What Is The Average Cost Of Belfield Childcare Services?

 It is unfortunate that many parents enrol their children in Belfield childcare centres without really taking to study the actual costs of childcare in this area. As a result, many end up paying much more than they should. Others fall for cheap options that do not necessarily provide the care that is required.

It is therefore important to know how childcare services are priced. You probably noticed that price tags vary from one provider to the other. In this article, we discuss the several factors you should be aware of that affect the price of childcare in Belfield. They include:

Services Provided 

Before you enrol your child in a childcare centre, first list down the kind of activities that you would want your child to be engaged in. 

Top Belfield childcare providers usually have well-thought programs and activities that harness the growth and development of our child. Some centres will provide food, snacks, transportation, among other things. 

The services and activities you choose ultimately influence the total amount you will pay for childcare in Belfield.

Location

Childcare cost is also determined by the distance between your home/work and the location of the Belfield childcare facility you select. If you let the centre do the pick-up and drop off, expect the cost to be higher or lower depending on where you will want your child picked and dropped off.

That aside, centres that are located nearer to a city tend to cost higher. Land and property prices drop as you move further away from the city, and vice versa. So expect a centre that is near your home to be relatively affordable compared to one that is near your workplace (if you work in the city).

Staff To Children Ratio

According to the Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), the educator to child ratio should be between 1:5 and 1:10, depending on your child's age. The reason for this is to ensure that your children’s needs are well catered for. 

A Belfield childcare centre that goes beyond the recommended ratios to ensure your child is well looked after may charge higher than one that follows the least ratio required. The higher charge is because they need funds to pay these staff. 

Your Child's Age

The age of your child influences the cost of childcare as well. Children between the ages of one to eight require different levels of attention and care. 

Toddlers most definitely require more attention. They need to be fed, potty trained, washed and even assisted in changing clothes. This gradually changes as they grow older and are able to do little activities for themselves. 

Because toddlers require more supervision than older children, Belfield childcare centres charge higher to take care of them. Which is great because it means they price their services based on the age of your child. This is to ensure they provide the correct and quality childcare that every child in their care needs.

Activities Offered 

Just like schools, childcare centres offer various other services other than the usual care or babysitting. You will find early childhood education in some centres. Others have indoor and outdoor games and some even include excursions in their programs. 

As you can guess, the number of activities and programs your child engages in determines the average cost of childcare. Every reputable Belfield Childcare centre provides programs that cater to the physical, social and cognitive needs of your child.

It is upon you to choose between a more fluid program with just care and play or a more educational based program that equips your child with numerical and literal skills. 

All these activities will influence the total price you pay for childcare in Belfield.

Child Care Subsidy

Ever heard of the ChildCare Subsidiary (CCS) fund? It is a program run by the Australian government to take care of part of your childcare fees. 

The amount of subsidy you receive depends on your total family income, what you do during your non-working hours, the number of children you put up for care and the type of services you want for your child.

Child Care Subsidy is also determined by the Belfield childcare centre that you choose. This is paid directly to the childcare centre. You will then pay the remaining balance.

Duration Of Operation

The number of hours your child spends in daycare determines how much you will pay. You can have them taken care of during the day, for half a day, after school hours and on holiday. Even though this varies from one facility to another, it is obvious that the longer your child spends in daycare, the higher the fee. 

Special requests such as childcare during holidays may also dig deeper into your wallet. Look for facilities offering long daycare as they are more accommodative when it comes to hours of operation. 

With all this knowledge, you now have a rough idea of the average fee to expect from a Belfield childcare centre. It is now up to you to find the potential candidates with the most competitive charges.