3 Considerations For Family Day Care If You Live Far From Your Workplace

Posted on: 21 March 2020

With skyrocketing real estate prices across Australia, it's not unusual for parents to live far away from workplaces. This means, you need a family day care that provides a greater deal of flexibility than other centres if you need someone to look after the kids when you're at work. Here are some considerations to help you make the right choice for your needs:

Timings And Flexibility Of Pick Up

More often than not, family day cares offer longer timings, which means earlier starts and later closing times – ideal for parents who live far away from their workplaces. But not all centres offer this, so make sure you're clear with the centre's timings before making any decisions. You'll also want to know about flexibility when it comes to pick-ups, especially if you get stuck in traffic or public transport breaks down. Many family day cares may not charge you for being a few minutes late as long as it's within reason. But always check this ahead of time so there are no nasty surprises later.

Policy When Children Are Sick

Find out how flexible the family day care centre is when it comes to sick children because it may take you some time to get to your child when you work further away. Some family day cares may have more flexible policies allowing you to pick up your kids over a few hours while others may be more rigid. Some family day care providers may be willing to administer certain types of medication with your permission, but check all this beforehand so you're not caught unaware later.

Policy For Who Can Pick Up Kids

If you are stuck at work unexpectedly and cannot pick up the kids on time, you may be forced to ask your family or friends to do it for you. What is the policy that the family day care follows? Do they allow anyone to pick up your kids with your permission? Or do they enforce a strict 'emergency contacts' only policy where only previously approved people can pick up your children? This may be a good thing to check in advance so you can assign the right people to pick up your kids in the event you cannot make it to the day care on time.

When you live far away from your workplace, you need to consider multiple factors to ensure you make the right decisions for your family.

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