Creche Management Courses

A crèche offers care and learning for children aged between two and four years. Children are sent to crèche because their parents or guardians may be working or involved in other chores during the day. Children may also be sent to crèche because their parents or guardians would want to prepare them for school or to grow their social skills.

Here are the duties of a crèche worker:

• Ensure children have good hygiene
• Make sure the premises are clean throughout the day
• Prepare meals for the children
• Organise activities and develop learning course
• Plan daily activities
• Keep progress records for the children
• Maintain contact with parents and guardians

Yes, Crèche Management is a good career for you if

• You love children
• Can communicate well
• You can be patient and flexible
• You are willing to pursue further education and training
• You are dependable

You Love Children

Childcare is a good career choice if you love children. Not only should you love children, but you should also like working with them. Remember that kids can also be draining and can be challenging to deal with. This means that you have to love everything about what children do and be patient in handling them.

Can Communicate Well

For you to become effective in childcare, you must be able to communicate well both with the children and their parents and guardians. Remember, children also communicate differently from adults. 

Be wary of how you communicate with them in ‘their own language’. During the course of your duties, you will also communicate with parents and guardians in the course of your duties. This could be in connection with updating them on the progress of their child or on any other matter   

You Can Be Patient And Flexible

A career in Childcare is also good if you are a patient and flexible. All children are different, and it is important for you to be flexible and understand that. It is also important to understand that, by the same token, children cannot be dealt with using the same way. 

What works for one child will not necessarily work for the other. This means that you will have to be patient with each and every child.

You Are Willing To Pursue Further Education And Training

A career in Childcare is a good career if you are willing to learn. It is important to keep learning so that you are always up-to-date with the best practices in the Childcare industry. Learning will also propel you to greater in your career.

You Are Dependable

For you to be successful in Childcare, you must be dependable. Parents trust you to take very good care of their children. The children will also look up to you as a guardian and their role model.

Here are the skills of a Crèche Manager:

• Communication
• Decision-making
• Instructional 
• Interpersonal

Communication

As a Crèche Manager, good communication skills can be a great asset to you.  You need to have good verbal and writing skills. Your duties involve communication with the children, fellow workers and parents or guardians. Not only should you be a good communicator, but you should also be a good listener.

Decision-Making

Good judgement is important to you as a crèche Manager. This is necessary as you will not procrastinate in responding to cases where there are emergencies or difficult situations. 

Instructional 

Instructional skills are important as a Crèche Manager. This is because as a Childcare worker, you must be able to explain things in a language and tone that children can understand. Communicating in the tone and language that children understand will lead to the children understanding you better.

Interpersonal

Interpersonal skills are also important for a Crèche Manager. Good interpersonal skills can assist you in building relationships with parents or guardians, children and other staff members.

Here are the 5 components of a good early learning environment:

• High-quality environment – the environment should be conducive to a safe learning
• Consistent daily routine – daily learning routines should be easy to understand and contains age and appropriate language
• Adult-child relationships – interactions with the children should be respectful, supportive, warm, consistent and predictable
• Intentional teaching – this is dependent on expertise in child development
• Engaging families – Engaging frequently with the parents or guardians of the children

Here is what you need to open a Day Care in South Africa:

• Fill in Forms 16 which is available at your nearest Department of Social Development office or municipal office.
• Pass a Home Inspection
• Complete First Aid and CPR Training
• The process is free

It may take up to three months for your registration certificate to be issued.

There is no fixed sum of money that you may need to open a crèche in South Africa. This is because there are a lot of variables that are involved in the cost of setting up such a business. However,  an initial amount ranging from R 20 000.00 to R 40 000.00 can help you set up a crèche in South Africa.

Normally, you pay according to the hours that your child spends at the Day Care. Childcare centres in South Africa open from about 06:30 am. Day Care centres in South Africa, provide full-day education, half-day education or three-quarter day education. Depending on where you live, expect to pay anything between R 1 000.00 to R 4 500.00 per month.

Here is what you need to do to start a Day Care in your home:

• Create a business plan
• Determine your business costs
• Name your business
• Get the necessary certifications
• Purchase equipment
• Market your business

Grade R is also known as the Reception Year. Grade R is the year of schooling before Grade 1. The Garde R curriculum is part of the Foundation Phase curriculum. Please note that it is not compulsory for children to attend Grade R.

According to the Department of Basic Education, a Grade R applicant must be at least four years old and turn five or older by 30 June the next year. For Grade 1, an applicant must be at least five years old and turn six or older by 30 June the next year.

By the end of Grade R, the student should have acquired the following skills:

• Literacy skills
• Numeracy skills
• Social skills

Literacy Skills

Literacy skills include the following:

• Letter formations
• Writing
• Phonemic awareness

Numeracy Skills

Numeracy skills include the following:

• Number formations
• Counting
• Understanding shapes
• Everyday use of numbers

Social Skills

Social skills will include the following:

• Engage with peers logically
• Engage with staff confidently
• Collaborate with others
• Be accountable for their actions

The two Grade names are sometimes used interchangeably. Some uses grade 0 to refer to Grade R and vice-versa. This is a class of children aged 5 turning 6. Some primary schools offer Grade R classes, but Grade R can also be completed at a registered preschool.

Here are tips for brainstorming the name of your crèche:

• Let your ideas flow freely
• Put yourself in the audience’s shoes
• Describe what makes your business unique
• Use a name that is positive to parents or guardians
• Make the name of the crèche memorable
• Use words that are easy to spell and pronounce

On average, in South Africa, Babysitters are paid an average hourly rate of R 49.19. Here are the duties of a babysitter:

• Interact with child or children during the agreed time
• Entertain the child or children during the agreed time 
• Clean around the house
• Select appropriate activities 
• Follow feeding and sleep schedules
• Respond to injuries, emergencies and hygiene needs