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This week we introduce you to TASK (The After School Klub) an outside school hours care service operating in the high demand area of Sydney's Inner West. TASK was set up by local parents, Madi Morrison and Suzanne who identified an unmet demand for after school care and were able to plug that gap.
What is your full name (please include any nicknames you have been christened with by the children) and age?
Our full name is The After School Klub or TASK. Children who attend our sessions are called TASKers. We had our first birthday last week and boy are we growing up fast.
Which centre do you work in? How many staff and children are in the centre?
TASK operates at two primary schools in the afternoons - Stanmore Public and Wilkins Public and there are 170 children attending from K-6 TASK every week. We have 60 TASKers at Stanmore and 110 at Wilkins. On any one afternoon we have between 2 and 4 staff. TASK also runs holiday programs for primary-school aged children.
What is your professional background and career experience?
The TASK team comprises a variety of work and cultural backgrounds. Our staff includes teachers, experienced childcare workers, students of education and other child-related activities such as pediatric physiotherapy, visual and creative arts, drama, music, sports, health & fitness, even languages!
What attracted you to a career in child care?
The need for extra help for families in two areas:
- getting homework done before children arrive home AND
- accessing convenient on-site after school activities in a safe and friendly environment
What does a 'normal' day look like for you?
TASK begins just before 3pm on weekday afternoons. We start by collecting and marking children off according to the attendance roll, and then everyone has afternoon tea prepared by the school canteen. From 3-4pm, TASKers eat and play – fresh air and an energy release after sitting in classrooms most of the day.
From 4-4.45 (earlier if the weather is not suitable for outside activities), TASKers are required to have "quiet time" in whichever space allocated to us. This is the time when all children complete their home readers, online activities and other homework tasks set by their teachers. If there are no set tasks to be done, TASK has an array of educationally-based activities they can use. They are required to spend this time doing something related to their learning.
After 4.45 TASKers either return outside for more fresh air and play or remain inside and do creative activities - craft, colouring, art along with other games, puzzles, activities to help them develop co-operation, fine and gross motor skills as well as having fun!
What makes your centre unique?
TASK is a new initiative. We are a mobile service operating at schools which require additional afternoon activities and for families looking to use afternoons for homework completion to free up family time after 6pm.
The TASK team is made up of a mix of ages, cultural backgrounds, experiences and interests. TASK aims to be a "hometime" option for families who need extra hours after school - we are not a tutoring service, but we do provide a space and setting in which children get their homework completed as well as allowing them to be children.
TASK aims to work alongside all other providers of activities based at schools as well getting involved in any existing goings-on - such as the gardens at Stanmore and Wilkins and the kitchen at Stanmore.
TASK uses existing facilities at school that would otherwise go unused and we make contributions to the school to help with their additional funding needs.
We cater for children with allergy and food concerns, health issues such as diabetes and asthma.
We have a staff to TASKer ratio of 1:8 to ensure there are enough hands to support all the children in completing their homework.
We are flexible – TASK aims to adapt to the needs of schools and families. We work in whatever space is available (with some basic requirements such as bathroom access and tables and chairs). We offer casual as well as permanent positions and we provide discounts for multiple sessions and siblings.
What are some of the advantages of working in the child care sector?
Helping families and getting to know the TASKers – their personalities, their interests, even their foibles! The team enjoys watching TASKers make friends across all schools years and developing broad interests from our fabulous staff. TASK directors and the team are enjoying becoming a meaningful and committed part of the school community - there is a continual demand for more places, so it's nice to be able to provide solutions for children, schools, families and a casual workforce.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing the child care sector?
One of the biggest challenges in our particular sector is being able to access appropriate physical space for our programs. For example, school halls and libraries, public halls and buildings. There are limitations placed on after school activities by government regulations which demand outside space and child ratios that restrict how many children can be in a space and these are tied to accessing government rebates, so it makes affordability for parents more difficult. The other challenge is getting the word out to those who don't know about us – communicating what TASK does and how we can help to those in the broader community.
How has your service changed to deal with these challenges?
TASK attempts to meet these challenges with a collaborative approach – to try to sit down with those who make decisions and discuss how a solution that helps all parties achieve their goals.
How does the industry need to change to adapt to these challenges?
Those operating in the after school area would all benefit from more collaboration with each other. There are so many families needing help with this and sharing the spaces, communication and informing the community about the options would help everyone operating in this sector as well as taking pressure from families.
TASK believes that government regulation needs to support the use of community and school facilities and make it a priority for those offering after school options for families. Additionally, the reduction of limitations on space: child ratios and recognising the value of a workforce which includes a mix of qualifications and experiences would be very beneficial for providers, children and families.
What advice would you offer someone thinking about a career or looking for a promotion in child care?
Those wishing to get a career in this area should look to study the required qualifications while also getting casual or part-time experience with as many types of children and services as possible. You must genuinely like hanging out with children and have patience and a sense of humour! The more experience you have with children, the more knowledge you gain on how to be an effective worker - in both a fun sense and in keeping them safe (and doing their homework!)
Final word
TASK was started by two parents who felt a need to assist families in two areas:
- to reduce the stress in the household caused by parents having to find time for homework after work or other activities when everyone is tired and other functional things (like eating and bathing) also need to happen!
- To help open up more convenient & school-based options for busy families
We both work and between us we have 6 children who do netball, rugby, cricket, soccer, art, ice-skating, violin, guitar, tennis, drama, choir, AFL, swimming and touch footy. They also get their homework done!
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