BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE

AUGUST 29, 2024

Now’s a great time to spring into action and explore your childcare options for Q4 or 2025, and if you’re not sure where to start, then Only About Children is here to help.  

OAC has lots of quality campuses in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and they know how important it is to find that perfect childcare fit.  

Day after day, OAC provides early childhood education and care that little people are truly excited about, and to help you find a place your child will be keen to explore, learn and grow in, they recommend you do the following:  

1. Meet the educators 

The real magic in childcare happens with the educators, so it’s really important to spend time with the people who could make an amazing impact on your early learner.  

You’re looking for a team of educators who are not just trained, but also genuinely enthusiastic about nurturing young minds.  

And it’s good to know that OAC’s educators are continuously learning, bringing fresh, innovative ideas to make every day engaging for every child – including yours! 

2. Explore the spaces 

A quality early learning environment will ignite your child’s curiosity and creativity, so it’s important to step inside the centres you’ve favourited in your KindiCare search, and get a real feel for each place.  

When you tour potential centres, take a close look at how the spaces are set up and ask yourself questions, like ‘Are the learning spaces colourful and inviting?’ and ‘Do the outdoor play areas look like fun?’  

You’ll find that the answer is ‘Yes’ and ‘Yes’ when you visit an OAC centre, because each campus is carefully designed to be lively and inspiring for little ones. 

3. Enquire about the curriculum 

Great childcare goes way beyond basic care. and your perfect centre will offer a quality early learning program, designed to bring out your child’s full potential and set them up for future success.  

A great early learning program is one that’s interesting and age-appropriate, with a focus on play-based learning and lots of room for individualisation according to your child’s needs and interests.  

If you have a preschooler, it’s really important that they’re enrolled in a comprehensive school-readiness program, and OAC definitely has you covered! 

Their school-readiness program blends academic skills with social and emotional growth, and they also have strong connections with local schools to help ease your child’s transition to formal education. 

OAC also offers free vision screening for every child going to school, to ensure eyesight challenges don’t slip under the radar.   

4. Look for all-inclusive care 

Cost is obviously a consideration when you’re choosing that perfect childcare place, and although it’s important to look at the daily fee after Child Care Subsidy, you should also delve a little deeper and see what’s included in the fee.  

On this note, we’re happy to report that OAC’s all-inclusive model means there are no surprises.   

The daily fee includes everything your child needs to thrive, including essentials like nappies, sunscreen, incursions, excursions and more.  

OAC also serves seasonal and fresh, dietitian-designed meals, so you can be sure your child is getting nutritious, tasty food without the hassle of preparing and packing food yourself. 

5. Ask about development support 

Childcare should go beyond education to encompass the health and total wellbeing of your child, so spare for a thought for the kind of development support available, should your little one need it.  

For instance, OAC provides access to allied health professionals, such as Speech Therapists and Occupational Therapists, and their educators get to know each child very well, so they’re in a great position to notice potential issues and connect families with extra help if needed.  

6. Find flexible options 

Life is unpredictable, especially for us parents, so flexibility is key when choosing childcare.  

Your perfect childcare place will fit in with your family’s work, study and life; and OAC offers a range of options for different schedules – whether you need care for certain days, during school holidays, or on a casual basis.  

All of the above considerations will help you find that perfect childcare place, and if you’re searching for somewhere special, we recommend you check out Only About Children’s Spring Tour Week. 

The Spring Tour Week runs from 2 to 7 September, and OAC’s Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane campuses are opening their doors and inviting you in! 

You can book a tour at your preferred OAC centre on a day next week, including Thursday, 5 September from 5pm to 7pm. 

And walk-ins are very welcome between 9am and 12 noon on Saturday, 7 September. 

OAC has limited places available for 2024 and plenty for 2025, so this is a golden opportunity to apply the six tips above and find your family's perfect childcare fit.