What modern parents want from child care

Find out some of the top things Tasmanian parents want from child care centres plus we reveal Tasmania’s cheapest and most expensive areas. The results may surprise you.

CHECK-IN apps and “play-based learning” are just some of the things modern parents want from child care centres.

Fees are just one consideration for mums and dads today, Good Start Early Learning Centre Blackmans Bay director Emma Callanan says.

“It’s a lot more than just the place for the children to go while the parents are at work,” Ms Callanan told The Mercury.

FULL COST BREAKDOWN: CHEAPEST AND MOST EXPENSIVE AREAS FOR CHILD CARE IN TASMANIA

Her centre is in one of Tasmania’s most affordable areas for child care, according to new

But parents’ first questions were usually about facilities and education, rather than fees, Ms Callanan said.

“Families talk to us about the outside space, the natural environment, how the centre is clean and tidy, they like to see the educational programs we use, and they also like the fact that we use Storypark, which is an online app to share information with families so they get regular online app updates,” she said.

“It’s all about building up that sort of confident, resilient child, that can pick up learning and practical skills but not in a taught practice, but in a play-based learning scheme where children are nurtured to grow independently.”

Originally published as What modern parents want from child care