Opening a Family Day Care in Australia is a big decision. But it’ll probably be one of the best choices you’ve ever made.
If you’re passionate about helping kids get a great head start in life, then it’s the right choice. Family Day Care Educators must love children and know the value of Early Childhood Education. Some may think it’s like babysitting. But it’s not. There’s a lot more involved.
You do need to have the required paperwork to open a business. In Australia, sole traders require an Australia Business Number. There are some requirements you need to fill before opening your Family Day Care. Additionally, there are other required certifications to operate.
People who own a Family Day Care in Australia are Educators with childcare experience. There is no minimum amount of experience. It’s not necessary to have too many years of experience before you open your FDC.
Opening a Family Day Care as a Non-Australian citizen
If you are an international citizen, there are no special visa rules to meet. Visa holders who wish to open an FDC should meet with an account to discuss possible financial obligations related to taxes and revenue.
You do need to make sure you have a visa that permits you to live and work in Australia. For example, if you’re visiting Australia on a tourist visa, you can not operate a business. Citizens of all countries (excluding New Zealand) require advance permission to enter Australia.
Family Day Care in a Rental House
You don’t have to own your own home, either. You can be renting your home and still open a Family Day Care. Landlords do need to give the ok to operate a business at rental properties. However, many landlords do not have any objections to a Family Day Care business being operated in their properties.
Some landlords may have ideas about unsupervised kids or concerns about increased traffic from pick up/drop off and on their properties as some of them don’t understand much about the business. These unknowns could make them nervous. Family Day Care Australia offers information geared towards landlords to help.
Family Day Care Risk Assessment
While it is technically simple to have an approval from the landlord to operate your Family Day Care, there are some special considerations. Before your Service Provider approves your space, they will assess the home. So, the best advice is to call the Service Provider you want to join before you start making the necessary adjustments, so they will have their own advice on what you should get done.
There are space needs for both indoor and outdoor areas. There are also fencing and safety rules for outdoor play areas, toilet and windows.
Some essential points you can use when speaking with your landlord:
- Family Day Cares are a successful in-demand business. The Educator will have regular income to timely rental payments.
- Educators are on the premises during the day.
- Educators must have public liability insurance. It’s a legal requirement and protects rental properties, too.
- Educators are screened extensively, including police checks. Your landlord can be sure of your character.
We’ve designed the course “How to Start a Family Daycare Business” to answer all these questions and more. You’ll have the support of me, your tutor, and more in our students’ community.
