Taree Great Lakes Gloucester Five Star Family Day Care has been providing quality childcare in the manning Valley since 1980. The service is an accredited professional home based childcare scheme which covers a large geographic area reaching south to Bulahdelah inland to Booral up to Gloucester and back towards the coast through Nabiac, Failford, Tuncurry, Forster, Hallidays Point and north taking in Wingham, Taree and Suburbs, Lansdowne and Harrington.
The scheme is community based and is managed by a proactive management committee. The profile of the committee consists of service users, child care proffessionals (registered carers) and community members whom are elected at the Annual General Meeting.
The central administration office for the scheme is in Taree. All employees known as the co-ordination unit hold formal qualifications in early Childhood. The role of the co-ordination unit is to assist families make informed decisions in regard to childcare, support children in care, provide registered carers with information, resources and support to enable them to give children positive, fun, stimulating learning experiences.
To become a registered carer with the scheme there is a stringent selection criteria and orientation process before registration is complete. Ongoing professional support and resources are provided to registered carers through regular training sessions, home visits, playgroup sessions in three locations, phone support, toy library, community events and newsletters.
The scheme operates under NSW Children's services regulations 2004 and the National Childcare Accreditation system for Family Day Care schemes.
Taree Great Lakes Gloucester Five Star Family Day Care is sponsered by Child Care Services Taree & Districts Inc. The organisation also manages;
* In-Home Child Care Taree Great Lakes Gloucester - Care provided in the child's home for families who may not be able to access mainstream childcare for various reasons due to isolation, shift work, illness or multiple births.For children up to fifteen years of age.
* Brighter Futures - This is a state government initiative and is part of the Early Intevention Program. The service works in partnership with the Catholic Care Taree.
* Service Links - This is part of the Australian Government's Families Initiative under the Stronger Families stream. This project has three streams; Nutrition / Hearing / Transition. The service works in partnership with Mission Australia Taree.