Care for childChild Development

It’s as simple as providing a doctor’s certificate and getting your money back – minus child-care benefits.

“When you are trying to work and you have young children in child care and they are unwell it gets very expensive,” Ms King said.

“You have to pay the fees to keep the place. I thought, wouldn’t it be great if there was some kind of insurance around that covered that gap.” Ms King, who runs baby expo company Parenting Australia, took her proposal to Telstra Businesswoman of the Year, Carole-Anne Priest, chief executive of Altiora Insurance Solutions.

“She thought it was great and the product came to the market really quickly because there was nothing out there like it,” Ms King said.

The idea of pitching insurance at the young parent market has caught on. Ms Priest visited Lloyds of London last week to discuss a number of other specifically tailored insurance products.

The child-care cover costs $61 a year for people who pay up to $200 a week in fees and $91 for those who pay more than $200 a week.

Ms King said the daily cost of child care in Sydney ranged from $70 to $120 depending on the child-care centre.

Working mother Julie Blair took out the cover after her 14-month-old baby Connor fell ill with gastroenteritis.

When Mrs Blair went back to full-time work as a scientist in September, her son picked up the stomach bug in his first week in child care. He then had three colds.

“In the first six weeks he came down with something different each week,” she said.

Connor attends the Stella Maris Child Care Centre in Frenchs Forest five days a week.

If he is sick for a week, the Blairs are left $425 out of pocket.

Mrs Blair decided to take out the insurance in October. “It’s more for our own peace of mind,” she said.

The cover meant that she did not have to pay out for child care on top of staying at home and losing income.

Tanya Durant from Glenwood is a single mother who works full-time.

She got the cover a few months ago after being stuck when her four-year-old daughter, Abi, had gastroenteritis and was in hospital for a week.

“Both my children are in day care. It’s a bit like a tag team – one’s sick when the other isn’t,” she said.

“I’m running out of sick days and there’s the double compounded cost factor … which is what motivated me to get the insurance.”

An important part of helping your child be ready for school success is making sure your child gets healthy meals and snacks and regular physical activity at home and in child care. Follow the simple guidelines and tips below at home, and talk to your child’s caregiver about healthy eating and physical activity.

Healthy Eating

Healthy eating means choosing foods from all the food groups that will provide the nutrients (vitamins, minerals, fiber) needed for strong bodies and minds. It also means paying attention to portion and serving sizes. Portion sizes and servings should be smaller for children than for adults.

The basic food groups are:

* meats and poultry,

* milk and dairy,

* grains and bread,

* vegetables, and

* fruits.

For more information on the many varieties of foods and the recommended daily requirements, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s web site that has the Food Pyramid and other helpful nutritional information. You can also ask your family physician for nutritional guidance.

Try these tips to help your children eat healthy:

* Talk about it. Teach your children about the different food groups and how important it is to eat a variety of good foods.

* Eat together as a family. Practice what you teach. Parents serve as role models for developing lifelong habits.

* Limit or eliminate foods with sugar: candies, pastries, soft drinks.

* Give younger children small portions. Let them ask for more if they want more.

* Give younger children 5 or 6 mini-meals a day. They have smaller stomachs. It may be an easier way to make sure they get a variety of foods throughout the day. The whole family may want to try this as well. Small mini-meals throughout the day can prevent overeating and high calorie snacking.

* Provide nutritious snacks: fresh fruits, low fat cheese, and cereal with low fat milk.

* Limit eating at fast food restaurants. Fast foods are typically high in fat.

* Don’t expect a clean plate. This can lead to overeating.

* Try a variety of low-fat cooking recipes. Find healthy foods your children will love.

Fitness Fun

Along with eating healthy parents will want to make sure their children are physical fit. Eating and fitness go hand-in-hand. The body was meant to be nourished and it was meant to move. Watch young children and you will see how natural it is to run, skip, and jump. If your children are already physically active every day, encourage them to continue. Try these tips to help your children get moving:

* Let your infant roam around, safely, as much as possible-limit time in strollers and playpens.

* Make sure your children get outside to play at least 20 to 30 minutes everyday.

* Plan weekly family outings that involve being outdoors: biking, swimming, Frisbee.

* Have a variety of fun equipment that promotes fitness: bouncing balls, basketballs, soccer balls, jump ropes, badminton, hula hoops, and bicycles.

Healthy Child Care

Talk to your child’s caregiver about healthy eating and fitness. First, you will want to make sure you have any dietary restrictions or requirements in writing to avoid miscommunication. In addition, you can share these kinds of articles with your child’s caregiver, and encourage practices that support health and nutrition. For example, find out if children are being fed family style. Family style eating is ideal, because it allows your child to practice pouring and serving, and enjoy social time with the caregivers and adults.

Also ask about and observe the types of physical activity your child is getting at child care. Even babies need chances to move around and be outside every day!

When you partner with your child’s caregiver for nutritious eating and fitness routines, you are giving your child a healthy start to school success.