• Information for Parents

• Information For Carers

• Frequently Asked Questions by Carers

• Frequently Asked Questions by Parents

• Family Day Care - Need Child Care Flyer

• Family Day Care - Calling all Child Care Workers Flyer

Our Service for Parents

Bambini provides flexible family day care by experienced and insured carers to children aged 0-5 as well as primary school aged children.

This intimate home-based care has a maximum of just four children aged 0-5 at any one time allowing our carers to attend to the individual needs of each child as well as meeting the demands of busy families by providing care when and where it is needed.

Bambini caters for parents who are working, studying, need respite or have a child with a disability. We seek to go far beyond what other forms of child care can provide in meeting the needs of both the child and the family.

Family day care is a well established mode of child care which is governed by a set of National Standards that must be adhered to by all carers and family day schemes (such as Bambini). The National Standards are administered by the Commonwealth Department of Families and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and together with participation in an ongoing Quality Assurance program developed and administered by The National Childcare Accreditation Council, carers and parents can be assured that Bambini is at the forefront of safety and best practices for home based child care.

Extremely flexible care options include:

• Full-time
• Part time
• Casual
• Respite and emergency
• Before/after school (aimed at school aged children)
• School holidays (predominately aimed at school aged children)
• Outside normal working hours
• Overnight and shift work
• 24 hours
• Public holidays and weekends

Bambini provides �approved care� which can entitle users to child care benefit (CCB) of up to $5.00, per hour, per child (33% more than other forms of child care) as well as the 50% child care tax rebate. Fees set by carers vary but on average range from $6 - $9 per hour. After applying eligible CCB fee reductions and the 50% child care tax rebate, net fees paid by the parent may be as little as $1.40 per hour!

In most cases the care provided is eligible for the federal government funded CCB and 50% child care tax rebate. The decision on eligibility for CCB rests with the Family Assistance Office. Parents should consult the Family Assistance Office (www.familyassist.gov.au) for details of their specific entitlements to CCB. Further information on the 50% child care tax rebate is available from the Australian Taxation Office (www.ato.gov.au).

Bambini seeks to provide children with:

• A safe, comfortable and secure home environment
• Socialisation and developmental play experiences within small groups
• Stimulating learning opportunities
• Close relationships with carers and other children
• Consistency of care
• Opportunities to learn through play and exploration
• Activities to suit each child's individual needs

Bambini Carers

All Bambini carers go through a rigorous selection process and safety assessment of their home.

We ensure that all Bambini carers:

• Love and respect children
• Are warm, caring, energetic and flexible
• Have an appropriate understanding of children's needs and abilities
• Are able to offer age appropriate and safe experiences to children
• Are able to communicate effectively with children and adults
• Are aware and sensitive to the needs of children and their families, including children and families from a range of cultures and religions and children with additional needs.
• Have passed a working with children check and police check
• Possess a current first aid certificate
• Possess current public liability insurance

Bambini operates as a co-ordination unit, staffed by experienced childhood professionals to support the provision of quality care through:

• Regular home visits
• Regular phone calls/support
• Providing playgroups
• Providing access to training and professional development
• Providing administration assistance and support to carers and parents
• Ensuring child care standards are maintained and improved

Tailored Development Programs

Play based programs will be developed each day for each child with the aid of educational, fun toys, raw materials for the children to explore, art and craft materials to create their own masterpieces and everyday materials that assist learning by doing.

In a supportive and inspiring environment, children are offered a range of activities to develop the following areas:

• Social and emotional skills
• Language skills � both expressive and receptive
• Physical development
• Intellectual skills
• Imaginative skills

Through getting to know each child, a balance between child initiated and adult initiated play will assist in the ongoing development of each child.

Parent / Carer Communication

Communication between the carers and parents needs to be regular and consistent.

We encourage both the carers and the families to decide on which methods of communication will best suit them to discuss their child's daily needs, development and achievements.

Some suggested forms of communication may be via email, phone or a daily or weekly communication book.

How to Enrol your Child

Simply follow the link to enrolment form print, complete and send to: Enrolments, Po Box 234, Hawthorn, 3122.

or email parents@bambini.com.au with the following information.

• Required days and hours of care
• Required start date
• Number and age of children
• Suburb or area
• Any special requirements or needs
  

or call us on (03) 9813 5680.

Information For Carers

Who can become a Carer?

Anyone who enjoys working with children can become a carer. Experience shows that people with the following qualities and competencies are able to operate successfully as carers:

• Enjoy working with children
• Are flexible in their ability to provide care for families, either on a full time, part time or casual basis
• Are warm, caring, full of energy and organised
• Are able to communicate effectively with children and adults
• Are aware and sensitive to the needs of children and their families, including children and families from a range of cultures and religions and children with additional needs
• Have an understanding of the different developmental needs of children
• Have passed and supplied an up to date a working with children check and police check
• Have completed a current first aid certificate (if not, training can be provided)
• Are committed to safety and are prepared to follow the National Standards for family day care
• Are 18 years of age or older
• Live in an appropriate home that will provide an enriched environment for the children with access to outdoor play areas.

Qualifications in child care are not essential for family day care, however, Bambini value qualifications in the fields of early childhood, teaching, nursing and other service oriented fields. Family day care also appeals to stay at home mums with young children.

Working with children checks and/or police checks must be carried out for all applicants and all carers must take out insurance. Family Day Care Australia , a valuable support organisation, provides an insurance policy specially designed for family day care and offer a payment scheme that enables you to avoid up front costs. For further information see www.familydaycare.com.au

Although carers are registered with Bambini, they are self employed and are free to determine what days and hours they want to work, what age groups they want to care for and what fees they charge. Bambini recommend fees ranging from $5 - $10 per hour, depending on qualifications and the area the carer lives.

Benefits of Becoming a Bambini Carer

Some of the benefits of becoming a Bambini carer include:

• Earn money working from home in your own business
• Set your own days and hours with extremely flexible options including full time, part time, casual, overnight and school holiday care
• Earn money while still caring for your own child/children
• Develop your skills, extend your networks and gain peer support working in an important, satisfying and rewarding job
• Be supported by the Bambini co-ordination unit
• Gain a sense of achievement by providing a professional service guiding the development and educational needs of children
• Work for a social organisation with numerous group gatherings

How to Apply to Become a Carer

Interested applicants can email carers@bambini.com.au with the following information or call (03) 9813 5680:

• A brief description of your relevant experience/qualifications
• Home address and contact details
• Preferred number and age of children
• Available days and hours
• Whether you have a back yard/outdoor area
• Whether you have a current police check, working with children check, ABN and first aid certificate
• CV/resume (if available)
• Details of two referees (essential)
• Referrals from previous scheme if relocating
  

Services Bambini Provides to Carers

At Bambini, we believe we differentiate ourselves from other family day care schemes by the level of flexibility and quality in care arrangements we can offer parents and the level of support we provide to our carers.

In particular, Bambini provides the following to its carers:

• Regular training and professional development
• Regular visits with carers and children to provide support with child related matters and monitor the quality of care offered
• Ongoing support from qualified early childhood professionals with respect to child development plans and dealing with behavioral issues
• Bambini playgroups
• Provision of resources including educational toys, books, puzzles and art materials
• Online and telephone assistance for all carers
• Promotion and advertising of our service in the community
• Assistance with set-up, financial and taxation decisions as well as ongoing administration assistance and support services
• First aid training for all carers in our scheme
  

Resource Library

Bambini will supply carers with a range of safe, durable and developmentally appropriate toys, puzzles, books and resources. We believe this is a key platform of our business which enables carers to provide children in their care with the best possible experiences via the regular introduction of new activities and toys to keep young minds active. We will also provide carers with age appropriate routines to assist in offering all children a tailored program that suits their needs.

Bambini Playgroups

Playgroups are encouraged to provide opportunities for all children to experience participation in a larger group setting and enable them to freely choose from a range of activities. Playgroups offer opportunities for carer interaction and enable carers to strengthen their identification with Bambini.

Equipment

In addition to the above free services, Bambini will assist in supplying equipment such as cots, high chairs, strollers and a range of other items. We do however encourage carers to try to source their own equipment for long term use.