Build a flexible, sustainable and rewarding early childhood career by becoming a family day care educator.

Educators manage their own family day care service from their home, with the support of the family day care team.

Starting a family day care service combines your experience in early childhood education and passion for nurturing and inspiring young children with the flexibility and work life balance of running a home-based service and setting your own hours.

If you have your own children, you can combine your career as a family day care educator with caring for your children by including them in sessions.

Educators can care for up to 7 children in total, with a no more than 4 children under school age.

You will have the support of a Department for Education coordinator and the family day care business centre, plus networking opportunities allowing you to connect with other family day care educators at events like pop-up playgroups and other networking events.

Complete this form or give us a call, 0427 637 272 to enquire.

Download the brochure on the benefits of being an educator with family day care (PDF 1 MB) .

The family day care team can assess your current skill set and help you bridge any gaps to set you up for long-term career success.

To be a family day care educator, you need:

• Certificate III (or higher) level qualification in Early Childhood Education and Care, or another ACECQA approved education and care qualification
• experience as an early childhood educator
• experience or knowledge in planning, implementing and evaluating children’s learning
• a high level of business practice and administration
• an appropriate house for children to participate safely in play-based learning
• current certificates in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, asthma and anaphylaxis
• child-related employment screening (also required for anyone aged 18 and over living at your home)
• an understanding of child protection in South Australia and your role as a mandated notifier
• responding to risk of harm, abuse and neglect – education and care (RRHAN-EC) training
• a medical clearance
• public liability insurance.

To start your journey to become a family day care educator, complete this form, or give us a call on 0427 637 272 for a conversation about what’s next.

Use our income calculator to see an estimate of the gross income (your income before tax and other expenses) that you could potentially earn as a family day care educator.

Setting up your service involves balancing your business and family life.

Family day care can be run from a home you own or rent.

You will need to ensure that you gain landlord permission to deliver your family day care service from a rental property.

You can choose which areas of your home will be used exclusively for family day care and which areas will be shared spaces for you and/or you own family.

Each educator’s home is different, and so setting up your space is about how you want your service to run and what you want to achieve and create.

The family day care team will work with you to ensure that your home meets the requirements of running a family day care service.

Below are examples of how some educators have set up their family day care services.