Helping Your Child Navigate Their Weekly Routine

A Guide for Families Using Before and After School Care

 As busy parents and carers, managing your child’s weekly schedule can sometimes feel like a juggling act. Between school, after school care, sports training, playdates, and independent travel like bike rides home, it’s easy for children to feel unsure or overwhelmed. That’s why it’s so important to build routines that not only work for your family but also help your child feel safe, confident, and clear about where they need to be and when.


Why Routine Matters

Children thrive on routine. It gives them a sense of structure and predictability, helping reduce anxiety and confusion. When children know what to expect, they are more likely to feel secure and in control. Whether they’re riding their bike home, heading to soccer, or joining in the fun at After School Care.


Clear Communication is Key

If your child’s week includes a mix of after school care, sports training, and independent travel, take time to go through the plan together.

For example:

  • Monday: Ride bike home
  • Tuesday: Attend After School Care
  • Wednesday: Go to soccer training
  • Thursday: Pick-up from school
  • Friday: Free play or playdate with a friend

Use a visual chart or family calendar to help them remember. You could even colour code the days for easier recognition. Many families find success in using visual reminders placed in the child’s bag or lunchbox, even a simple checklist can work wonders!

Partner with the School Age Care Team

Let the educators at YWCA  Canberra in the Before and After School Care, and any other relevant adults (like school teachers and coaches) know the plan. That way, if there’s ever confusion, your child has trusted adults who are also aware of the day’s arrangements. Also, be sure to keep the Before and After School Care team updated with any changes to your child’s usual routine. If plans change last minute, a quick phone call or message can make sure your child is exactly where they need to be.

Practice and Reassure

For younger children or those trying something new (like riding their bike home for the first time), practice makes perfect. Do a trial run, talk through the steps, and reinforce the importance of checking in with an adult if they’re ever unsure.

Final Thoughts

Your child’s safety and wellbeing is our shared priority. By working together, planning ahead, and keeping lines of communication open, you can help ensure your child transitions smoothly between their various after-school commitments with confidence.

Chiara Will

Chiara is Director of School Age Care at YWCA Canberra, bringing a wealth of knowledge and a diverse range of leadership and management experience across the Early Childhood Education sector. Having held roles from Administration Officer to Centre Director, she brings a holistic skill base and a strength in solution-based approaches to learning. 

Prior to joining YWCA Canberra, Chiara led a team of over 25 educators, driving policy development, professional training and development, and contributing to Quality Improvement, Sustainability, Reconciliation, and Strategic Inclusion Action Plans. 

In her current role, Chiara leads the strategic development of processes and systems that ensure high-quality, safe, and inclusive environments for children. She mentors and empowers managers, leaders, and educators to deliver best-practice programs aligned with regulatory standards, fosters strong stakeholder partnerships, and guides the Quality Support Team in managing compliance and quality assurance across services. 

Shane McAlpine

Shane is Director of Children’s Services (ECEC) at YWCA Canberra, overseeing eight early learning services with 24 years of experience in the early childhood sector. He brings an extensive understanding of education and care, current practices, and regulatory requirements, with a robust approach to developing high-quality practitioners. 

Shane supports the day-to-day operation of educational practices and curriculum across all our early learning centres, with quality and pedagogical practice at the forefront. He plays a critical role in providing escalation support and mentorship to centre directors and educators alike. 

His professional passions include children’s rights, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inclusion and teaching perspectives, and advocacy for the early childhood profession. He is an active representative on the ACT committee of Early Childhood Australia. 

As a father of two children who have experienced the early years system firsthand, Shane brings a deeply personal understanding of the challenges families face in balancing work and parenting. This perspective shapes his inclusive, stakeholder-centred approach to service delivery across every centre he works with. 

Katherine Hellwig

Katherine is the Executive Director of Children’s Services at YWCA Canberra, bringing over 23 years of extensive experience in delivering education and care in ACT and the surrounding areas of the city. Her career spans both not-for-profit and commercial providers, highlighting her versatile and adaptable nature. 

For over 11 years, Katherine has held an executive role within a not-for-profit organisation that experienced significant growth in its early education and care portfolio. Her responsibilities included managing programs and initiatives that fostered engagement within the local community. 

Katherine began her career as an educator, and this hands-on experience has given her a profound understanding of the critical role educators play in the lives of children and families. Her qualifications include an Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services, an Undergraduate Certificate in Service Management, and a Diploma of Leadership and Management. In 2018, Katherine was honoured with the Community for Children’s Award by the ACT Children’s Week Committee, recognising her dedication and impact on the community.  

Katherine is driven by a strong pedagogical belief that all children have the right to access quality early learning in their first five years of life. She focuses on delivering high-quality education and care in both early education and after school care programs, ensuring children receive the best start in life.  

Frances Crimmins

Frances Crimmins is the Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Canberra and has led the organisation since 2013, driving significant growth, high-quality integrated service delivery, and stronger corporate efficiency. Under her leadership, the non-profit organisation has become a courageous community advocate, ensuring the needs of vulnerable communities are seen, heard, and addressed locally and nationally. 

Frances brings a diverse background spanning the private and not-for-profit sectors across business, hospitality, healthcare, and community services. She remains a passionate advocate for policy initiatives addressing the root causes of women’s housing insecurity, homelessness, gender inequality, and gender-based violence. 

Frances also currently serves as Chair of Homelessness Australia and sits on the ACT Work Health Safety Advisory Council. Her former board roles include ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS), WESNET, the ACT Ministerial Advisory Committee for Women, and Co-Chair of Anti-Poverty Week in the ACT. 

Her leadership has been recognised with an Edna Ryan Award (2015), ACT Leader of the Year at the Australian Leadership Excellence Awards (2016), and selection into the inaugural Social Impact Leadership Australia (SILA) program (2021). Frances regularly represents YWCA Canberra at the United Nations Commission for the Status of Women in New York. 

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