Council takes aim at childcare shortage

Waverley Council is expanding its family day care services to address Waverley’s baby boom and the urgent need for more childcare provisions.

The new Family Day Care scheme will see qualified home educators provide a secure learning environment for up to four children aged 0-5 per house. The aim is to increase day care services across the eastern suburbs over the next two years.

Mayor Sally Betts said it was a move by Council to create higher quality child care spaces, jobs and provide relief to local families.

“We are having a baby boom in Waverley at the moment,” she said. “With so many young families in our local area, the demand on child care services is always high … but we want to do more to help provide childcare opportunities in our community.”

Each family home educator will be chosen based on a specific set of criteria, with their day care centre operating to provide adequate security, kitchen and bathroom facilities in looking after children.

“To become a Family Day Care Educator, you must have a genuine desire to work with children,” said a Council spokesperson. “Waverley Council coordinates the recruitment of home-based child care service operators … and ensure the services meet high standards.”

Family Day Care educator Natasha Zharovsky has worked in childcare services for the last seven years and praised Council’s initiative. Ms Zharovsky said having her own business and working from home allowed her to balance personal commitments.

“For families who place their children in childcare, the first few years are so important,” she said. “It’s a way for them to socialise and be part of a group and grow through that.

“[Family Day Care] was an opportunity for me to be at home when my kids came home from school.”

Ms Betts said every Family Day Care centre provides an opportunity for children to develop in an intimate and caring home environment.

“We have set an ambitious but achievable target to significantly increase home-based Family Day Care centres in the next two years,” she said.

A 2009 Council investigation into potential development sites resulted in the development of the Mill Hill Early Education Centre in Bondi Junction, but Family Day Care is now being advocated as the most cost-effective solution to providing childcare services.

In July 2012, Councillor John Wakefield moved a mayoral motion to address the inadequacy of childcare provisions in Waverley. A year ago, 17 of the 19 childcare centres in Bondi Junction were full.

Currently, there are four long day care centres and 37 home-based Family Day Care centres catering to at least 900 names on waiting lists for childcare services in Waverley.

Mr Wakefield said Council should also look at a variety of options that could help to provide more children’s services to the community.

“We should look at using space in existing public schools, expanding existing Council facilities, using part of Council land near our chambers, all of these things I will entertain, all of them are necessary to investigate,” he said.