First step’s first. Now that you’ve had a look at the website and spoken to your friends and colleagues about their recommendations, it’s time to enquire. There’s only so much you can learn through a website and talking to the centre manager and meeting the team will be your first step to feeling out if a centre is right for you.
Enrolment & Waiting Lists
Whether this is your first time in care, or you’ve had several children go through an early learning journey, our five step process will help guide you through to enrolment.
Step 1: Make an Enquiry or Book a Tour
Step 2: Take a Tour of the Centre
A tour is a great opportunity to ask questions and see if the centre is right for your family. Use the tour as an opportunity to meet our team and see if you can picture your child being happy in our care.
Step 3: Join the Waitlist
“Waitlist” – it’s a dreaded word. However, it’s a crucial next step in your enrolment journey.
Once you’ve come in for a tour, we’ll discuss when you’re looking to start care and what days and sessions you would like. We’ll then send a link for you to fill out some preliminary information in our parent portal so that we can place you on the waitlist in our system.
This ensures we can keep you up to date when places become available. You can also log in to check your application status and change any requirements based on your needs.
Step 4: Enroling
Once we have a place available for your little one (and this may be straight away!), we’ll be able to offer you a place at our centre. This offer will come via email and through the parent portal, where you’ll be able to review and accept the offer and start filling out the enrolment paperwork online.
If you don’t have access to the Internet or would just like some assistance, let us know and we can work with you to help get the enrolment completed so you’re ready to go!
Step 5: Starting Care
The first day is always a mix of emotions and some children take to care quicker than others. This is completely normal and once your child is enrolled, you’ll be invited to attend orientation days to assist with your transition from home to early learning.
FAQs
What paperwork is required?
It can be handy to gather some paperwork you’ll need for enrolment at this stage of the journey so you’re prepared for the next steps. You’ll generally need:
- Proof of your identity (e.g. drivers licence)
- Health care card
- Your child’s immunisation record
- Your child’s birth certificate
- Any medical plans
- Documents relating to support from government agencies
- Any relevant court orders (where applicable)
What is CCS, how much am I entitled to and when should I apply?
The Child Care Subsidy, or CSS, is assistance provided by the Australian government to help you with the cost of childcare. This amount of assistance you receive depends on several factors, including your household income, the service type, and the amount of work-related activities undertaken per fortnight.
You can learn more about CCS here.
What are your fees?
Enrolment Fee: $50 per family
| Age Group | Fees |
|---|---|
| 0 to 3 years | $140 |
| 3 to 5 years | $131 |
| Before School Care | $38 |
| After School Care | $48 |
Do you offer stay and plays?
Yes, please feel free to come in for a stay and play, meet the Educators and ask any questions before her first day regarding the program, routine in this room, our centre’s philosophy about learning and child development outcomes and how these intended outcomes will be achieved.
Where can I find more information on your service?
Once you’ve come in for a tour, we’ll talk to you about our service and answer any questions you may have.
You’ll also then receive a family handbook which contains all the information you need about our services, what learning and development your child can expect, how we communicate with you, fee information, routines etc.
If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to contact us – we’re more than happy to help!
What is Priority of Access?
The Centre must comply with the Federal Government’s policy on ‘Priority of Access’ of families to Childcare facilities. The three levels of priority that child care services must follow when filling vacant places are:
- Priority 1: a child at risk of serious abuse or neglect
- Priority 2: a child of a single parent who satisfies, or of parents who both satisfy, the work/training/study test under section 14 of the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999
- Priority 3: any other child
It must be noted that third priority families are restricted to 24 hours of subsidised fee relief care per week. These families may be required to relinquish their child’s position, change booked days or reduce their booked days if care is required for families in the first two priorities.
