Understanding the mental well-being of family day care educators in Australia - A qualitative study

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Title

Handbook on Families and Education: Theory, Research and Practice

First Page

158

Last Page

175

Publisher

Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences

RAS ID

79449

Comments

Rayfield, T., Mills, B., Lombardi, K., & Wallace, R. (2025). Understanding the mental well-being of family day care educators in Australia – a qualitative study. In Handbook on families and education (pp. 157-175). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035300686.00019

Abstract

Family day care (FDC) is part of the Australian early childhood education and care ECEC) sector. FDC educators provide services supporting families who appreciate convenience and versatility, with smaller groups of children attending home-like environments. Mental well-being (MWB), often overlooked by FDC educators, is vital to ensure that optimal education and care are provided to children, while educators and families maintain successful partnerships. This study aimed to identify factors influencing FDC educator MWB alongside strategies to maintain and support MWB. Interviews were undertaken with FDC educators (n = 15) and service coordinators (n = 8). The unique FDC environment underpinned themes impacting MWB: working closely with children; isolation; relationships with others; societal perceptions; and self-employment. Resilience strategies that FDC educators employed as enablers of positive MWB were identified, which alongside increasing positive societal perceptions of FDC are vital to ensure that this essential service remains available to children and families who depend on and value this service.

DOI

10.4337/9781035300686.00019

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.4337/9781035300686.00019