History
In the late 1970’s, the local council surveyed the need for child care in the local area and found that it was constantly growing. As a result of this need Cybertots opened in 1979, in an unused community hall. Cybertots is a community based child care centre and runs as a not-for-profit organisation. It is managed by an elected parent committee.
When it first opened, Cybertots’ hours of operation were 8 am to 5 pm. Twenty children could attend the centre at any one time. This included five babies, five toddlers and ten preschool aged children. There were four staff: two Child Care Workers, one Child Care Assistant and one Contact Coordinator. Over the period of one week, the centre catered for forty-three children from the local area.
During the time that Cybertots has been operating it has undergone many changes. The need for a bigger service soon became evident. In 1984, five years after Cybertots began, they moved into new purpose built premises. The new Cybertots catered for thirty-eight children at any one time.
Now Cybertots had one Child Care Worker and one Child Care Assistant who cared for eight babies; one Child Care Worker and one Child Care Assistant who cared for ten toddlers; and one Child Care Worker and one Child Care Assistant who cared for twenty preschool aged children. In addition the staff included a Centre Director, Part time Child Care Assistant and a Food Coordinator.
Government support in the form of funding (Operational Subsidy) was received each year until 1997. This assisted the centre to keep overheads at a minimum, and parent fees at a lower cost. This combined with subsidised fees (Child Care Assistance) allowed for affordable child care for the local community.
With each year new developments and Lotteries Commission Grants enabled Cybertots to purchase and build a number of significant resources for the families of their service. Additions to the outdoor play area have been the most prominent resources to date.
As the community needs change so too does Cybertots. In 1990 a new room was built onto the building and this now houses ten outside school hours care children and one Child Care Assistant. This takes the overall licensed number of children that Cybertots can care for at any one time to forty-eight.
When the Operational Subsidy was removed in 1997 centres everywhere went through many changes and as a result the fees of community based centres rose considerably. Many families found that the fees were beyond their means and chose to give up work, or opt for another less expensive form of child care.
As a result Cybertots was no longer running at full capacity. To cope with the loss of revenue, the management team (made up of the parent committee and Cybertots Director) decided to pilot providing Occasional Care. This was offered to people within the community who did not want consistent care for their children and only required child care at limited times.
Occasional Care proved beneficial to the centre’s financial needs and still continues today.
Another change that Cybertots found beneficial was to open a Family Day Care Unit (FDC). A member of the Cybertots staff left to have a baby. She wished to continue working for the organisation however she did not want to leave her baby. The most obvious solution was to set up a FDC Unit in her home.
This enabled parents to still be assured of the same ethos as Cybertots, with a cheaper alternative with less children. For those parents who feel they want a more homely environment, Cybertots promotes their FDC Unit. It is hoped that this will expand in the future.
Throughout their changes and growth, Cybertots has developed a philosophy that they maintain and follow. It is periodically reviewed and updated to reflect the vision of Cybertots. The children, families, staff and management work together to ensure quality care for all who attend the service.