Long day care

Long day care is the most common form of formal child care available and utilized.

Long day can also be called day care or child care.

Long day care is as it sounds. It provides care for children for long hours of the day.

Long day care caters for children 6 weeks to 5 years.

A service is generally open at least 48 weeks of the year, if not more.

A long day care service is open long hours as the name suggests with services commonly open 10 hours per day or more, such as 6.30 am to 6 pm.

Some long day care centres also offer before and/or after school care (and/or vacation care) whereby then it can range up to 12 years depending on the centre and their licence.

There are many services that can run as a Long day care. They can be private, councils, not-for-profit organisations, etc.

The hours and frequency a child attends a service can vary.

A child can attend the service part or full time and this can include half days if the service offers it.

Meals may be provided at some long day care centres.

This type of care generally means a child is booked to use the service on a regular, confirmed and specific basis.

If a child does not attend care on their specific day/s they are still charged for their space.

Long day care centres are approved child care providers and as such simply by accessing an approved child care provider means they are licensed and bound by regulations.

These services offer developmental programs for each child as part of the NQS (National Quality Standards) under the NQF (National Quality Framework). These are the national regulations and centres must adhere to them. The National Quality Standard  (NQS) is for assessing the quality of services. Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) is the national authority for early childhood education and care. They monitor the implementation of the National Quality Framework (NQF)  and the National Quality Standards (NQS) and the improvement in the quality of services across Australia.

Long day care services offer the potential (depending on individual family circumstances and eligibility criteria and requirements) to access Government rebates to assist with  covering the cost of child care. This is known as the Child Care Subsidy. You can access more information on the Child Care Subsidy https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/child-care-subsidy

Advantages 

• Nurture the child’s development and provide activities to enhance development. They provide a structured program catering for all children’s needs and developmental areas.
• No need to worry if a staff member is ill as the centre will take the stress out of it and organise a replacement.
• Licensed and must adhere to standards, qualifications, etc.
• For a single child it is usually more cost effective than employing a nanny.
• Offer a variety of activities.
• Children can interact with other children.

Disadvantages 

• Some services may have long waiting lists.
• Individual attention may be less.
• Travel time to and from the centre.
• Initially they may be more exposed to illness.
• May be costly.
• Child may find it harder to initially settle into the new environment.
• Depending on the centre it may not be suitable for you and they may not be flexible.
• You must find alternative care for when they are closed.
• You may find there is limited accessibility or availability to the service of your choice.

The cost can range from $75-$200 per day with the average more likely around $100/$130 per day mark.

There are variations on cost depend on location, demand, what is provided such as food, nappies, etc.

You are responsible for the fees even when your child does not attend the service in the case of holidays, sickness or even public holidays.

The cost will also vary depending on if you have access to Government subsidy (for more information on accessing subsidy refer to the link above)

Searching for a Long Day Care centre

If you are searching for childcare and need to estimate your costs then we recommend contacting a few centres to gauge the daily rate and their availability.

It is also important to have an idea of what you are looking for and/or if there is flexibility in that. For example is location the paramount factor or cost or size of the service.

What about waiting lists?

You may find that as this is the most commonly accessed type of care that there are waiting lists at some services.

It is recommended that you place your name on a waiting list well before you may actually need the care to have more chance of securing a place, especially in high demand areas.