In Venue Care services show us how flexible and quality early learning can meet the needs of families in regional communities.
On this page:
In Venue Care is a type of Family Day Care (FDC). Children are cared for by an educator at a venue other than the educator's home.
Willi Wag Tails Family Day Care runs FDC services in regional WA. Two of their In Venue Care services are located in Beverely and Northam, around 2 hours’ drive from Perth.
The Beverley service operates from the local community resource centre and the Northam services operate from the town’s recreation centre.
Regional In Venue Care services likes these benefit families by removing long travel distances. Distance can be a barrier to accessing early childhood education and care (ECEC) in regional areas.
Northam In Venue Care service
Beverley In Venue Care service
Educators at the services understand the community and the relationships within it.
Connections with families are central to the services’ success – families see educators as day-to-day support networks.
Maryka is an educator at the Beverley service.
“We are an extended part of the child’s family,” she said, sharing how fulfilling her work feels.
Maryka lives by Nelson Mandela’s famous words, “Education is the most powerful weapon to change the world”. This belief underpins her commitment to early learning and the impact it can have on children’s future.
Manager of Willi Wag Tails Family Day Care Service, Sharon (left), with Educator Maryka (right) from registered service Fun 2 b Kids in Beverley.
In Venue Care services show how a personalised and small-group approach to learning can positively impact children’s emotional, social and educational development.
Parents can also return to work knowing their child is in a supportive environment.
Sharon describes their work to educate the next generation as rewarding and powerful. She recognises the benefits that quality ECEC provides to families and regional communities.
Sharon at Beverley In Venue Care
Sharon recognises that training and retaining quality educators is key to delivering care in regional communities.
She uses her experience, connections and networks to help provide accessible pathways for aspiring educators and to help retain local ECEC educators. This includes through various local regional councils and the Narrogin and Northam TAFE.
Sharon also provides support and mentors newly qualified Certificate III educators to work in Family Day Care.
This collaboration is building a pipeline of ECEC workers in these regional areas, to enable continuing care for families.
With continued government support and stakeholder collaboration across the sector, ECEC in regional areas can continue to adapt and grow to respond to increasing demand.
In Venue Care is a powerful example of what’s possible when innovation meets genuine community need, delivering real impact where it matters most.