Frequently Asked Questions

We’ve included below the questions we are most commonly asked by families when considering childcare options.

 

If your question doesn’t appear here, please Make an Enquiry with us via the button below and we’ll come back to you as soon as possible.

Enrolment Questions

What is the best timing for my child to start attending childcare?

If you are returning to work, we recommend your child starts with us at least two weeks before you start back at work. This helps to get your child settled with their new routine. It’s a big change for your child and also for you as a parent. Allowing some space around this important transition is very helpful for families. That way, when you return to work, you don’t need to be worrying about your child during your first few days back because your child has already begun to settle into the new routine. We find this approach helps parents have a good start back into the workforce.

Unfortunately, we can’t. It’s not possible to accurately predict availability next year or even in three months’ time. Particularly for Centres that are at or near capacity. Availability depends on the movements of children between rooms and going to school. Those movements happen throughout the year, but we cannot guarantee the availability of a place even if your child has been on the waiting list.

No, we don’t. We believe that when attending only once a week, children don’t get the continuity they need to build familiarity and feel comfortable with their Educators, environment and peers. This hinders their progress and negatively impacts their experience, and the experience of others. Enrolling your child for at least two days a week helps them to settle and build strong bonds with their peers and Educators. It also ensures your child can participate in the curriculum program in a meaningful way, and we can fully support their learning and development.

The availability of places depends on many factors, including children’s movements between rooms and going to school. Those movements happen throughout the year, but we cannot guarantee availability more than 6 weeks in advance.

We are a Long Day Care provider, not an Occasional Care provider. That is why we cannot provide occasional care or swap days of care on an ‘ad-hoc’ basis. Casual bookings are available to enrolled families as additional days (where availability permits) but can’t be swapped for regular enrolled days.

Centrelink & Childcare Subsidy

Am I entitled to Child Care Subsidy (CCS)? And how much will it be?

The CCS is a fee subsidy provided by the Federal Government to families of children attending accredited childcare services. It is a contract between the Federal Government and parents of children attending those services, but is administered by childcare services on behalf of families. Families can check their eligibility via the Centrelink Payment and Service Finder. Eligibility for CCS is assessed and determined by the Federal Government on combined family income, the activity level of both parents and the type of childcare service. We can provide you with information about fees for our service to help you determine an estimate of your CCS percentage via the government’s online calculator: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/how-much-child-care-subsidy-you-can-get

A Customer Reference Number (CRN) is a unique identification number issued to you by Centrelink. To be able to claim Childcare Subsidy (CCS) from the government, you will need a CRN for your child and a CRN for you as a parent. We recommend you check your eligibility for CCS and apply for the CRNs with Centrelink as early as possible in your childcare search to make sure your CRNs come through from Centrelink by the time you are ready to enrol: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/child-care-subsidy

As your family circumstances change, your CCS eligibility will also change. Therefore you must advise Centrelink of any changes in circumstances. The amount of fees to be paid may vary, and eligibility for a subsidy may change as a result. Your CCS entitlement is determined by the government. Your childcare provider has no power to decide, change or influence your entitlements.

Centre Operations

Is food provided for my child or do I need to pack food for them?

Yes, we provide breakfast, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. Menus change seasonally in line with our food philosophy. We are passionate about providing an enticing food experience for children. Meals are prepared on-site, nutritionally balanced, flavoursome and rich in textures. We believe in the importance of the social aspect of eating experiences and incorporate that into our daily routines. We can support allergies, intolerances and most cultural preferences. Our Centre Chefs play a part in the educational programs through food experiences. Children are involved in growing food and understanding where food comes from and the core principles of healthy eating.

 

Whilst our Centre is an extension of the family, we encourage families to call throughout the day rather than visit as we do find that families visiting during the day can be disruptive for children. That’s why we place emphasis on a thorough orientation so that your family is comfortable to leave your child for extended periods. The exception to this general recommendation is for breastfeeding.

The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations were introduced as a key recommendation from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. All Australian organisations working with children must demonstrate how they implement the principles to ensure children are kept safe from harm. More information: https://paisleypark.com.au/quality-and-safety-standards/

Health regulations state that children suffering from infectious diseases must be isolated from other children and therefore excluded from the Centre for specific periods of time. Our Parent Handbook provides specific details about what to do in case of illness: https://go.fliplink.me/view/paisleypark-handbook

We have several measures in place at our Centres to ensure the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness. We use cleaning registers to make sure that scheduled cleaning practices are routinely followed by our staff. There are also handwashing stations throughout our Centres, and children are taught proper handwashing techniques as part of their daily routine. In addition, professional cleaners attend each centre every evening during the week to thoroughly clean the service.

Educators & Rooms

Will it be the same Educators in my child’s room at all times?

We understand the importance of the bonds your child develops with their Educators. That is why we focus on maximising the continuity of our Educators during our operational hours. Even though we have core teams in each room, we work as a team across the Centre so that all our Educators are familiar with all of the children in our care.

We don’t automatically transition children as soon as they reach a certain age. We need to make sure children are ready for the new environment. We take into account several factors around the child and their readiness and work closely with families on the decision.

The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) is the regulatory body that oversees and enforces Australia’s Education and Care Services National Law that all Australian Childcare Providers must abide by.

 

One of the provisions of the national law is around Educator-to-child ratios. Meeting minimum ratios is an essential obligation for all childcare providers to ensure child safety and quality of education.

 

‘Under the Roof’ ratios is a colloquial term for the ‘Whole of Centre’ ratio guidelines set out by ACECQA. The number of Educators required is calculated based on all children in attendance at the Centre, regardless of grouping or room configuration. ie. Ratios are calculated across the whole Centre, not within individual rooms.

 

ACECQA’s intent is that childcare providers can “flexibly arrange Educators in a way that effectively responds to the needs of all children”

 

Further information is available in Section 4.4 of the National Quality Framework: https://www.acecqa.gov.au/national-quality-framework/guide-nqf/section-4-operational-requirements/quality-area-4-staffing-arrangements

Class sizes vary from Centre to Centre but are generally around 20-30 children. We always meet our regulatory obligations for child-to-educator ratios to ensure child safety and quality of education and care. Our Centre Directors are hands-on and support our Educators in caring for children.

Starting Childcare

How many orientation visits can my child have?

We encourage families to schedule two orientation sessions the week before their child’s first day. This allows your child to become familiar with the room, Educators and other children while you are still present. It is also an opportunity to make sure you have everything you need as a parent to ensure a smooth transition into care for your family.

Once you complete enrolment, we will send you a fact sheet that includes information on what to bring for your child. It is also covered in our Parent Handbook.

Building community is an important part of how we operate. To help enrolled families connect with each other and our team, we hold regular events, in-house and beyond, as part of our Community Engagement Program.

Some children settle quickly, while others need additional support. On average, it takes between 6 to 12 weeks for a child to develop deeper familiarity with their new environment. We recommend that families discuss their child’s needs during the enrolment process, as additional orientation visits may be required to support the child’s smooth transition into care.

3 Steps to Happier, Healthier, Confident Children

Kid having a thumbs up

1. Make an Enquiry

Get in touch with our Enrolments Manager Jo to talk about your childcare options.

 

Get answers to all your questions and find out everything you want to know about your nearest Paisley Park Early Learning Centre.

2. Book a Tour

Take a personal tour with our Centre Director to see the centre for yourself.

 

Come and meet the team and get a sense of how things run and how the children interact with each other and their Educators.

Childcare-Happy-Girl
Smiling Girl Icon

3. Enrol Your Child

Once you’ve decided that Paisley Park is the right choice for your family, you’re ready to enrol.

 

At some centres there is a waitlist and we’ll add you to our priority list for when a place becomes available.

Call Us Now On 1800 724 753

Join our Waitlist.

please wait...