From little things…big things grow

For those considering childcare options, Family Day Care may be the answer for your family. Family Day Care can offer an alternative option to larger centres with small groups in nurturing and safe home environments.

We asked Potira de Azevedo who runs a Family Day Care Service in her Curl Curl home a few questions about her experience as an educator.

I moved to Australia in 2010, with a two-year-old child. I am a qualified architect, but started to consider what kind of work made sense for me at this new stage of my life. As a mother, I started to read all about education and care subjects and then made the choice to study Children’s Services. I became an educator in my first year in this new country, discovering a way to channel all my creativity and passion for children into a career. 

Having worked for a number of child care centres over the last eight years, I have experienced caring for different age groups and observed different approaches and philosophies among my fellow staff. This gave me the confidence to open up my own Family Day Care Centre in 2019 with the support of Northern Beaches Council.

Council helped me find the right house to accommodate the business and adjust it to meet important safety regulations. They continue to offer me support with educational planning, safety and hygiene practices, so I can provide quality care. We also have access to a toy library, which has helped me set up a beautiful learning environment in my home.

The children arrive from 8am and play freely until group time when we sing some good morning songs, read some stories and talk about what we have been learning and what we are going to do during the day. 

After morning tea, provided by the service, we play in the garden or inside depending on the weather. The children then choose from activities such as arts and craft, cooking, sensory play, gardening and learning experiments, depending on the projects we have been learning about. Later we go back inside to have our lunch and sleep/rest. After the children wake, they play freely inside until storytime followed by some dance. After afternoon tea, often served under the shade of our Jacaranda tree, the children play in the garden until their parents arrive.

Parents love the daily diary that I send them, with plenty of pictures of their children. They can see the deep bonds that forms between their child and others, this happens easily in this type of setting. Parents go to work knowing that we will be providing a lovely and stimulating day for their child. They also like the family environment where a child tends to settle quite quickly and that the care offered to their child is personalised.

You can find out more about choosing Family Day Care for your child or becoming a Family Day Care Educator.