The Yass family day care service is one of thousands of providers in Family Day Care Australia’s national network to be taking part in this annual week-long celebration by hosting a super star fancy dress today (May 4) at Banjo Paterson Park.

Themed "Every Child is a Star", National Family Day Care Week will be celebrated in family day care services around the country until May 7 to highlight the benefits of the family day care environment that help children to grow and learn.

The national community event aims to recognise the star qualities of all 220,850 children enrolled in family day care across Australia and the important role it plays in helping to foster and develop this individuality.

To celebrate, the national peak body for family day care has named a star in Sydney Observatory’s Southern Star Catalogue. Throughout the week-long celebrations the star will be known as “The Family Day Care Star” to recognise each child’s individual star quality.

Family Day Care Australia Chief Executive Officer Andrew Paterson says the national community event is about celebrating the unique benefits of family day care that help children to shine.

“Every child is a star and this unique nationwide event will recognise family day care’s quality, its nurturing setting, and how it encourages, develops and celebrates a child’s own individual star quality,” Mr Paterson said.

“National Family Day Care Week will provide an opportunity for services, educators and families to come together and celebrate the important role family day care plays, not only in their community, but in shaping and supporting the lives, hopes, and dreams of hundreds of thousands of children around the country.”

Family day care is an approved form of early childhood education and care that operates under the National Quality Standards and the National Quality Framework. The quality, home-based early childhood education and care service is provided to children aged from six weeks through to school age.