Page title goes here

Family Day Care

Home › Services › Family Day Care

Providing nurturing care in a secure and enriching home environment.

Family Day Care offers quality, approved home-based childcare in the homes of registered Educators, supported by our dedicated coordination unit. It provides nurturing care in a safe, enriching home environment for babies and children up to 12 years of age.

Adventure Patch provides Family Day Care services across Tasmania through partnerships with both the Adventure Patch Family Day Care Service and Launceston Family Day Care.

Our qualified Educators embrace the Adventure Patch philosophy — learning through play, fun, and adventure. Each home setting offers a warm, personal environment where children can explore, learn, and grow with confidence.

Family Day Care can provide care:

During standard or extended hours
Overnight
Before and after school
During school holidays

In Family Day Care, children learn through play while mixing with a small group of others. Educators plan activities based on each child’s interests and developmental needs, creating real and meaningful connections with their world and community.

This model of care allows for genuine, long-term relationships to form between children and their Educators — relationships built on trust, care, and understanding.

Our registered Educators offer a welcoming environment where children feel safe, valued, and encouraged to explore. Family Day Care can accommodate babies and children up to 13 years of age (or high school), often allowing siblings to be cared for together in one location.

Family Day Care hours are flexible and negotiable, and our coordination team will support you in finding the right Educator to suit your family’s needs.

Quicklinks

Get Started

Choosing AP/FDC

Adventure Patch Family Day Care is a great option for your family and child. Family Day Care Educators care for a small group of children in their own home, providing all children with a safe, nurturing environment.

Adventure Patch Family Day Care Educators are qualified and passionate educators who stand by the philosophy of fun and adventure in childhood. They are passionate about creating the best environment for your child to be nurtured and cared for. Our Educators follow both the Family Day Care philosophy and the Adventure Patch Service philosophy in encouraging learning, based on the individual child’s needs.

‘Providing nurturing care in a secure and enriching home environment.’

FDC Questions & Answers

How do I apply for Child Care with Adventure Patch Family Day Care?

Applying for a place with Adventure Patch Family Day Care is easy. Simply fill out the enquiry form or contact the Coordination Unit. Once accepted, the Enrolment registration process will then need to be completed.

The process consists of:

Completing the Enrolment Record for your child;
Providing proof of your child’s current immunisation status;
Providing the CRN (Centrelink Customer Reference Number) for the parent registered with Centrelink if you wish to claim Government Fee Assistance (Child Care Subsidy).
Accept the Enrolment Confirmation
Accept the Child Care Subsidy Enrolment through your MYGOV account

Once all the information has been confirmed by Co-Ordination Unit staff with your Educator, your child will be able to commence care with their Family Day Care Educator.

What Hours are available for care?

Each Eductor sets their own hours. Generally, core hours are between 8am-6pm Monday to Friday and any out of core hours that may be agreed are classified as 6pm – 8am Monday to Friday, weekend care and/or public holidays. Educators charge within the fee parameters set by the service and agree their own hours. Educators may require a minimum number of booked hours per day.

If our Educator is sick, what happens?

If an Educator or a member of their family develops an infectious illness, the Educator may not be able to provide care to children during this time. Should this happen, it may be possible to arrange alternate arrangements through the Co-ordination Unit. It is the parent’s responsibility to request replacement care.

Where an Educator is unable to provide care, no charge will be levied as the Educator has been unable to fulfil their responsibilities as outlined in the care contract.

Can I still claim CSS if my child is in Family Day Care?

Care through Adventure Patch Family Day Care is eligible for the Australian Government Child Care Subsidy. Individual Child Care Subsidy Assessment queries should be directed to Family Assistance Office on 13 61 50.

What are the Fees?

Adventure Patch Family Day Care sets a fee parameter for all care provided through the service of between $8.50 and $30.00 per hour for all care provided from July 2024 to July 2025. An administration levy of $2.20 per hour per child applies. This levy is included in your Educator’s hourly rate. Educators fees are within these parameters.

In consultation with the Educator, parents may choose to either provide adequate meals and drinks for their children, or pay their Educator the agreed amount for meals and snacks provided. Parents must be informed of the meals costs prior to providing meals for children. Please refer to your Educator’s fee schedule

Do I need to pay if my child cannot attend a day of booked care?

Parents are required to pay in full for absences.

Where applicable, Child Care Subsidy may be paid for absences from care for up to 42 days per financial year. This includes public holidays.

Child Care Subsidy will be paid for absences if:

Attendance records are correctly completed by the scheme and absences are initialed by the parent;
Supporting documentation is provided where necessary;
Parents have paid their usual contribution to the fee.

Where applicable, Child Care Subsidy will NOT be paid when absences occur on the first or last day of care.

The service is entitled to charge full fee for all child absences, including holidays.

Once the initial 42 days absence days have been exhausted, additional absences may be claimed in certain circumstances.

What is included in Family Day Care Fees?

Fees cover all contracted hours and any additional time the child is being educated and cared for by an Educator. Fees do not cover food, nappies, travel, excursions, or late payments.

Does my Child need to be immunised to attend Family Day Care?

Child Care Subsidy can only be paid for children who are fully immunised and meet the immunisation requirements. Conscientious objection and vaccination objection on non-medical grounds will no longer be a valid exemption from immunisation requirements.

The relevant vaccinations are those under the National Immunisation Program (NIP), which covers the vaccines usually administered before age five. These vaccinations must be recorded on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR). Children with medical contraindications or natural immunity for certain diseases will continue to be exempt from the requirements.

An Educator has the right to refuse children who do not have up to date immunisation.

State Government Requirements
The Tasmanian Public Health Act requires the Scheme to keep up-to-date records of the immunisation status of all children registered with the Scheme. Parents must provide immunisation documents that show the child:

is fully vaccinated for their age; or
has a medical reason not to be vaccinated; or
has a conscientious objection, including religious beliefs, to vaccination; or
is on a recognised catch-up schedule if their child has fallen behind with their vaccinations.

The child cannot be enrolled in the service unless the mandatory documentation is received.

Parents are also required to provide copies of updated immunisation history statements as their child receives further immunisation. Acceptable proof of immunisation includes a copy of your child’s “Blue Book”, a letter from your child’s doctor outlining the immunisations received, or a copy of your child’s immunisation history statement from Medicare.

What if my child has a medical condition?

If your child has been diagnosed with asthma, an allergy or with another ongoing medical condition, you must inform the Educator and service at the time of enrolment (or as soon as the diagnosis is known). Medical Minimisation Plans are filled out in conjunction with the family and educator for medical conditions.

The Educator and Scheme require a current Medical Action Plan that has been developed in consultation with your doctor that sets out both normal medication procedures and an emergency action plan. Children must not attend without required medication and action plans.

Action plans must be maintained as current and reviewed by the child’s doctor yearly.

What Training and Qualifications does an Family Day Care Educator have?

Educators must complete the Service’s recruitment/selection procedure and comprehensive induction and training program. They must comply with the Education and Care Services National Law and Education and Care Services National Regulations and the Service Policies and Procedures at all times.

The Education and Care Services National Regulations allows each Educator to care for a maximum of 7 children under the age of 13, with up to 4 children under school age. The Educators own children are included in these numbers.

Educators are required to:

Hold an Early Childhood Qualification or be actively working towards one;
Maintain current First Aid qualifications, including Anaphylaxis and Asthma Management;
Maintain a current Working with Vunerable People Check;
Hold Public Liability Insurance for their Family Day Care Business.

Family members over 18 and regular visitors are also required a to hold a current Working with Vulnerable People Check.

Educators are expected to participate in ongoing professional development.

Who do I contact if I have a problem or complaint?

We hope your association with our service is a long and positive one but we are realistic enough to realise that communication may break down from time to time for a variety of reasons.

If you have a query or concern you are encouraged to raise the matter first with your Educator. If you are not comfortable with this, or do not achieve the desired outcome we encourage you to contact the Coordination Unit and speak with our Director.

If a solution or satisfaction is still not reached there is a formal complaints procedure which can be followed. A copy of the Complaints Policy can be downloaded below.

Coordination Unit

The Adventure Patch Family Day Care Coordination Unit, based at our Head Office in Blackmans Bay and led by FDC Manager Karen Banks, provides administrative support and ensures the service and its Educators operate in line with our philosophy.

The team works closely with parents and Educators to support each child’s growth and development in a safe, secure family environment.

The Coordination Unit registers Educators in line with the Education and Care Services National Law, Regulations and our service policies, and ensures they are re-registered annually and remain fully compliant. Staff visit Educators regularly—both announced and unannounced, with up to 90% unannounced—to provide support, monitor children’s development and uphold all regulatory and scheme requirements. Adventure Patch FDC also offers services such as ongoing professional development and playgroups that encourage social interaction and networking among Educators.

Our Staff

Karen Banks

Manager FDC

Jo Farnell

Team leader
Educational Leader

Janice Haba

Admin Officer Playgroup Coordinator

Rebecca Churchill

Field Coordinator

Chantelle Conrades

Field Coordinator

Family Day Care Fun

Adventures are a part of each and every day with Adventure Patch Family Day Care. See what we get up to!

Our Philosophy

Our philosophy has been created in collaboration with staff, families and key stakeholders. The philosophy is a collage of words representing the main drivers of our service.

We also, as members of the Adventure Patch network, work towards and share the philosophy of the Adventure Patch service as a whole.

As individual Educators and staff of Adventure Patch Family Day Care, we strongly advocate for a nurturing and secure environment for each child in our care.

If you have any questions about the Adventure Patch Family Day Care philosophy, please contact us.

“To Nurture each child in a secure and enriching home environment where individual and family needs are valued and respected.”

Page title goes here