What is vacation care?

Vacation care is a school holiday program run by outside school hours care services to fill the gap between the end of one school term and the start of the next. Services offer full-day or half-day supervision for children typically aged 5 to 12, keeping children engaged while parents remain at work.

The structure usually includes planned activities, games, crafts, sports, and recreational time at the service's venue or local facilities. Many centres in Redland Bay operate vacation care during each of Queensland's four school breaks, with capacity varying by facility and demand.

For families where both parents work or single-income households cannot arrange alternative care, vacation care removes the need to take time off during extended school closures. It also gives school-age children a structured, safe environment rather than unsupervised time at home. Centres typically require advance booking and may have minimum attendance requirements or session-based pricing.

Vacation care differs from regular after-school programs in duration and intensity, running full days rather than the few hours after school pickup. If you are looking for holiday care options, many before and after school care providers in the area also offer vacation programs.