Commencement of Care
Orientation Process
Once you have been offered a position with us at Wattletree Early Childhood Centre we will organise the orientation process. Initially, you will have an orientation meeting with the Director or Assistant Director. During this meeting you will be given information about the Centre and will be introduced to your child’s educators. The Director or Assistant Director will answer any questions you may have, and go through all the relevant documents for your child’s enrolment, including any medical conditions or dietary requirements we may need to be aware of.
Orientation visit times and duration can be discussed with the service. We recommend two visits so that your child can become familiar with the Centre environment, routines and educators, while your child still has the security of a family member being present. You and your child may stay for a meal, participate in toileting and outside play routines etc. Educators will especially aim to establish what changes may be needed to the room routine, food, toileting, bedding, program etc to better accommodate the child’s or family’s needs.
Fees and Charges Policy
PURPOSE
For parents and families to pay their childcare fees on time to WECC
IMPLEMENTATION
Fee statements are emailed each fortnight and are payable by the Friday of that week and cover the fortnight commencing on the following Monday.
Fee & Assistance Information
Maximum fees are payable by those families who do not register with Services Australia.
Child Care Subsidy
WECC is a Child Care Subsidy Approved Service. It is the responsibility of families prior to enrolment to apply to Centrelink to be Assessed for the Child Care Subsidy (CCS). Once you receive the assessment confirmation, details must be passed on to WECC, even if your family is not entitled to the CCS.
The Child Care Subsidy is the main way the Government assists families with their child care fees. To claim the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) you need to be assessed and approved by Services Australia (Centrelink). The Child Care Subsidy is generally paid directly to service providers to be passed on to families as a fee reduction. Families make a co-contribution to their child care fees and pay to the provider the difference between the fee charged and the subsidy amount.
Payment of Fees
This is a community based, non-profit Centre. We operate a careful, closely monitored budget which allows for quality care and education as well as an affordable fee structure. Fees are set annually by the parent Committee of Management. See the fees sheet for the current schedule. We have no capacity to carry debts as there is no profit margin.
Fees need to be paid in advance:
Fees are required to be paid a minimum of two weeks in advance at all times. Upon enrolment, the family must pay a minimum three weeks’ fees and then must pay as a minimum one weeks’ fees by 10.00am every Friday. The two weeks in advance must remain intact i.e. it is not used up and then paid again. Families may choose to pay more than the minimums i.e. a family may pay an initial six weeks and then pay monthly or a family using a short session kindergarten place may multiply the weekly fee by the ten weeks of the term and pay the whole term.
Minimum notice period/fees to apply:
Families wishing to withdraw their child’s position from WECC must provide the Director with 4 weeks’ notice, in writing. Failure to provide the requisite amount of notice will result in fees being charged for the full four week period. When providing WECC with 4 weeks’ notice, and you choose to cease care or your child is absent from care prior to the full 4 weeks, full fees are payable for these days. Centrelink can only make payments for a child attending a service.
Where a family withdraws their child’s position from WECC after 7th October any year, the payment of full fees will be required for the remainder of the year. This applies to all children across all rooms unless the position is filled to ensure that WECC runs at full capacity.
Where a family accepts allocated days for the following year, they will be invoiced for a minimum of 4 weeks into the next calendar year (unless the position is filled).
Procedure
Invoices are issued on a fortnightly basis and are emailed directly to the nominated parent for payment. Payment is made by direct deposit only to the centre’s nominated bank account.
Fees must be paid two (2) weeks in advance on a fortnightly basis.
Fees are charged on the days booked for your child at the centre, even if your child may be absent due to illness or holidays. This ensures your child’s place is held.
Fees are not charged to families on Public holidays and when the centre closes over the Christmas period.
Bond Payments
Upon starting at WECC, families must pay $500 towards their bond account which is held until your child leaves WECC. The $500 is refunded to you on the condition that all accounts are paid and up to date, you have provided WECC in writing four weeks’ notice of your intention to leave.
We also take a $300 Kindergarten Bond for our Room 5, 4 year old kindergarten. This money is credited to your fees once your child commences the kindergarten program. If you decide not to take up the position in our 4 year old kindergarten room, the $300 Kindergarten Bond will be refunded minus a $50 administration fee (providing the vacant position is filled).
3 & 4 Year Old Kindergarten Subsidy
The Victorian Government provides funding to services to contribute to the cost of running a funded kindergarten program, which helps keep fees for three and four-year-old kindergarten as low as possible. WECC offers a 3 & 4 year old kindergarten program and fees are charged to help meet the cost of running the programs.
Dealing With Infectious Diseases Policy
