IT’S HERE – New Family Day Care to Open in Tieri!

Well folks, it’s finally here. With the support of Oaky Creek Coal and Enhance, Lisa Austin-Richards will be opening the doors to Ladybugs and Rugrats Family Day Care in early 2023!

We took the opportunity to chat to Lisa and Enhance to find out what you can expect.
Congratulations on this new venture Lisa.

Tell us a bit about yourself – how long have you lived in Tieri?
I’ve been living in Tieri for about four months now.

What’s your background – and what led you to apply to be an FDC Educator?

I have worked in large childcare centres for the last two years. I loved the work, and the children, but I felt it was hard to get to know each individual child and their personality, due to the large group setting. I enrolled my daughter in family day care and noticed how much she was thriving there and the close friendships she formed. It ignited my passion for family day care and the personalised attention the children receive. Being able to do a job I love and have my daughter with me every day is an absolute dream come true. Watching children grow, laugh and learn new skills fills me with an intense pride and joy I’ve never experienced in any other role.

What has the process been and what training have you
had to undergo?
I hold my Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care and am currently studying my Diploma of Early Childhood Education. I will be registering my Family Day Care service, Ladybugs and Rugrats Family Day Care, with Enhance Family Day Care as the Approved Provider. The process of becoming a Family Day Care Educator involves an interview, background checks and certifications, as well as physical checks of your home environment to make sure it meets legal requirements.

Where will you be located?
Gemini Street, Tieri

What can families and children expect from your FDC?
I will be providing a flexible and fun play-based learning environment that is guided by each child’s interests. We will enjoy plenty of outdoor play, providing experiences for the children to explore and care for their natural environment; even growing our own vegetables and herbs!

When will you open for business?
The anticipated opening of Ladybugs and Rugrats Family Day Care will be the second half of January 2023.

What will your opening hours be?
Opening hours will be determined by the needs of our community and will be clearer once families make a formal expression of interest to enrol their child/ren, over the coming weeks. Standard care during the day will be offered for children under school age, and before and after school care, and vacation care will also be offered to school age children. Overnight care may also be offered. There may be a mix of permanent and casual places depending on availability.

What’s the application process for parents looking to secure a spot for their child?
I will be managing a wait list for families. If you are interested in a space for your child, please contact me on 0402 687 054, or send me a message via Facebook Messenger Ladybugs and Rugrats | Facebook. When the house is ready for me to move in, interested families will be able to book a visit to come with their children and see where we will play, learn, rest and eat.

How many children will you be able to look after?
I can care for up to three children under school age and three school-aged children
per day. A total of seven children, including my daughter.

What are you most excited about?
Opening my own Family Day Care has been a passion of mine for many years and I cannot wait to see the children grow, play and thrive together. There is something special about hearing children laugh, play and be completely carefree. Ladybugs and Rugrats Family Day Care will be a space where children feel safe, warm and loved.

How would you describe your approach to Early Childhood Education and Care?
It is important to me to foster the children’s independence and encourage them to explore the environment and experiences in their own way. Seeing a child be creative and use things in unexpected ways is one of the best parts of working as an Educator. I like to have open-ended games and invitations to play set up for the children and watch how they choose to use the resources. To adults, a pot is something we cook with, but to a child it can be a hat, shoe, drum, hiding space and anything else their growing minds can think of. I also combine learning experiences together, such as literacy with arts and crafts. For example, by having playdough cutters in the shape of letters and numbers on the playdough table, we can talk together about the letters they are using, which may then lead to making their own letters from the dough by rolling and cutting, or to counting rhymes, or singing the alphabet. So many skills and ideas to explore!

What do you hope your Family Day Care will offer to the families and children of Tieri?
Children deserve a space where they have control over their environment and what they do and that is exactly what I am hoping to provide. A space where children can learn to be independent thinkers and make decisions about their day. A place where families feel welcome and secure, knowing their children are building relationships as they learn and play.

Anything else you think the Tieri community should know?
I am extremely passionate about providing a safe space for children to grow and
learn. I believe it is something every child should experience.

It’s been a journey to get FDC set up in Tieri – tell us about the Enhance process and what’s been happening behind the scenes to get Lisa up and running?
Working with the Glencore Oaky Creek staff has been wonderful! Together we have been able to identify ideal housing options and any necessary modifications to meet requirements. Our Enhance Recruitment Officer, Peta Fitzpatrick, has taken Lisa through the onboarding process, with a virtual interview, regular phone and email support, and a collection of required documents throughout the process, including Blue Card, Police Check and references.

OCC HR Manager, Paul Gardner, Environment and Community Manager, Joel May, took Lisa and her beautiful daughter, and Peta on a virtual tour of the house. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to all meet. Through this virtual visit, a meeting with Glencore and Cathy Cahill, General Manager Children’s Services at Enhance Family Day Care, and regular communication, we were able to discuss the process of registering Lisa as an Enhance Educator and set-up of the home ready to welcome new families and their children!

What support will Enhance be providing Lisa to ensure Tieri’s FDC is a success?
On an ongoing basis, Lisa will have Enhance Family Day Care Practice Mentor, Teneil Travers, to support her in her practice. This will involve physical visits by Teneil to see Lisa and the children, and hopefully meet some of Tieri’s families too!

There is also support via phone, email and Zoom/Microsoft Teams. Our administrative
staff are an additional support to both Lisa and families in relation to fees, Child Care Subsidy and other administrative matters.

We value connection for our Educators, particularly when living in more remote locations, and will connect Lisa with other Educators to ensure she can share ideas and have peers to talk with – and who knows – maybe even join with for future playgroups, should other Educators move to the area.

What makes a great FDC Educator and Family Day Care environment?
At Enhance Family Day Care, we value environments with flexible and natural resources that give children room to be creative in their play. A balance of open active areas, quiet restful nooks to read or watch the birds fly by, and spaces to explore a wide variety of interests, indoors and outdoors, is important for young children.

Connection to nature and care for the environment is an important part of teaching children about both future sustainability and the ancient history of this land.

An Educator who values children’s agency as experts in their own play and is there to provide resources to extend on that play – whether it be some tools, fabric, a watering can, a book, a magnifying glass or a question for a curious mind – is an Educator who understands the learning process. One who helps nurture children’s relationships, self-expression and identity, creates safe spaces of belonging for children and families.

Lisa has already proved to be a reflective and forward-thinking professional, committed to ongoing learning and very communicative. We are so looking forward to working with her as she provides this much needed service to the children and families of Tieri.

If anyone is interested in becoming an FDC Educator, where can they go for more information?
Please contact Peta Fitzpatrick, Enhance FDC Recruitment Officer, on 0447 127 137 or via email enhancerecruitment@fdcqld.org. She would love to speak with you about what is involved in becoming a Family Day Care Educator!

Anything else to add?
From the Enhance perspective, this has been a wonderful experience to see how working together can increase access to early childhood education and care for our rural and remote communities. This project is a shining example for other such ventures across Queensland. We cannot wait to see Lisa in action with Tieri’s children as they create, play and grow together