After school care allows children to remain at school after the bell goes, and continue to receive outstanding care from highly qualified staff.
It’s often provided by external providers like Camp Australia, rather than the school, and isn’t just for children whose parents are at work. Our after school care allows children to enjoy a mix of activities, learn new skills and get their homework underway.
An overview of after school care
Timing: After school almost always runs from the end of the school day until around 6pm. This gives most parents time to get out of work and pick up their children on the way home – while your children get to socialise with their friends longer, have fun and keep learning. Location: Many after school care providers operate on the school site. Not only is this practical in terms of getting the children to after school care, it also means they’re likely to be close to home, easy for parents to collect and in a familiar environment. Age: After school care is generally provided for primary aged children. They are too young to be at home alone – and both benefit from, and enjoy, the activities on offer.
The terminology - OOSH and OSHC
These two acronyms are often used in association with after school care. They stand for Out of School Hours and Out of School Hours Care. They’re generally interchangeable.
What happens at after school care?
When lessons finish, children head to the after school care meeting area – either a dedicated area, a hall or a large classroom which can accommodate the whole group. All children are accounted for, and in many cases a snack is offered before activities commence.
At Camp Australia’s after school care, we have all the activities set up and ready to go. Children are given the choice and decide for themselves which they’d like to join in with. None of the children are forced to do any activity – it’s down to them to decide what they’ll enjoy.
We separate our after school care into multiple zones so that children can choose an activity that aligns with their interests or mood. There might be a creative zone, a construction zone, a quiet reading zone or anything in between. Children know what these areas offer and can pick accordingly each day.
Activities might include:
- Painting.
- Reading.
- Sports.
- Cooking.
- Acting.
- Team activities.
- Other arts and crafts.
The exact activities on offer vary across each location, and at Camp Australia, according to the children that attend each club.
Organising for your child to attend after school care Signing up is easy, although exactly how this works is determined by the provider. At Camp Australia all parents register (registration is free) and manage their child’s attendance via the online Parent Portal. Just select the sessions you want to book in for, and payment is made later in a fortnightly cycle. If you are eligible for the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), you can use it to reduce the cost of our after school care.
To find your nearest Camp Australia after school care, search your school on our website. If you’d like to talk about starting a new club, call our friendly team on 1300 105 343 or contact us.
