Family Home Day Care an attractive alternative

In many ways, family home day care is the best of both worlds. It offers childcare in a nurturing home environment, with flexible hours, within your own community, with small group ratios.

The drawback has always been that the home childcare sector has been left largely unmonitored and unregulated in this province, unlike the licensed sector, which is overseen by the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services.

In other words, anyone can advertise to offer childcare in their homes, regardless of their credentials, values, health and safety conditions, background or behavior management styles. Having said that, we are fortunate that the vast majority of caregivers offering childcare in their own homes are caring, educated, informed and professional individuals who truly strive to offer the best care possible for the children in their homes.

Now we have a new alternative. The province has introduced a model whereby a Family Home Day Care Agency is licensed and can oversee individual childcare homes, which, although still unlicensed, are monitored, supported and supervised by the agency. This offers peace of mind and accountability to parents using the services, plus it offers numerous benefits and advantages to the childcare providers. It’s a win-win situation, with the ultimate gain being for our children.

Offers assurance

From the parents’ perspective, they have the assurance that child care homes has passed the standards of the licensed agency for health and safety, programming, environment, behavior management, and developmentally appropriate activities. They know that the caregiver has her first-aid training, has had a police check and has been screened by the Child Abuse Registry.

They also know that a home visitor will be making monthly visits to the home to offer support and resources to the caregiver. The agency can also serve as a liaison between the parent and caregiver if necessary.

Several children, of multi-ages, from infants to school age, can be in the same home, keeping families together. Parents know that their childcare home is monitored and that their provider has taken the initiative to maintain professional development.

There is also the opportunity for parents to offer input into the operation of the agency by joining the Parent Advisory Committee. What better way to become directly involved in the care if your child!

Network of childcare professionals

The caregiver who becomes part of the agency team also benefits. She becomes part of a network of childcare team of professionals who takes pride in her role within the community. Free of charge, she is offered regular training, toys, resources and materials for borrowing from the lending library, home visits for support and the opportunity to participate in a regular play group for caregivers and children.

No longer is the caregiver working in isolation within the confines of her own home. Now she can become part of a network that works together to offer the best care possible for children in our community. She can participate in workshops, conferences, training and professional development opportunities. Best of all, each caregiver keeps her independence, maintaining total control of her own business, collecting fees directly from the parents, with no payments to or from the agency.

The ultimate winners are the children in childcare. They are cared for in a warm home environment, with small child-caregiver ratios, with plenty of developmentally appropriate resources and activities to keep them stimulated: physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually.

The Home and Heart Family Home Care Agency has been awarded a license to offer services to families in the Hantsport to Kentville regions. If you would like to join our team of childcare providers or if you are a parent seeking family childcare, please contact the Director at: lila@hope-simpson.com.

Lila Hope-Simpson is the Director of the Home and Heart Family Home Day Care Agency and Nursery School