Children's Festival

   Date: Sunday 26 October 2008
   Venue: Darvall Park, West Ryde
   Time: 10.00am to 2.00pm
   More information     

   The Ryde Local Government Area is home to approximately 40 preschools and long day care centres. 
 
   See below for suggestions on what to look for in a preschools and long day care centres. There is one family day care
   scheme covering the local government area, auspiced by Christian Community Aid, (02) 9858 3222.

   There are three occasional child care centres in the area, Gladesville, Eastwood and Top Ryde.

   There are also approximately 15 playgroups within the area.

   What is a Long Day Care Centre?
   Long Day Care Centres (LDCC) were developed primarily for working parents. In order to cater for working parents the majority
   of LDCCs provide a cooked lunch ensuring children receive 50% of their recommended daily intake of nutrients. They are
   required, by State Regulations, to be open a minimum of 48 weeks per year and open for more than eight hours per day.

   Aside from these factors that differentiate LDC from other forms of care, such as Preschool, there are very few other
   differences.

   All LDCCs observe individual children and program experiences for them that will help develop and consolidate children's
   development.

   There are State and Federal Government legal requirements that govern LDCCs.

   What is a Preschool?
   Preschools cater for children three to six years, i.e. the year or two before school begins. As in Long Day Care they offer a
   program based on the children's individual needs to consolidate and enhance the children's total developmental.

   Daily hours of operation and attendance per year usually coincide with those of State Schools. Please check with each
   individual centre.

   Each centre is also different when allocating days for children's attendance. They usually allocate either two or three days
   depending on the age of your child, what vacancies they have and when your child will be commencing school. Please check
   when making your enquiries.

   Preschools are also governed by State Legislation.

   Occasional Care
   Is an highly flexible centre based form of childcare and education. They cater for children aged 0 - 6 years for short periods of
   time when parents go to doctor's appointments, shopping, business activities etc.

   Playgroups
   Playgroups are designed to enable the parent/carer to attend, with their child/ren, for regular and informal gatherings. The
   playgroups are run by parents who establish, supervise and equip the groups and expect the parents/carers to participate
   fully. There is usually a joining fee then a daily or weekly fee. Most playgroups are members of the Playgroup Association of
   NSW. Playgroups can be accessed by children aged 0 - 5 years.

   Family Day Care
   Family Day Care is a flexible alternative to Long Day Care. The service is provided by registered carers in their own home and
   can be accessed by children 0 - 5 years. CCA employs a Co-ordinator and several Development Officers to support and assist
   all individual carers. They also screen all Caregivers and ensure the home environment meets Local and State Government
   Regulations.

   Choosing a Child Care Service
   Some points to consider:

• Is the location suitable?
• Does the centre's philosophy fit well with your own ideas and values?
• What experience and training do the staff have?
• How do they decide what experiences are offered each day?
• What are the fees?
• Are their opening hours appropriate?
• Most importantly, make sure you visit the service and that both you and your child feel comfortable.

   State Government Regulations and Licensing Procedures
   Department of Community Services Children's Services Advisors oversee all LDCC, Occasional Care and Preschools ensuring
   that centres are adhering to the required guidelines such as:

   Staff/Child Ratios
   0 - 2 years - 1:5
   2 - 3 years - 1:8
   3 - 5 years - 1:10
   Some centres will have more staff than regulations require, but less is a breach of licensing. Please ask the centre Director
   what the staff child ratio is.

   Qualified Staff
   Regulations also determine the number of trained staff required, again centres may have above this, please check when you
   call the centre.

Number of Children	Number of 3 Year Trained Teachers
0-29	0
30-39	1
40-59	2
60-79	3
80 and above	4