Hi Nemodori!
Whereabouts in Melbourne are you?
Have you tried a childcare agency that could be another option for you besides fdc
You could volunteer to get some experience and then apply.
Fdc does require a lot of sacrifices and there are a lot of things to consider, it’s a serious commitment to have a miniature childcare centre in your house with your family, I would suggest you take your time and discuss with them first.
Starting an fdc will cost you a decent amount of money mostly on formalities such as first aid qualifications, child proofing and insurance.
If you want to start a fdc you need to have:
- At least a certificate in Certificate Ill level education and care qualification
- Current first aid and CPR certificates and training in the emergency management of asthma and anaphylaxis.
Your mum, dad, brother, yourself and any other resident of the house 18 years and over will also require:
- Appropriate clearances for working with children (working with children check) AND
- A national police check (must be no more than 6 months old)
If you have the above or are willing to get it then you need to:
- Work out the demand for care in your area and have some idea of how you might enrol children and families into care and
- Have the room to create safe play spaces/areas + some equipment & resources, then
- Join a scheme and complete their processes, finally you must
- Purchase and maintain current public liability insurance when you open
You can look for a scheme who will place children and families with you so you do not need to find them, however this depends on the scheme, demand in your area, other care available and so on.
Not all schemes have a wait list, are willing to promote their scheme and help their educators with enrolments.
Moreover they may not need to as the educators do this for themselves or have little to no vacancies as they have established themselves in their area much like a centre, kinder or school would.
You don't have to speak with your council in Victoria to start an fdc, unless the scheme you join is council run.
That’s basically what you need to start, unfortunately there are some expenses you will have to cover yourself, at the very least I would estimate up to $500 (if you have substantial changes to make to your home or other unexpected major out of pocket cost)
Otherwise you are looking at around the $200-$300 range to start a fdc which is not a huge amount to begin a small business from home.
If you a really frugal you may even be able to spend less than $200.
I would also recommend new fdc educators open their business at the start of the financial year, as opposed to the calendar year
If you have any questions feel free to ask!
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