What is Vacation Care?

Are you looking for ways to keep your kids happy and entertained during the school holidays? With roughly 13-14 weeks of school holidays each year, not all working families can afford to take extended periods of time off to care for their kids during the break. That’s where vacation care comes in. 

Vacation care, also known as outside school hours care (OSHC), provides activity-based programs designed by qualified educators for children aged 5-12. These services are usually available before and after school during the school term while also providing all-day care on pupil free-days and during the school holidays.

So, if you’re considering vacation care for your little ones these holidays or in the future, here’s what you need to know about this style of education and care service.

Vacation care programs

Vacation care services operate from a number of different locations, including state schools, youth clubs and community centres. They can be operated by for-profit agencies or not-for-profit organisations like your local council, YMCA, PCYC or even church groups. 

If your child attends a school that offers a vacation care program, they’re not automatically guaranteed a spot at the service. These services are often operated separately from the school itself and are open to all children within the area, so you’ll need to apply for the program. 

What to expect at vacation care 

While operating hours depend on the service itself, most vacation care programs are open from 7:00am to 6:00pm during the week. 

Much like other childcare services, each vacation care program differs depending on the provider. However, they tend to have a much heavier emphasis on entertainment, play, socialising and recreational activities. Children will often have the option to participate in organised activities or enjoy some quiet time alone.

Many vacation care services also offer excursions, incursions and external activities. Excursions could involve a trip to a local theme park, cinema or bowling alley, or activities like rock climbing and bushwalking. Alternatively, some vacation care programs will invite local services, businesses or professionals to visit the centre to deliver hands-on experiences or entertainment for the children. Incursion activities can be sports or science-related, or they may even involve wildlife encounters, workshops and more.

These activities are usually planned in advance for each day of the school holiday period and published in a timetable. That way you can review the program with your child to see what activities they’d be interested in before booking them in. 

Other common vacation care activities include:

• Arts and crafts

• Baking and cooking

• Drama

• Dance

• Games

• Music

• Reading,

• Relaxation time, and 

• Sport

What to pack for vacation care

What you pack for your little one’s day at vacation care depends on what activities have been planned for the day. With this in mind, it’s always worth checking in with the vacation care provider to see what they’ll be needing. 

As a general guide, here’s a rough list of what to pack for a day at vacation care:

• If the meals aren’t provided by the vacation care service, you’ll need to pack a healthy morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and extra snacks. These should be packed into an insulated lunchbox or bag with a freezer brick to keep the food cold throughout the day,

• A refillable water bottle,

• A broad-brimmed hat and sunscreen if you’d prefer to provide your own,

• Sensible shoes (sneakers are usually preferred to sandals or thongs),

• A spare change of clothes, and

• Medications if required. 

Your child’s belongings should be packed into a small backpack that’s easy for them to carry, particularly if they’re going to be going on any excursions or outings. 

How to choose the right vacation care

The process of choosing the right vacation care is much the same as picking a regular childcare service. Each vacation care provider is slightly different, so it’s important to find one that will suit your children best. 

There are a number of different factors to consider when choosing a vacation care service, including the location, the vacation care fees, the availability and the staffing qualifications and provider accreditation.

Here are some questions that might be worth asking when trying to find the right vacation care provider:

• What are the vacation care provider’s operating hours and do they charge a fee for late collections?

• What’s the day rate for the vacation care service? Keep in mind that excursions and additional activities will incur an additional fee. And don’t forget to take into account the Childcare Subsidy if your family is eligible for assistance.

• How far in advance do vacation care days need to be booked? Will they have availability when you need it?

• Does the vacation care service provide snacks and meals? If so, do they cater to special dietary requirements?

 While reviewing the vacation care service itself, it’s also important to take into account the needs and interests of your child. 

• Does the schedule offer activities that my child would be interested in?

• Is my child made to feel welcome by the staff and other children?

• Does the vacation care service offer supervised free play if my child doesn’t want to participate in the activities?

• Does the vacation care provider cater to special requirements?

Is there a vacation care childcare subsidy?

Just like other early childhood education and care services, vacation care is a paid arrangement. The fee structure of the program depends on the individual vacation care provider.

Vacation care fees depend on the service provider, but often vacation care programs can cost anywhere upwards of $60 per day. It’s not uncommon for there to be additional fees for things like late collection, excursions and special outings, incursions and even annual membership fees for the centre or organisation.

In saying that, many vacation care services are approved by the Australian Government for the Childcare Subsidy (CCS). This means that eligible families can claim financial assistance to reduce out-of-pocket expenses of vacation care.

The level of support you can receive depends on a number of different factors, including your combined family income, how many hours of work or approved activities the parents do, the hourly rate cap for the approved childcare and the child's age. Read our blog on the CCS to find out more about the eligibility criteria or visit the Services Australia website directly. 

To get a better idea of how much you could be eligible to claim and estimate your out-of-pocket childcare expenses, use our Childcare Subsidy calculator. And if you’re on the hunt for a local vacation care provider, you can use our vacation care search to find and explore options in your area.