By ANEEKA SIMONIS
STRIKING the right balance between work and family life can be tough, but that was never an issue for a Garfield mother who managed to roll both into one.
Chris Mouser, a self-confessed career woman, became a home educator with Windermere Child and Family Services when she had her children more than 15 years ago. She said the experience had transformed her life.
“It was a five-year plan until the kids went back to school. I studied my Certificate III, then my Diploma and Advanced Diploma – 15 years later my kids have all grown up and I still love my job as an educator more than anything,” Ms Mouser said.
“After all these years, I still take great pride in providing a nurturing and personalised environment and couldn’t think of doing anything else.”
Being a home educator allows new parents to make a decent income while spending quality time with their children in a time where child care costs are soaring and the market for care is on the rise, a Windermere spokesperson said.
“On average, a baby is born every six minutes to a Cardinia shire family. With the population expected to more than double over the next 20 years, the demand for child care is high,” said manager for Early Childhood Education and Care Services Ms Deb de Rossi.
“Costly child care fees often provide no incentive for mums to return to work after parental leave coupled with the rising costs of living. Time and again the need to earn an income is non-negotiable, but the thought of leaving their children is difficult, so working from home is now more appealing than ever.”
She said more than half of the current home educators, who could earn up to $70,000 per year, are new mums.
“Family day care is often a great career option for families not only because of its flexibility, but it can provide a wonderful career path for new mums,” Ms Rossi said.
For information, contact Windermere, email inquiries to ECECS@windermere.org.au.
