Emma McLean Kindergarten and Daycare offer the following programs in 2024

3 year old Kindergarten - 15 hours per week

Yellow Group 

Wednesday and Friday 8.30am-4.00pm

Green Group 

Tuesday and Thursday 8.30am-4.00pm 

4 year old Kindergarten - 15 hours per week

Red Group

Tuesday and Thursday 8.30am-4.00pm 

Blue Group

Monday and Wednesday 8.30am - 4.00pm

Before Kinder Care Programs (BKC)

BKC is only available to the children in sessional kindergarten on the days that they attend kindergarten.

8.00am-8.30am

After Kinder Care Programs -  (AKC)

AKC is only available to the children in sessional kindergarten on the days that they attend kindergarten.

4.00pm-6.00pm

Long Daycare

Our Long Daycare Program operates

Monday-Friday 8.00am-6.00pm

Children booked in our Kindergarten programs will have preference for places in this program

FREE KINDERGARTEN AND FEE INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES

GENERAL INFORMATION

Kindergarten programs for four-year-old and eligible three-year-old children in Victorian Government funded services will be free as part of the Best Start, Best Life reform. This investment will save families up to $2,500 for each child enrolled in a participating funded kindergarten program.

DET also provides funding to assist eligible three-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and children known to Child Protection, to access kindergarten programs.

WHAT FREE KINDERGARTEN MEANS AT OUR SERVICE

Emma McLean Kindergarten and Daycare has opted into the Free Kindergarten initiative.

Applicable parent fees are outlined below:

• Funded sessional kindergarten for 3-year-old children (15 hours per week) – no parent fee required
• Funded sessional kindergarten for 4-year-old children (15 hours per week) - no parent fee required

FEES AND CHARGES

Full Day  (daily fee)                                            8.00am-6.00pm                                               $115.00

3 & 4 Year Old After Kinder Care                      4.00pm-6.00pm                                               $45.00

3 & 4 year old Before Kinder Care                     8.00am-8.30am                                               $15.00

ADDITIONAL HOURS AND/OR AFTER KINDER CARE FEES

Emma McLean Kindergarten and Daycare offers families additional days of care in the 3 and 4-year-old long daycare program, above the set 15 hours per week of sessional kindergarten (places are limited).

The additional hours are charged according to the daily fee rate as outlined in the statement of fees and charges.

Emma McLean Kindergarten and Daycare also offer before and after kinder care outside of the 15 hours per week (600 hours per year) sessional kindergarten programs. This fee is applicable to all families that require care before and/or after the kindergarten sessions.

PAYMENT OF FEES 

Fees are payable for hours over and above the 15 hours per week (600 hours per year) of sessional kindergarten and for the before and after kinder care programs.  The approved provider/Committee of Management will regularly review payment options and procedures to ensure that they are inclusive and sensitive to families’ cultural and financial situations.

Direct Debit details must be completed when completing the online enrolment form.

The Privacy and Confidentiality Policy of the service will be complied with at all times in relation to a family’s financial/personal circumstances.

Statement of fees and charges is available to parents/guardians directly via their XAP platform

Parents/guardians experiencing difficulty in paying fees are requested to contact the Centre Coordinator to arrange a suitable alternative payment plan. The Privacy and Confidentiality Policy of the service will be complied with at all times in relation to a family’s financial/personal circumstances.

UNPAID FEES

• The approved provider/Committee of Management reserves the right to employ the services of a debt collector.
• If a decision is made to withdraw the child’s place at the service, the parents/guardians will be provided with 14 days’ notice in writing.
• No further enrolments of children from the parents/guardians will be accepted until all outstanding fees have been paid.

REFUND OF FEES

In any other case, additional hours are non-refundable (exceptional circumstances may apply – these are at the discretion of the Committee of Management.

There will be no refund of these fees in the following circumstances:

• a child’s short-term illness
• public holidays
• family holiday during operational times
• closure of the service for one or more days when a qualified educator is absent, and a qualified reliever is not available
• closure of the service for staff training days
• closure of the service due to extreme and unavoidable circumstances.

In addition, there will be no refund where a family chooses not to send their child to the program for the maximum number of hours for which they are enrolled.

HOW FEES ARE PROCESSED

All fees are processed via direct debit from your chosen method ie; direct debit from your nominated bank account or credit card

Please note: An administration fee applies for each direct debit transaction and a surcharge applies if you choose to have your payments processed using your credit card.

OTHER CHARGES

Other charges levied by Emma McLean Kindergarten and Daycare are outlined on the Statement of fees and charges for additional hours.

These include:

• Excursion/service event charge: At times throughout the year an additional excursion(s) or event(s) may be arranged where it is considered relevant to the service’s program and the children’s interests. At this time any additional costs to families are taken into consideration before a decision is made (refer to Excursions and Service Events Policy).
• Late collection charge: The approved provider/Committee of Management reserves the right to implement a late collection charge when parents/guardians are frequently late in collecting a child from the service. This charge will be set at a level determined by the approved provider/Committee of Management.

CHILD CARE SUBSIDY

Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is an Australian Government subsidy that can assist eligible families with the costs of childcare at an approved childcare provider. Emma McLean Kindergarten and Daycare is an approved care provider.  Approved childcare are providers that meet certain standards and requirements and are approved by the Australian Government. For information on the Child Care Subsidy, refer to Free Kindergarten Information for Families

Approved child care providers must:

• hold the required approvals or licences to provide childcare in the state or territory that the service/s operate in
• ensure the provider and any individual who is or will be a Person with Management or Control of the Provider is fit and a proper person to administer the CCS (requirements set out in Section 194E of A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999.
• be financially viable and is likely to remain so
• ensure that required fit and proper checks are carried out for each Person with Management or Control of the Provider, Persons with Responsibility for Day-to-Day Operation of the Service
• The amount of subsidy received is determined by the circumstances of the applicant’s including the family income, the hourly rate cap and the hours of activity undertaken by the parents. Further information for parents can be found here: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/child-care-subsidy

FUNDRAISING AND VOLUNTARY PARENT CONTRIBUTION

Not all service costs are covered by DET per capita funding and the fees charged. We ask that our families pay a fundraising fee in lieu of regular fundraising events.  A voluntary contribution of $50 per family per year is requested to help pay for additional items and equipment purchases for the centre. Whilst the fundraising fee is voluntary the support of every family is encouraged. The centre does however conduct a small number of community events such as the children’s disco, bunnings sausage sizzle, providing an opportunity for our families and the community to come together.

HOURS OF OPERATION

Centre Closure - The centre is closed for 3 weeks over the Christmas -New Year period

Long Daycare programs - The centre operates Monday – Friday 8am-6pm 49 weeks of the year. 

Sessional Kindergarten programs - Sessional Kindergarten operates on the same timetable as the Victorian school term dates and does not operate in school holiday periods

Operational Hours

Red Group                8.30am-4.00pm

Blue Group               8.30am-4.00pm

Green Group            8.30am-4.00pm

Yellow Group           8.30am-4.00pm

Long Daycare           8.00am-6.00pm

Children who have not turned three before the commencement of the year

Children are not able to commence before their 3rd birthday

To hold a place at the service, the full daily fee is required for all long daycare days booked prior to the childs start date.

Note:  CCS cannot be applied for these days prior to the child's start date.