Family Handbook

Enrolment Form

Parents Code of Conduct

Parent Consent educa

Payment of fees & Child Care Subsidy

All families are required to pay their fees one week in advance upon enrollment (this includes current week plus one) in order to maintain a consistent credit balance.

All fees are paid via Direct Debit for both ease and convenience.

We will be happy to explain the payment method to you and assist in helping you activate your account on enrolment.

Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is a payment made by the Commonwealth Government to help families with the cost of quality child care. A family’s eligibility is subject to an income test administered by the Family Assistance Office (FAO)

It is the responsibility of the parent to register for Child Care Benefit. Information can be accessed from the Family Assistance Office (through Centrelink) or families can call direct on 136 150.

With the introduction of the Governments Child Care Management System (CCMS), families will receive a CCS fee reduction only if they have registered with Centrelink, are eligible for CCS, have formal enrolment at the centre and the centre has received confirmation from the Government pertaining to the percentage of CCS they are eligible for. If parents are not eligible for CCS, full fees must be paid.

On arrival at the centre you are asked to do the following

1. Document the time, and sign your child in using the iPad located in the foyer
2. Take your child to their room and greet the Educator in charge

1. Come into the room and greet your child.
2. Collect your child’s belongings.
3. Say goodbye to the Educator in charge of the room.
4. Sign out the iPad located in the foyer

No child will be released into the care of any persons not known to the Educators. If Educators do not know the person by appearance, the person must be able to produce a photographic  identification to prove who they are and be authorised to collect the child on the enrolment form.

In the event that a child has not been collected 10 minutes after closing time the parents/guardians will be contacted on the emergency telephone numbers. If the child has still not been collected 30 minutes after closing time then staff will follow the Department of Communities Abandoned Child Procedures including contacting Child Protection and Crisis Centre 24 hour service.

Additional fees will be charged for a child that remains at the centre after the centre closing time.

Parents are requested to phone the centre if their child is unable to attend their session for any reason. Notice is also required in the incidence of infectious or contagious diseases in the family.

Families receiving Child Care Subsidy are allocated 42 absent days for each child per financial year. These absences can be taken for any reason and also include Public Holidays. Once the child has reached 42 absent days, CCS is not paid for any further absences, unless the absences are taken for an additional absence reason such as:

• Illness (with a medical certificate)
• Non immunisation
• Parent with rostered day off (Statutory Declaration signed by a J.P required)
• Parent with rotating shift (Statutory
• Declaration sign by a J.P required)
• Temporary closure of a school or pupil free days
• Periods of local emergency
• Court ordered shared custody
• Attendance at pre-school

There is no limit on the number of additional absence days a child’s family may claim providing they are taken for the above reasons and have documentation/evidence.

In accordance with the Commonwealth Government 2016 ‘No Jab No Play’ policy all children attending the centre must be fully up to date with their immunisation. Parents must supply an up to date copy of their child’s immunisation before attendance can commence and every 6 months a copy must be presented to the Director.

If your child requires medication whilst at care, a medication form must be filled in by a parent. The medication must be accompanied by a prescription label or doctors letter which states who the medication is for and the dosage. Medication must be handed to a staff member and will be stored in a cupboard. Under no circumstances is any medication to be left in children’s bags.

Our educators organise both the indoor and the outdoor environments to promote safety and to allow for maximum supervision, in order to prevent any accidents to children and staff.

In the case of an accident involving your child whilst at the centre, staff will immediately administer First Aid. In the injury requires further medical attention, you will be contacted and a plan of action organised.

If a parent or emergency contact cannot be reached the Director/person in charge will act on behalf of the parent and proceed with the required medical treatment. An educator known to the child will accompany the child to the Doctor/Hospital and stay with them until the parent arrives. Documentation of the accident will be detailed in an Incident Report Form.

Children attending long day care may receive 50%to 70% of their daily food intake whist in care.

At Kids on Meridian we have developed nutritious seasonal menus in consultation with The Oscar Care Group to ensure that each individual child receives their daily nutritional requirements.

We provide your child with opportunities to enjoy healthy foods that promote growth and allow them to develop healthy eating habits that promote development and learning.

All meals are prepared fresh daily on site using only fresh ingredients. We devote significant resources to any allergy requirements and in addition we can provide Vegetarian and Halal meals as specified on your child’s enrolment form.

To minimise the spread of infection in our centre, children who have certain infections are excluded from attending child care depending on the infection. The exclusion periods are displayed in the Parent Information area of the foyer. If a child in care has a suspected infectious condition the parents will be contacted and asked to collect the child as soon as possible. Parents are encouraged to seek medical advice and contact the centre to inform us of the outcome.

Children with suspected infectious conditions must produce a medical certificate before the child returns to care. The centre will inform families of any infectious outbreaks and post signs which will include symptoms and exclusions time for the centre.
Management and/or the Director will not accept a child into care if they are not well enough to participate in normal activities or require special attention because of ill health.

In the case where a child has a high fever, staff are only allowed to administer Children’s Panadol where parent permission has been obtained on the enrolment form. Parents will be informed of this and documentation will be kept on file.

Our Service is a member of the Early Childhood Cancer Council Victoria. Our centre takes care and reasonable precautions to protect children and Educators from direct sun exposure. Our programs promote Sun Smart behaviour and we encourage parents to dress their children in clothing that will protect them from the sun. We recommend broad brimmed or legionnaire style hats, tops that cover shoulders and loose fitting clothes that cover the body. Educators role model and discuss with children appropriate sun smart practices.

We acknowledge that as parents you are your child’s first teacher and therefore understand the importance of parent and family participation in your child’s time at Kids on Meridian. We invite all parents to be involved in the care and decision making with regards to their child’s care and education.

Parents are welcome to spend time in the centre and share special occasions with their child through our centre events, excursions and incursions. Please speak to your child’s teacher for more information and Working with Children Check requirements.

Kids On Meridian believe in the value of play and all of our programs are play based. Play is of utmost importance to children as it is their way of learning about their world. When children play they are able to express their creativity, learn to negotiate, problem solve and express their ideas. 

We aim to guide and scaffold your child in their learning journey through providing both indoor and outdoor environments that are stimulating and challenging. The overall aim is for our programs to assist your child to develop a lifelong love of learning. Our qualified educators plan learning experiences based on the children’s interests and needs. 

Learning experiences are planned to engage all children in play that will enhance and develop all five learning areas as outlined in The National Quality Frameworks. Individual and group observations for all children are documented and kept in your child’s folder to assist in extending their skills and abilities. 

These are sent home on a regular basis so that parents are able to give feedback and offer input into their child’s learning.

Our educators are here to ensure that your child is happy and healthy during their time here at Kids on Meridian. We welcome feedback about your child’s journey with our service.  Our grievance policy is displayed in the foyer, however if you have a grievance or concern your first point of call should be the Educator in charge of your child’s room. They will work with you to resolve any problems.

If you feel that further resolution is required, then speak to either the Centre Director or the Proprietors who will work with you to reach a resolution

All grievances will be taken seriously and our best efforts will always be forthcoming.

All children are encouraged to develop social skills that will enable them to resolve conflicts and meet their needs in a calm way. We encourage children to respect themselves and others. When educators guide a child’s behavior they aim to provide the child with clear guidelines as to why a particular behavior is not acceptable. Children are given realistic limits to follow whilst they are in care.