Inner West Family Day Care Educators

Last Saturday, the Inner West Family Day Care team came together for a day of learning, connection and recognition. The session was described as informative (covering updates on sector reforms), supportive and a great chance to catch up with fellow educators and the management team.

As part of the day, the team also marked International Women’s Day by recognising the remarkable contribution of Family Day Care educators, all of whom run their own home-based education and care businesses.

Family Day Care has operated for more than 50 years as a trusted alternative to centre-based child care, and we are proud to acknowledge the following educators who have provided this vital service to Inner West families for so many years:

⭐Robyn O’Neill – 35 years
⭐Amanda Costa – 33 years
⭐Candida Ribeiro – 30 years
⭐Noura Azzi – 25 years
⭐Fatima Araujo – 20 years
⭐Marina Ferreira – 15 years
⭐Haydi Mico – 8 years
⭐Sonia Vicario – 5 years

Family Day Care places available in Croydon Park – 2026 🌿
Right near Croydon Park Public School, local Family Day Care educator Rebecca Tell me a Story Family Day Care is welcoming new families into a warm, real home environment where children can learn, play, grow and feel truly at home.
Rebecca builds positive relationships with families and works with the Early Years Learning Framework, blending gentle, nurturing care with thoughtful, play-based learning that includes Indigenous perspectives. With small groups and a 1:4 ratio, every child receives the time, attention and care they deserve.
Council run, trusted and deeply connected to the local community.
📞 Contact: 02 9392 5604
📧 [email protected] Tell me a Story Family Daycare

🌟 Family Day Care Vacancies for 2026! 🌟

Looking for a warm, homely learning environment for your little one next year? Our Family Day Care educators offer small groups in a home environment.

📞 Call our office on 9392 5604 to chat with our team and find the perfect match for your family.

The Elsa Project 🌸

Today we paused to admire the Jacaranda trees in bloom across our community. When asked what they were called, Lucy (age 4) said, “It’s an Elsa tree!” When I asked why she called it an Elsa tree, she replied,
“Because it’s so pretty and sparkling.” ✨

Moments like this remind us to slow down and connect with the beauty around us — this is the heart of place-based learning in the EYLF.

This experience sparked a conversation with the educators, and together we thought it would be a wonderful idea for a project — we named it .

E – Explore
L – Look
S – Stop
A – Appreciate

The Elsa Project: noticing our world with wonder. 💭

📸 Join — post a photo of a Jacaranda tree if you see one in your community.

Congratulations to all the educators who received an Excellence in Family Day Care Award 2025!

Congratulations to Inner West Family Day Care and the Magic Yellow Bus for 50 years of service in the community 🙌

Storytime Goes Digital at Renata’s Family Day Care 🎧

Renata’s Family Day Care has recently introduced audiobooks into their program – and the children are loving it! 🌟

Listening to stories together helps children:
-Build strong listening and comprehension skills
-Grow a love of language and storytelling
-Spark imagination and creativity
-Explore new places and ideas through sound

Audiobooks are the perfect addition for quiet moments, rest time, or even to spark new conversations after play. At Renata’s FDC, stories are everywhere – in bookst, in play, and now through the magic of audio.

We've recently added audio books to curriculum. The children follow the story being read on CD player with the matching printed book. They listen carefully for the signal to turn the page.

Miss M likes to press the repeat button on the audio player at the end of the story. She calls it "the snake story" and is keen to show her friends today. I can hear her reading along in some sections. She's listened to it so many times already that she's already memorised some of the sentences.

These audio books used to be a given once upon a time. These days they're really hard to source. If anyone knows of a more modern version perhaps, I'd be happy to find out. The ones we have are CD's with matching Story Book.

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☀️ Out and About with Pam’s Family Day Care ☀️

Pam and the children from her Family Day Care enjoyed exploring their local community this week. With the perfect weather on their side, shared conversations, and connected with the world around them.

Exploring the community gives children real-life experiences, builds confidence, and deepens their sense of belonging.

That’s the beauty of Family Day Care learning happens everywhere, every day! 💛