you’re leaving your children with a caregiver for the first time, you’ll want to make sure they’ve got the right qualifications and relevant experience. Our childcare search tool lists out qualifications clearly so you can compare each provider.
- Set up a call or meeting: Scheduling a quick call with a potential carer is a great way to get a sense of whether they'll be a good fit for your family. It’s also the perfect opportunity to ask questions about their experience, availability and approach to childcare. From here, you can even set up a face-to-face catch-up to see how they get along with your kids before you leave them in their care.
- Trust your gut: Ultimately, it's important to trust your instincts. If something doesn't feel right, keep looking until you find a caregiver you feel comfortable with.
When it comes to childcare, weekend options can be limited, but that’s not to say you don’t have any choices. If you’re on the hunt for weekend childcare, our childcare search tool is the perfect place to start looking. Shortlist, compare and secure childcare in your area so you can enjoy a few hours to yourself over the weekend.
