multiple childcare providers

[Pandora]

DS goes to a daycare centre 3 days per week at present.
Its very liekly that he will need to go for an extra day a week, and I am thinking of sending him to FDC on that day.

I'd consider sending him to FDC for all of the days, if they have room, but its the 3yo kinder program that they offer at his daycare that I think he will be missing out on if he goes to FDC instead.

Will it be too much for him to go to 2 different daycares if I send him to FDC for the extra day instead of his normal daycare? He would know at least one of the other kids there.

How does it affect my CCB, I remember It hink it was Divvy saying that it affects how much you get on CCB if the child is at more than one approved service?

thanks!

[briggsy's girl]

being in multiple child care centres doesn't make any difference to your CCB entitlement Rayray - you'll still only have the same number of eligible hours to share between them though for the week.... the percentage entitlement is exactly the same...

the only thing i would think you'd need to consider is how Milo is going to adapt to the change himself - but from a financial POV, your entitlements stay the same

good luck deciding

BG

[Pandora]

Thanks BG

Yep my primary concern is whether he can cope with both or if one or the other will be better. CCB info is just nice to know.

Part of me thinks he'd be better in the one care facility for all of the days, the other thinks its good for him to have more than once cirle of friends. But maybe that can wait until he is a bit older. I really dont think I could pull him out of creche and put him into FDC for4 days when he already has a lot of firends and likes/trusts his careres etc.

[Astrid]

Currently DD is going to childcare one day per week, other times if there is a need I send her to occasional care at a different centre for 2 hours. She seems to be coping quite well with it all, which is great considering they are both new centres due to us moving. She looks forward to going to both.

[briggsy's girl]

rayray - i'm not sure of Milo's personality, but from what i can gather, most kids are pretty resiliant - and it's better to start putting them in multiple places early so they don't get too set with the one thing (just from what i've seen) - he might be a bit unsure for a while, but he'll get used to it pretty quickly. i wouldn't pull him from the place he's at for now for the fact that they DO have the program you're happy with - and you can always put your name down for the fourth day there in case it opens up - use FDC as your "back up" til you know how he's coping with it

FWIW - FDC will have him exposed to far fewer children, and, in most cases, less activities due to it being home-based. it's great for fostering family environment and things, but doens't have as much socialisation with other kids (same kids all the time - more change in the centres) - my mum used to do FDC when we were kids and they very much got incorporated into our every day lives... not sure what it's like now though...

[Amity]

If I recall correctly, it was the ratio for me that was the problem - somehow the CCB was split between the carers in some weird ratio and I had to pay one carer WAY more than the other, and it was all strange... sorry can't remember exactly.

But what I can say is I got a nice big CCB refund that year - I think the day care stuffed it up and didn't work it out correctly, and I paid HEAPS more than I should have... so perhaps my situation wasn't quite the same IYKWIM.

Sorry I can't help... brain freeze today.. too d@mn tired... trials everywhere (why do people have to get divorced all the time?!?!? I shouldn't whinge I guess!)