Navigating early childhood education options

Choosing an early education setting for your child can feel daunting, especially if you are unsure what to look for. 

There is a lot to consider, from the centre's quality to logistics (e.g., how close it is to home). Every early education setting will have different teaching methods, and understanding their features, benefits, and potential flaws can help you make an informed decision. Learn more about these different options and how understanding the environment, teaching methods, and culture in an early learning environment can help you make decisions. 

Early education options

Centre-based care

Centre-based care includes various options, including long daycare, occasional daycare, preschools, and kindergartens. These centres employ qualified early childhood educators who deliver structured learning and development programs to all children in the room/centre. These programs are designed to fit within a daily routine that can be adjusted to meet your child's specific needs.

Centre-based care offers children a structured routine that balances educational activities and playtime. Children are regularly given opportunities to play and interact with each other, which can help children with autism develop their social skills. Centre-based care centres are usually staffed by multiple qualified educators who can offer supervision and different teaching and support styles.

Centre-based care is a popular early education option, meaning waiting lists can be long. Starting your search and registering your child as early as possible is necessary to avoid missing out. For some children, the large size of centre-based care centres can make it difficult for educators to deliver the individualised attention they might require. 

Family-based care 

Family-based care, also known as family daycare, involves an approved educator caring for your child in their own home. The educator will provide a learning and development programme, along with opportunities for play and socialisation with other children. 

Family daycares are usually smaller than early learning centres and will support fewer children each day. These quieter environments can be more suitable for some children and families. There can also be more flexibility in family daycare around hours of operation, learning activities and playtime opportunities than in centre-based care, as it is easier to adapt programs for smaller numbers of children. 

However, if a primary educator in a family daycare setting is unavailable, there may not be another educator who can step in, meaning you might need to find an alternative option at short notice (which is often very difficult). Although there are opportunities for play as there are in centre-based care, they may not be as frequent or varied, and a child will not get the opportunity to interact with as many children. 

In Home Care

In Home care (IHC) involves a qualified early childhood educator providing care within the family home. IHC is only available to families who cannot access centre-based or family-based care, including families with children who have complex or significant support needs. Other families that may be eligible for IHC include families in remote areas and families where carers have irregular or variable work hours and have no other suitable option for childcare. 

Children who receive in-home care can benefit from one-on-one attention from a qualified and experienced educator who can tailor activities to suit a child’s abilities, preferences and support needs. It also offers more flexibility in hours of operation and learning activities than early education delivered outside of the home. Staying in the comfort and familiarity of their own home can also benefit some children navigating early learning. 

Although in-home care involves completing learning activities, the programme is less formal and structured, which may not benefit some children. Opportunities to interact with other young children or complete certain activities are also not possible in this model, meaning families will need to arrange social events and activities for their child in their own time, which can be challenging to do alongside other commitments or if you live in a remote area. 

Informal care

Informal care involves a family member, friend, nanny, au pair, or babysitter looking after your child in your own home. The carer/s usually do not follow a structured learning or development programme but are still responsible for supervising your child and keeping them safe, happy, and entertained, for example, by playing games.

Informal care can be used when formal childcare options or a child’s regular provider is unavailable or does not meet a family’s needs. Many families whose child attends centre-based/family-based childcare also use informal care on occasion. For example, if a child’s parents have to attend a childfree event in the evening, their child or children might be looked after by relatives such as grandparents, a family friend or a paid babysitter. 

Informal care can be a great way for autistic children to develop familiarity and relationships with their relatives or other important figures in their lives. It can also mean the child stays in the family home, which can be much more comforting. However, informal care does not involve structured learning and teaching and is more a source of supervision and entertainment for young children. 

Other considerations

Before researching specific early education providers, consider what you are looking for in an early learning service. Every family’s needs, values, preferences, and expectations are different in every early learning setting. Understanding what you want and need can help make the search for an early education provider less overwhelming.

Public or private - what is the difference?

In Australia, families can choose between public and private early education providers. Public early education is governed and managed by the relevant state or territory education department, while independent organisations or groups usually govern private early education. Here are the other key differences:

Access and enrolment

The access and enrollment procedures are additional factors that set apart public preschools from private preschools. Public childcare centres typically enrol students based on geographic location, with preference given to children living within the school's catchment area. However, this can lead to waiting lists, particularly in high-demand areas. 

Private childcare centres have their own enrolment criteria, which may include factors such as religious affiliation, sibling priority, or a first-come, first-served basis. These schools might attract families seeking specific educational philosophies, smaller class sizes, or particular extracurricular offerings.

Curriculum

Public centres follow a curriculum set by the relevant state or territory education department, creating a consistent education standard across the public system. Private centres, however, have greater flexibility in the curriculum they offer. This gives private childcare providers more flexibility in tailoring their educational activities.

The educational focus and philosophy can also vary. Public childcare is designed to provide a broad and inclusive early childhood education, ensuring all children can access foundational learning experiences. Private childcare, meanwhile, may offer specialised programs, such as bilingual education, religious education, or alternative education approaches such as Montessori or Steiner. 

Facilities and resources

Facilities and resources can differ between public and private early education providers. Access to different resources in public childcare centres often depends on government funding and the socio-economic status of the area. Private childcare providers may have more varied and extensive facilities, as higher fees and additional resources are available.  

Funding and fees

Public early education is funded and operated by state or territory governments, which means that most of their operating costs are covered by government funding. This often results in lower fees for families, and in some instances, public childcare may even be free or charge only a nominal fee. 

Private early education is managed by independent organisations such as religious institutions, community groups, or others. These centres rely primarily on tuition fees paid by families, donations, and sometimes limited government subsidies, meaning they charge higher fees than public providers.

Making a decision

Once you have identified what you are looking for from an early education setting, you can look into options and availabilities. If you are interested in using a centre-based or family-based care service, here are some strategies you can use to determine if the centre is right for your child and your family:

Ask questions

Asking plenty of questions about an early learning service is well within your rights and will help you make an informed decision. A good early education provider will answer your questions promptly and professionally and will take your concerns seriously. 

Preparing the questions you want to ask in advance can be helpful. Here are some suggestions to help you get started:

• Does your centre have experience educating children with autism?
• Are there policies and procedures in place to support autistic children?
• Are educators formally trained in supporting children with autism?
• Does the centre provide resources and equipment designed to support autistic children (e.g., visual schedules, activity and emotion cards)?
• Are educators willing to incorporate a child’s interests into their learning, especially if the child is on the autism spectrum?
• Does the centre have experience setting learning goals that reflect the strengths and support needs of autistic children?

It is helpful to ask about the educator-to-child ratio across rooms, the centre’s safety policies, and how it handles emergencies. You might also like to ask about the educators' qualifications in the setting. 

Visit multiple settings

Arrange visits to various early education settings to get a firsthand look at the environment, interact with the educators, and observe the children. This will give you a better sense of which setting feels right for your child. It also allows you to ask questions face-to-face, which might be quicker than communicating via phone or email.

When visiting a centre-based or family-based care provider, look for features that keep the environment safe, secure, hygienic and child-friendly, such as gates preventing access to roads or carparks or child-proof locks on cabinets.

Speak to other parents and carers

Look for online reviews and recommendations from families, or speak to other parents whose children attend the same setting. Their feedback and insights can be invaluable in helping you to understand the strengths and weaknesses of different early education options.  

Consider long-term needs

Consider your child's long-term development and how the chosen setting will support their growth. Important considerations include how a provider will work with early intervention professionals supporting your child and how they will support you and your child in their transition to primary school. 

Consider a trial period

Consider arranging a trial period to see how your child adjusts to the new setting. This can provide valuable insights into whether the environment is a good fit.

Trust your instincts

Pay attention to your gut feelings. It may be worth exploring other options if something doesn't feel right or you don’t feel that the early learning service has your child’s best interests in mind.

Tap on the buttons below to learn more about the different early education options in each Australian state and territory: