Work, Childcare, and You

This can be achieved in four easy steps:

• Planning
• Organization
• Guidelines
• Policies

Once the arrangement is in place, before returning to work find a free community college, and update your skills.

Planning

This plan gives  five mothers/fathers the opportunity to work four days a week with free childcare. To put the plan into motion, a roster will need to be set up, guaranteeing each participant will have one day free from work to childcare in their home

Organization

To return to work it is necessary for your child to be cared for in a safe and happy environment. This can be achieved through organization, planning, and homework, backed up by a sound policy structure.

Locate

1. Four other families in a similar situation to you who want childcare, for one child. Do not include friends in the group.
2. Advertise in your local newspaper

Put a notice on the school and church notice board.

1. Use only your first name and email address.
2. Be choosy, the children and families will be in your home

Try to interview a wide selection before making your final choice.

1. Based on a 4 day x 11 hour day
2. Four families, who live, close within your area with children approximately the same ages as yours
3. Have a BBQ, make sure both parents /parent (single family) attend. Make sure all the children can attend.

If all the adults and children are not compatible, keep looking until the group is compatible.

Guidelines:

• The Mums and/ or Dads whoever are going to mind the children, and any teens in the family, require a written Police Check for your records.
• Each parent will need to hold a first aid certificate, and know CPR
• The children to be dropped off at, and collected from, your home
• Childcare hours will need to be set for dropping off and picking up the children. A small hour/part hour charge for late pickup.
• Each Family will need to have the same childcare hours
• Make a timetable. Keep the children happy, occupied and interested. Spend all your day only caring for the children.

Policies

A Childcare policy agreement will need to be drawn up and signed by all the families. Reviewed every twelve- month. All families hold a copy of the agreement.

• Child only to be dropped off, and collected by, the agreed time
• Every household must have Insurance cover
• Allow for illness. If the person responsible for childcare is ill, make individual emergency plans with a family member, etc., for them to care for your child on that day.
• If a person in the group is too ill to go to work, they make personal arrangements with a family member etc. for their child to be dropped off, and then picked up from the childcare home.
• An illness policy is put into place, stating when children with a minor illness is allowed to attend the childcare home.
• In the case of a child becoming ill at the childcare home, the parent agrees to collect the child from the childcare home within a reasonable time.
• In case of an Emergency written permission is held on file to call an ambulance.

Allergies:

• Anaphylactic shock: How to treat condition, pinned in prominent place on wall.
• Individual photos of children, with Allergies describing in detail, banned foods, and symptoms, pinned in prominent place on wall.
• What steps to take in case of an allergy attack

Pet Policy

• Children and other people's pets are not always compatible

'Childcare is quality time with children while the parents are at work'