Last Updated on April 14, 2024 by Ali Hamza

Today’s parents are confused as to what type of childcare they can choose since there are various options for early childhood education and care services for families. So, to help you regarding the types of child care, there is a list of the following childcare options. These can also be learnt in child care short courses. These are as follows:

Different Types of Child Care

Long Day Care: 

This type of childcare is usually built for early childhood education and care services. These centers provide full-day or part-time care for working families. They often provide care and development programs for children who are under school age. These centers also provide meal facilities to the children.

Family Day Care: 

This care facility is especially for children who are not yet going to school but care is also provided to children who are under 12 years old. They provide flexibility in care and they will meet the requirements for care during normal working and business hours too.

Preschool/Prep/Kindergarten: 

This is a special program for those children who are ready to go to school. These children are 3 to 5 years of age. A preschool can be placed in a building, community center or school. A kindergarten operates from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM in school hours which can differ as per the state too.

Before or after school care: 

In this care, there are some types of care for school-going children such as:

  • Before and after school
  • On children’s free days
  • Vacation or school holidays

There are different timings for school children such as:

  • Before School: 7:00 to 9:00 AM
  • After School: 3:00 to 6:00 PM
  • Holidays: 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM on weekdays.

Occasional, Flexible or Casual Care: 

In this, there are different types of childcare for school going children for shorter periods of time. The families can have part time or regular basis which includes shifts or part time work, respite care, emergency care, and shopping appointments. In this care, the families have the flexibility to leave their children in early childhood learning surroundings so that their children can interact with other children and the parents can do other tasks too. 

Home Care: 

In this type of care, there is a Home Care Educator which provides better care and early childhood education. This childcare is for those parents who can’t have access to mainstream facilities for child care such as centre based daycare, outside school hours care or family daycare.

Nanny:

A nanny is employed by a family and can be enrolled on a live-in or live-out basis and perform all tasks related to children. They do all the domestic tasks related to child care. A nanny can have formal training or he/she can be hired by a nanny agency with good experience. The working hours of a nanny range from forty to sixty hours.

Nanny Sharing: 

In this type of care, a nanny can be employed by two or more families so that they can perform tasks related to the care of children. If the parents can’t afford the services of a nanny, then they can share the nanny according to how many hours of care they need with another family.

AU Pair: 

In this type of care, an Australian who is a foreign national and can exchange culture and experience Australian life. He/She lives with the family as a part of it and is thus given a salary or a small allowance for doing all types of child care and household duties. The duties done by the AU pair are carried out under the management and supervision of parents.

Mother’s Help: 

In this care, a mother is hired who has no or little previous experience in caring for children. They gradually learn and take formal study while gaining experience in child care. She can also help with housekeeping duties which should be done under the supervision of the family.

Babysitter: 

In this, a person provides a type of custodial care to children under the supervision of parents on a part-time or full-time basis in which they perform tasks usually in evening or afternoon sessions.

Conclusion:

The above points conclude that there are different types of child care and each and every family nowadays require child care for their children. So, if you are thinking of learning child care you can enrol in one of the best child care short courses including a diploma or certificate 3 in childcare that suits your educational requirements.

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