Family day care shrinks as parents opt for centre-based care

Family day care, a form of childcare where educators operate from their own homes, is experiencing a decline as more parents opt for centre-based care. Debbie Macleod, a family day care educator for 37 years, expressed feeling undervalued due to the increasing bureaucratic demands and the lack of fair compensation. She highlighted that educators in family day care face long hours of administrative work, low pay, and professional isolation, all while delivering a quality learning experience for children.

Deakin University's study on 200 family day care educators revealed that many educators felt professionally isolated and undervalued. They were often perceived as babysitters, despite the extensive work they do in program planning, relationship building, and curriculum development. The heavy workload has been impacting the workforce, with the number of approved family day care services declining from 7% in 2016 to 2% in 2022.

The feminised nature of the profession has led to it being devalued, seen as women's work, and presumed to be less demanding than centre-based care. Family day care educators, working in their own homes, are required to meet the same regulatory requirements as larger centres, adding to their workload and stress. Professor Andrea Nolan, the lead researcher of the Deakin study, emphasized the need to recognize the significant and diverse roles these educators play.

Small family day care providers face challenges in terms of funding, administrative burden, and lack of recognition. The federal government's funding extension for a 15% pay rise for childcare workers does not include family day care workers who are contractors. The Australian government's capability trial of family day care in 860 regional areas aims to provide support and resources to educators and inform potential changes to the model.