Why Outside School Hours Care is still a critical part of your child’s day
As most Australian families continue to navigate the ever-changing requirements for COVID-19, the need for Outside School Hours Care can be more important than ever before. We’re just stepping into our third year of the pandemic and, despite doing everything we can to prepare for the next unprecedented event, some things continue to be out of our control.
So, how can Outside School Hours Care support your child’s development?
Social development
In Australia, every Outside School Hours Care program is created in conjunction with the National Quality Framework and My Time, Our Place, which are both created and supplied by the Department of Education. Educators use these frameworks to guide the educational activities they provide to best develop children’s social skills, preparing them for when they grow older and enter society. Some of these social skills include:
Interacting with care, empathy, and respect
Respecting diversity, fairness, and the environment
Confident and involved learners
Collaborate with others and express ideas
Develop transferrable skills
Take responsibility for their own health and emotional/physical wellbeing.
Hybrid work model
The pandemic has certainly challenged how businesses approach the traditional workday. Where the norm was once to be office-bound from Monday to Friday, from 9.00 am until 5.00 pm, we are now experiencing the benefits of greater flexibility and a hybrid work model.
While this has many advantages, it can add stress before and after school as parents juggle virtual meetings and deadlines while their children require care and entertainment.
The benefits of using Outside School Hours Care are exponential, particularly when being a parent itself is a full-time job. Children require a lot of attention especially if they are alone and don’t have others to interact with – except for their parents, of course.
Outside School Hours Care allows parents to confidently know that their child is in a safe, supportive, and fun environment, so they can focus on completing their tasks for work or home uninterrupted.
Life skills
There are plenty of opportunities for children to learn valuable life skills when participating in daily routines and planned or spontaneous activities. Outside School Hours Care provides the opportunity for children to learn about cooking food, cleaning, taking care of the environment, and extending on what’s taught in a traditional classroom setting (physical education, problem-solving, experimentation, hypothesising, and so much more).
FUN!
Finally, and most importantly, Outside School Hours Care is FUN. It gives children the opportunity to extend their time spent with their friends regularly – kind of like a before or after-school play date! It’s also a safe environment for them to explore their creativity, find out what they enjoy, and do it while having a good time with their friends.
We are proud to have partnered with Junior Adventures Group, which delivers vibrant, stimulating Outside School Hours Care services via their brands, OSHClub, Helping Hands Network, and Primary OSHCare across Australia.