The Benefits of Occasional Child Care

Occasional child care is different to long day care. It is centred on creating an individualised, nurturing experience for your child and with qualified, passionate staff. At Balwyn Community Centre Child Care, we offer short, flexible sessions that can be purchased on a casual or term-by-term basis. The group of children in any one session is small and we have passionate staff who have worked with us for a long time. Compared to long day care, Occasional Care takes a more personable approach to child care. You can feel better knowing that your child is safe and being well cared for.

For parents, the flexible hours of Occasional Care allows them to meet work-related and non-work-related commitments. It also gives mums and dads a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of being a parent! During those few precious hours of Occasional Care you might choose to clean the house, run errands, attend a doctor’s appointment, or even have your hair done. Regardless of what you choose do, the short break that comes with Occasional Care can do wonders for your health and wellbeing.

Our Sunsmart Policy

We are a SunSmart child care centre! It is important that your child is protected from the sun when they are in our care. Although our outdoor area provides adequate shade for the group to play in on a warm day, we like to make sure each child is optimally protected. In terms 1 and 4 it can get very hot in Melbourne. We recommend that during these terms, you apply sunscreen to your child’s face and any exposed skin and that you pack a SunSmart hat in their backpack.

Follow these 4 steps to protect your child from the sun: 

1. During term 1 and 4, all children are required to wear a hat which protects the face, neck and ears (legionnaire, broad- brimmed or bucket hats) when they are outside. Please pack it with them in their backpack.
2. During term 1 and term 4, children are required to wear loose fitting clothing when outside. Clothing must cover as much skin as possible. Tops with elbow length sleeves, collars and knee length or longer style shorts and skirts are best. Please note, singlet tops do not offer enough protection and are therefore not recommended. Thongs, flip flops and sandals are not allowed.
3. All parents are responsible for applying at least SPF 30+ sunscreen to their child, during the summer months and daylight saving months. This must be applied 20 minutes before attending the Centre. Sunscreen will then be reapplied every two hours while children are in the sun.

If you wish for your child to wear a hat at any time during term 2 and term 3, please provide a hat and let the staff know. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

When Your Child is Sick

Balwyn Community Centre Child Care is unable to cater for sick children. If your child is clearly unwell in the morning and would not be able to join in the day’s activities, such as going outside or playing with other children, then they should not attend child care. As well, if your child becomes sick at the Centre you will be asked to collect your child. If a person or emergency contact is unavailable, the staff person in charge has the right and authority to seek medical attention if necessary.

Please do not send your child to the Centre with infectious/contagious diseases. If your child develops an infectious condition it is advised that you seek treatment from your family doctor before returning to occasional care. Infectious/contagious conditions can include: conjunctivitis, gastro-enteritis, intestinal worms or head lice.

It is very important that we keep our Centre a healthy and safe place for your child. If your child is sick, please let them rest at home.

Packing a Healthy Lunch

It is important that your child has enough energy to help them get through the day. A healthy and nutritious lunch will set them on the right path to get the most out of their day. But what is a healthy lunch? It’s not our place to give specific dietary advice. But we do advise that parents look to the Australian Guide for Healthy Eating for guidance.

We ask that your child bring a piece of fruit (any fruit) for the communal morning tea platter. Our staff cut the fruit up and your child can choose which piece they wish to eat. We often find that fussy eaters and children who do not like to eat fruit at home will eat fruit at morning tea. They see their friends tucking in and enjoying their piece and decide that they want some fruit too!

Lunch is a social event for the children! At 12pm they sit at the table and eat together. Your child will be given what you have packed in their lunchbox (please note that they will only be given to eat what you have packed for them). Our staff have found that children will quite happily eat healthy food, but will often choose less healthy food if it is an option. Healthy eating habits are easier to model if all of the children are doing the same thing.