Orientation
We invite all families to attend an orientation visit before commencing at our centre with the Director. This meeting is focused on the individual needs of your child and assists our Educators to be informed and in-preparation of adjusting your little one into our environment.
Upon acceptance and confirmation of your booking and when your child commences care, for some children, it may be helpful to start the child with shorter periods of time, starting with half days for the first few days, than gradually increasing to a full day. As part of welcoming new children and families to Kindercare Learning Centre, we provide ongoing, open communication with families as a valuable support framework.
Our Children Environment
At Kindercare Learning Centre, we provide three beautiful learning spaces where children are placed, through family consultation, according to their age, stage and ability. Each space is well equipped with plenty of resources to enjoy & accommodate the different age groups.
Our Learning Centre provides an enjoyable combination outdoor play area for the 3-5 years, with a separate outdoor play area for the birth – 2 year age group. The children have so much fun learning through play – especially outdoors. On occasions, children have the opportunity of bringing the outdoors inside the service. School children also have interesting and different opportunities to be included and involved.
What to bring
Each day your child will need the following:
- At least 2 full sets of clothes, including socks clearly labelled
- A jacket or cardigan for the colder seasons/weather
- Comforters such as a dummy or blankey if necessary
- Bedding – top and bottom fitted sheet (single)
- Hat
- Water bottle
Please label all items with your child’s name.
Other items for nursery aged children may be required.
Director will be able to provide you a list upon enrolment.
Arrivals/Pick up
The service assists families by opening at 7am and closing at 6pm sharp.
Charges and fees apply if you are late picking up your child from the service.
Upon arrival, families will be assisted to the electronic child sign-in located in the front foyer, place your child’s bag into their locker and accompany your child into their room. One of our friendly educators will receive and settle the child by offering breakfast if it is early or introduce them to an experience and their peers in the room.
It is important to always say goodbye to your child at drop-off and re-assure them that you will be back later in the day to pick them up. This helps them have a sense of security rather than quickly dropping them off.
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is when the child is distressed when their parent (or loved one) departs – especially on morning drop-offs. Children’s adjustment to Kindercare may vary.
Some children take only a day or so to feel at home, whilst other children may take some time to adjust. It is a new experience for both of you – especially first-timers. Leave it up to us to make sure they are settled quickly and enjoy their day. Always feel free to phone or to talk to the staff about your child’s day – anytime.
Nutrition
Apart from bringing a piece of fresh fruit daily with your child, no need to bring anything else as we provide healthy, fresh and nutritious on-site cooked meals daily with vegetarian options made available for each child.
Our service caters for children with special requirements, religious and food allergies. We promote healthy eating news and information for families through newsletters, brochures and occasional nutrition handouts.
Sun Smart
Kindercare takes care to protect children and educators from direct exposure to the sun. This is extremely important as children are very vulnerable to the damage of UV rays. Our Learning Centre abides by all State Regulations and the Childcare Building Codes regarding the amount of manufactured and natural shade available in both our outdoor playgrounds. Shade structures are maintained and regular maintenance checks and safety checks are conducted as required, initiated by our Centre Director.
We recommend that parents pack clothing for children that will protect them from the sun, including a hat, longer sleeved t-shirt and loose clothing that covers most of their body (eg no midriffs or bare backs). We also ask that parents apply sunscreen to their child upon arrival at our centres. Sunscreen is always available and can be found in the entrance/foyer of our Learning Centre.
Fees and Child Care Subsidy
Kindercare Learning Centre is registered with the Commonwealth Government for the Child Care Subsidy (CCS). Families can access fee assistance from the Government towards the cost of fees.
The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is a payment made by the Australian Government to help families with the cost of child care and early education.
This is paid directly to our service to reduce your weekly fees.
In some instances, this subsidy is also paid to the families, on their behalf.
To find more information about the Child Care Subsidy and Activity Test, families are encouraged to visit www.education.gov.au/childcarepackage. Alternatively, you can call CentreLink directly on 136150. The Director is also available to assist with your application, but cannot determine your subsidy.