Before/After School Care - What Organisations Run It In Your Area?

[fionas]

I don't currently need before/after school care but may do this year if/when I go back to work.

There is one provider in our small town which is full. It's the local childcare centre which transports the children to/from school. It's full and already has 13 children on the waiting list.

The local primary school used to run a program but no longer has any space available to provide a room.

So ... this is an issue for many local parents.

While I/we could make private arrangements with each other and/or employ individual workers for our own families, I'm interested in a better, more stable solution long-term.

I'm going to approach my local councillor but I'm not sure whether councils generally run programs - kinders yes, but not sure about before/after school care.

The other solution I've thought of is a group of parents banding together to form a sort of cooperative whereby we hire a space (village hall or the like) and employ a worker(s).

Tell me about providers in your area.

[Amity]

Camp Australia run some - perhaps if there is need they may open in your area.

Another alternative is OSHClub.

[Jaycee]

Ours is run through our school, we are in a semi-rural area. DS1 goes two afternoons a week, there's no before school care though which creates an issue for us, we have had to amend our work hours so one of us can take him to school each day.

Can't help with the setting up/ running of one though, although I like your idea of hiring an area and employing someone, if you get enough parents on board that might work

[Calluna]

The Uniting church where DS goes to playgroup have OSHC. Ive noticed a few other churches do it too.

[Beach Mama]

We have issues here as there isn't any right now - they need 20 kids to make it viable. Usually run by YMCA, church groups or ohc and they are a registered child care facility so you might find it trickier to set up than you think and also might need more staff than just one person even if there are only a few kids. It's a pita though we would definitely need it later in the year(June) but are going to have to make other
arrangements.

[nothing2lose]

The local council used to run a program for my DD's school at the local Neighbourhood Centre but closed it down when regulations changed regarding the minimum qualifications of carers (citing financial unviabilty). The school then subcontracted it to a private provider (OSHCare for Kids) but it is heavily subsidised by the school even when they have the minimum 20 kids they said they would need to cover costs. They don't run a before care program or holiday program because of costs involved.

Eta - this may help....

http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibr...perateoshc.pdf

[MrsFabuloso]

The local council runs ours. I have worked in several council run ones too, as well as childcare centres which run them.

[Mother Goose]

A company called Workd4Kids runs ours.

[TickToc]

Your local council may be able to provide you with information regarding family day care, in the past I've used this service & the lady has met my daughter at the school gate or off the bus. I always found family day care to be more flexible as well regarding work start & finish times.

[Cally]

Ours is run by an private organisation who rents the art room at the school and has kids from the public school as well as the private school across the road, however there are other schools in our area which have a program run by the council (they also do a vacation care). Ours does after school and vacation care. Nowhere near us seems to have any before school option, so I now don't start work until 9 by the time I travel there.

[Traveller]

Ours is run by the school, it's a brilliant program with both before and after school care. The only problems are that before school care starts at 7.45 making a lot of parents late for 8am starts. 15 extra minutes would make a massive difference. There is also a lot of demand and sometimes not enough places. it's a big school, more staff would be fantastic.

[Astrid]

The one in the city is council run, it is just at one place and the kids get there by the school bus runs. So not all schools are covered and ours, which is just out of the city is not covered either. Some parents leave work to the do the drop off mid afternoon.
The same council people also run the vacation care service. I can access the vacation care service, but not the after school service (just not practical)

Oh, there is only after school care provided.

[lilima]

You could call Cobaw about Family Day Care for after school time.

ETA we are the next town over from you and there is an independent one here the services Holy Cross and a few other schools. It is run through Twin Oaks. They pick the kids up in a bus and they are based at the uniting church opposite IGA.

[nickle730]

A company called Extend run before and after school care as well as a school holiday program at our school. The SHP is open to kids from outside our school, not sure about ASC, don't know how that would work?!

[fionas]

Thanks for all your input everyone - really useful!!!

I'm meeting with the school principal tomorrow to pick his brains about what the stumbling blocks were last year regarding outsourcing to a different venue last year.

Have a vague plan in mind to use the village hall (across the road from school so no transport required), staffed by a private provider and apply for funds for equipment etc. from council and/or a charitable trust/foundation.

Wish me luck!