All families are entitled to apply to Centrelink for Child Care Benefit (CCB) and Child Care Rebate (CCR). CCB is based on Assessed Family Income (AFI), therefore you must provide proof of your income to Centrelink. CCR is based on work/study requirements for both parents and similarly these must be provided to Centrelink. Once Centrelink has completed its assessment, it will provide you with an assessment notice – in most circumstances you will be required to provide Beehive with a copy of this notice. Each week, if eligible, Beehive will be sent your CCB Fee Reduction and/or CCR Payment to be applied to your statement. It is the responsibility of families to fill out the necessary forms with Centrelink and to update their assessment every 12 months, or when there are any changes to the family income or work status. If you do not obtain a CCB/CCR Assessment, full fees will be charged.
Orientation Mornings
As part of your child’s orientation to St Ives Beehive, we encourage parents to bring their child and stay for an hour in the room that your child is enrolled. The orientation mornings will:
- Help your child feel more comfortable with the environment and aid in a smoother transition to childcare
- Have activities set up for your child to freely explore and investigate with the other children whilst still having parents nearby
- Provide the opportunity for new parents to meet other parents
- Provide the opportunity for parents to meet staff and to discuss any concerns that they may have
- A backpack or similar bag with your child’s name clearly marked on it
- A favourite comforter (if they have one)
- A change of clothes labelled with your child’s name
- A labelled drink bottle
- A face washer (labelled with your child’s name
- Nappies and prepared bottles of formula (if required) in the Nursery.
To enable the children to play happily, freely and to enjoy the activities we provide for them, we suggest you send them to Beehive in play clothes. These clothes should be simple in design, so as to encourage independence in toileting and dressing. It is important to dress in play clothes as sometimes we get dirty whilst playing and learning.
Please ensure your child’s shoes offer protection for their feet. Please do not send your child in thongs, as these are slippery and often dangerous when climbing.
Parent Involvement
At St Ives Beehive Childcare we recognise the importance of parent involvement, but also recognise that not all parents have the time to be involved. Parents can choose a day and come to St Ives Beehive Childcare and spend time:
- Playing with their child
- Observing the staff and how they interact
- Learning the routine of the day
- Participating in the lesson with their child
- Assisting the staff
- Parent and Staff interviews
- Social gatherings outside the Centre
- Having a coffee with the staff
- Talking to other parents
- Meeting their child’s friends
- Discussing any concerns with staff
- Viewing the classroom and their child’s work
Make-up Days
St Ives Beehive Childcare provides make-up days for children whose regular day falls on a public holiday. The Centre makes every effort to offer make-up days, but their availability is not guaranteed – they are an additional service which can be offered only to the extent there are places available within the licensed numbers. Make-up days are to be used within a calendar year and do not ‘carry-over’ to the following year. Please see the Authorised Supervisor or Director for available days throughout the year.
Casual Extra Days
Families requiring extra days of care advise the Authorised Supervisor or the Director who will confirm the availability of a place on these day(s). Extra days are payable at the normal daily fee rates.
Dropping off and Picking up your Child
On enrolment you will be required to provide the Centre with the names and telephone numbers of the persons authorised to either drop off or pick up your child. We request that you notify us immediately of any changes or alterations to this authorisation. We also request that you inform the Centre if someone other than a parent will be picking your child up. This can be done over the phone during the day, but you must provide the person’s name and phone number. Please note that the teacher may ask the person collecting your child to provide some form of identification. This is for the safety of your child and the teachers.
We also require your child to be dropped off and picked up (as well as signed in and out) by an adult.
The Childcare is open between 7.30am - 6.00pm. Late fees will be charged after closing time ($1 per minute). If you are unavoidably delayed, please ring the Centre. Parents will be contacted if children are not collected by 6.10pm; failing this, the emergency person(s) will be called. If no contact is to be made by 6.30pm, the Department of Community Services Helpline and the Police will be notified.
Please note that parents and children who attend St Ives Beehive Childcare shall enter the premises from the front door of the Centre. All other doors are locked for safety and security reasons.
Permanent Changes to Attendance Days
From time to time a family’s required days of care may increase, decrease or change. The Centre makes every effort to meet the family’s new needs for childcare.
Our capacity to offer changed or extra days is dependent on the availability of places at the time, and the needs of families on the Wait List. (However priority is given to currently enrolled children).
Requests for reduced days of care can only be met if the Centre is able to fill the days being vacated. In situations where families are reducing their attendance days, priority is given to other currently enrolled families or Wait List families who can attend on the days being vacated. While every attempt is made to meet their needs, this can result in the family reducing its attendance days losing their place at the Centre.
Withdrawal
Once the child has commenced, 4 weeks notice is required should you wish to withdraw your child. The deposit will not be refunded if inadequate notice is given.
Sleep and Rest
We understand children’s needs for sleep and rest vary considerably. We encourage all children to sleep or rest after the morning’s activities and lunch. We do not insist upon sleep (quiet activities are provided), nor do we keep awake a child who needs/wants to sleep. Feel free to discuss sleep and rest for your child with the staff.
Sun Protection
At St Ives Beehive Childcare we have a policy that requires all children and staff to wear both a hat and sunscreen when outdoors. A St Ives Beehive hat can be purchased and is billed to your account ($6). These hats have UV sun protection and have a full flap to protect you child’s neck and ears.
It is necessary for you to apply sunscreen to all exposed areas of your child’s skin before, or on arrival, to Beehive (sunscreen is also available at the Centre). Please ‘stamp’ your child with the red smiley stamp so we know he/she has had sunscreen applied. The staff will re-apply sunscreen throughout the day. A hat is compulsory even on cloudy days as the risk of damage is still present.
Meals
We provide the children with nutritious, varied and interesting meals. Kids Gourmet Food supply the food for the Centre. Kids Gourmet Food is a catering company exclusively devoted to the service of food for Childcare Centres. Kids Gourmet Food understand the importance of food hygiene, correct food handling techniques, nutrition and variety for children. Kids Gourmet Food is accredited with a gold food license and is a registered food business with the Department of Health. The menu rotates on a twelve week cycle so that children have variety and remain interested in the food . We can accommodate most special dietary needs; the Director will be pleased to discuss these with you. We welcome parent involvement in menu development and we are always looking for that terrific idea or recipe that works with children.
Excursions and Visits
Because of logistical difficulties, our children do not go on excursions. The Pre-School children, however, do attend a few special events at Corpus Christi Primary School. These visits are organised in advance and specific parental permission is sought for each occasion.
We organise visits by Kindifarm, National Parks and Wildlife, and ‘occupations’ such as the fire brigade, police, posties, dentists, nurses and so on.
Families are very welcome to participate in all our special visits or occasions.
Medical Information
If your child requires medicine whilst at Childcare, you must complete a Medication Form which is located at the sign in/out desk. You need to write you child’s name, the type of medication, dosage, time of dosage, sign and hand the form to your child’s Room Leader. If you fail to sign the Medication Form or give incorrect dosage amounts, the medication will not be given.
All medication is to be removed from your child’s bag and given to a member of staff for proper storage.
If your child suffers from a condition that requires constant medication, for example asthma, a letter from your child’s doctor is needed. The letter must contain the reason for the medication as well as the type and dosage. The letter needs to be signed by the doctor.
You also need to provide the Centre with the immunisation details of your child. If your child is not immunised for whatever the reason, and there is an outbreak of a vaccine preventable disease, your child will be required to remain at home for the duration of the disease. Fees are still payable at this time.
Child Abuse
Staff are aware of and committed to the Centre’s duty of care to ensure that child abuse does not occur in the Centre, and that suspected or detected abuse is appropriately reported.
Each staff member signs a Prohibited Employment Declaration and is subjected to a Police check. Teachers and the Director are legally obliged to report suspicion of child abuse or child sexual assault to the Department of Community Services without notification to the parents. All suspected abuse will be mandatorily reported to the Helpline on 13 36 27.
Accident and Illness
If your child is involved in an accident whilst at St Ives Beehive Childcare, an accident report form will be filled out by a member of staff. The report will contain a description of the accident, the injury and the treatment given. The report will be available for parents to read and sign when they collect their child.
If the staff believe the child will need extra treatment or is more seriously injured, a parent will be notified immediately by staff. Similarly, if your child becomes unwell at Beehive, parents will be contacted to arrange collection of the child. If the parents can not be contacted, staff will use the emergency contacts from the child’s enrolment form to locate a person to collect the child.
Additional Needs
The Centre will provide access and support to all children including children with additional needs. Each child’s acceptance will be considered on an individual basis, and the Centre will treat each child as an individual and will support his/her own special needs. SUPPS at Hornsby (Ph: 9847 6535) can be contacted to assist staff and provide financial assistance.
Children’s Belongings
Please ensure that all clothes, shoes, toys, comforters, bottles, blankets, back-packs and so on, are clearly and permanently labelled. It’s best not to bring items of value to the Centre as these can be lost or broken. Staff do their best to ensure that possessions brought into the Centre are treated with care and respect, but this is not always possible; a lost and found box is located next to the front door.
Absence
Please exercise discretion if your child is unwell, or likely to transfer sickness to other children. If in doubt, please seek medical advice or consult the teacher. To ensure that all children are safe from sickness, the Centre follows the guidelines set out by the Department of Health in regards to diseases such as chickenpox, impetigo, measles etc.
Complaints
We are here for you and your child. We encourage parents with any concerns to bring them to the attention of staff or the Centre Director immediately so they can be dealt with promptly. We aim to address all concerns immediately, with the emphasis being placed on resolving issues in a professional manner. Alternatively, parents can complete a Comment/Concern Form (located at sign in/out desk) and place it in the Suggestion/Fees box.
If concerns still exist, then these can be addressed to:
NSW Department of Community Services
PO Box 974
EPPING NSW 1710
Ph: (02) 9202 5330
Fx: (02) 9202 5349
