Generations of local children have been nurtured through North Sydney's Family Day Care scheme, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
For five decades, Family Day Care has supported working families through its model of providing quality childcare and education in educators' homes.
North Sydney Mayor Zoë Baker said:
"Family Day Care has become a trusted and beloved part of the North Sydney community, nurturing generations of children over the past half-century.
"Even through challenging times such as funding cuts, the Covid pandemic and childcare staff shortages, it has flourished into one of the most successful and reputable Family Day Care schemes in Sydney."
The journey began in 1974 when North Sydney was selected as one of three pilot sites for Family Day Care in Australia, alongside Ashfield and Waverley, after a childcare survey highlighted a pressing need within our community.
With support from the Federal Government, North Sydney Council launched this pioneering program, led by Alderman Carole Baker. A passionate advocate for children and families, Baker expressed confidence in the scheme, correctly predicting it would resonate across Sydney and beyond.
Family Day Care quickly outgrew its initial home – a single room at the McMahons Point Baby Health Centre. In July 1974 Council purchased a historic cottage at 96 Bank Street, which has been the heart of Family Day Care operations since.
"The cottage at 96 Bank Street has seen it all – 50 years of children's laughter, educators sharing ideas and support, and high-quality childcare on this site," Mayor Baker added.
By October 1974, just six months after launching, the scheme had 25 'baby minders' (as they were then called) responsible for two or three children each, earning $20 per week per child. Diana Dasey, the first carer, described it as a "labour of love".
Today these carers, now called educators, must have specific qualifications, receive ongoing professional support from Council, and are subject to spot checks and assessments from the Department of Education.
With 16 educators serving over 110 children, the service continues to offer affordable, high-quality care in a homely environment, with staff and educators who are equally as passionate and caring as back in the 1970s when it all began. Here's to many more years of quality family care in North Sydney, nurturing, educating and fostering a sense of family for generations to come.
