Designer daycare_英文原版

an exclusive childcare centre is enticing parents with five-star services for babies and toddlers. luxury features include designer furniture, handmade bibs, high-quality bed linen and gourmet food in a purpose-built waterview cottage.

parents can choose between standard family care in a home environment or upgrade to more expensive, boutique-style long-day care, which includes extra facilities and closer individual attention.

prices range from $65 for a basic package to $100 a day for the deluxe service.

it is the latest tactic to attract customers in the fiercely competitive suburban childcare industry - but some fear a two-tier system could develop.

parents at lullaby baby cottage are given private access to a special lactation consultant and mothercraft nurse.

photographs and a daily diary of each child's activities are put together for parents by staff.
music and language is incorporated into the schedule, while soft classical music plays in the background during the day.

there is one staff member for every 3.5 children, compared to the standard ratio of 1:5.
owners julianne and robert huddleston have opened centres in gymea and cronulla, and plan to expand into other areas.

"we wanted to find a special niche and i thought there's nowhere out there that offers small, boutique child care,'' mrs huddleston said. ``other places are filled with cheap plastic furniture but we wanted to do something different.''