Hobsons Bay family day carers and families this week went picnicking in Altona as part of National Family Day Care Week.
The “Every child is a Star” picnic was organised by Hobsons Bay council to recognise and promote the role of family day care in the development and wellbeing of more than
300 children across the municipality.
Family day care refers to childcare provided in the home for children aged from six weeks to 12 years. There are 29 registered family day care educators in Hobsons Bay.
The theme that every child is a star symbolises how family day care’s home-based, small group setting supports and
encourages every child’s individual star quality.
The Hobsons Bay service was in danger of folding after the federal government withdrew $230,000 of funding to the council.
In its budget last year, the Abbott government announced it would tighten the criteria for family day care from July, 2015, saving $157million over three years.
In a bid to save the service, the council announced in February that childcare fees would increase to make up the funding shortfall.
Goya Dmytryshchak
