As most Australian families continue to navigate the ever-changing requirements for COVID-19, the need for Outside School Hours Care can be more important than ever before. We’re just stepping into our third year of the pandemic and, despite doing everything we can to prepare for the next unprecedented event, some things continue to be out of our control.
So, how can Outside School Hours Care support your child’s development?
Social development
In Australia, every Outside School Hours Care program is created in conjunction with the National Quality Framework and My Time, Our Place, which are both created and supplied by the Department of Education. Educators use these frameworks to guide the educational activities they provide to best develop children’s social skills, preparing them for when they grow older and enter society. Some of these social skills include:
- Interacting with care, empathy, and respect
- Respecting diversity, fairness, and the environment
- Confident and involved learners
- Collaborate with others and express ideas
- Develop transferrable skills
- Take responsibility for their own health and emotional/physical wellbeing.
Hybrid work model
The pandemic has certainly challenged how businesses approach the traditional workday. Where the norm was once to be office-bound from Monday to Friday, from 9.00 am until 5.00 pm, we are now experiencing the benefits of greater flexibility and a hybrid work model.
While this has many advantages, it can add stress before and after school as parents juggle virtual meetings and deadlines while their children require care and entertainment.
The benefits of using Outside School Hours Care are exponential, particularly when being a parent itself is a full-time job. Children require a lot of attention especially if they are alone and don’t have others to interact with – except for their parents, of course.
Outside School Hours Care allows parents to confidently know that their child is in a safe, supportive, and fun environment, so they can focus on completing their tasks for work or home uninterrupted.
Life skills
There are plenty of opportunities for children to learn valuable life skills when participating in daily routines and planned or spontaneous activities. Outside School Hours Care provides the opportunity for children to learn about cooking food, cleaning, taking care of the environment, and extending on what’s taught in a traditional classroom setting (physical education, problem-solving, experimentation, hypothesising, and so much more).
FUN!
Finally, and most importantly, Outside School Hours Care is FUN. It gives children the opportunity to extend their time spent with their friends regularly – kind of like a before or after-school play date! It’s also a safe environment for them to explore their creativity, find out what they enjoy, and do it while having a good time with their friends.
We are fortunate to be in a position where we can further support a child’s creative journey by sourcing resources to make this a reality within the Outside School Hours Care space. Whether children wish to explore craft, science, sport, technology, cooking, or music, we will do everything we can to ensure we are giving them the tools they require to succeed.
If this hasn’t convinced you to use Outside School Hours Care to your advantage, we highly recommend you come into one of our services to take a look yourself. We also encourage enrolling your child to prepare for the possibility that you may need us one day. Enrolling is a simple, free process and gives you the option if an emergency were to occur. If you do decide to attend our Outside School Hours Care programs, we look forward to welcoming your family into our community!