When Belinda Robinson first decided to take the plunge and establish her own family daycare facility in Karridale, south of Margaret River, for a moment it may have seemed like an odd choice.
“At first I thought that was crazy because my background was Project Management,” Ms Robinson said of her first start in the town five years ago.
“We moved here from Adelaide 9 years ago and my son attended a wonderful family day care in Augusta.
“When the Karridale based family day care closed, someone suggested I should open one, I realised that if you put together how much I love children, how much I love creating a home and my love for administration, you get a pretty good candidate for a Family Day Care Educator!”
Ms Robinson said her biggest challenge has been educating the public on what family day care facilities are all about.
“We are a child care sector that operates under the same legislation and national quality framework as Child Care Centres,” she said.
“A licenced Family Day Care Educator will be affiliated with a Service Provider who will conduct regular audits of the premises, work closely to support the educator and process all Centrelink Child Care Benefits.”
“We are qualified educators who have police clearances, working with children checks, specialised senior first aid certificates and undertake regular training.”
Ms Robinson said her love for her own children as well as the kids she cares for is something inherent in her nature and she aims to use that instinct to develop a nurturing environment for local children.
“Blue-Belles has an amazing daily programme which is based on childrens interests; gone are the days of making children sit still on a mat whilst you count from 1 to 10.
“It is about taking the childs interest and expanding on that to incorporate learning opportunities.”
The centre caters to children from across the region and Ms Robinson said she owed much of her success to the support of those families from the area.
“I am so incredibly lucky to have and have had amazing families from Augusta, Karridale, Scott River, Witchcliffe, Margaret River and Cowaramup.
“I think what makes the families in this area so special is their respect and appreciation for my role in their children’s lives.
“Everyone is also very supportive of their children splashing in muddy puddles, playing in the sand and getting dirty!”
For more info visit www.facebook.com/BlueBellesFamilyDayCare/
Nicky Lefebvre
I am a journalist, photographer and content creator based in the beautiful Margaret River wine region, covering all aspects of our community including local news, sport, entertainment and events, as well as providing a platform for our readers to share their voices direct from regional Australia.
I am a journalist, photographer and content creator based in the beautiful Margaret River wine region, covering all aspects of our community including local news, sport, entertainment and events, as well as providing a platform for our readers to share their voices direct from regional Australia.
