Long day care and kindergarten differ primarily in purpose, hours, and target age group.

Long day care provides extended hours of care year-round for children from six weeks to school age, catering mainly to working parents by offering a structured environment with play, learning activities, meals, and rest times.

In contrast, kindergarten focuses on early childhood education for children aged 3 to 5, operating for shorter hours (about 15 hours per week) during school terms, with a structured curriculum designed to prepare children for school.

Fees for long day care are generally higher, with the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) available to help cover costs, while kindergarten sessions are fully funded by the Victorian Government.

It is highly recommended, and generally children are toilet trained by the time they start kindergarten, however this may not always be the case. Each child is unique, and they all learn and develop at their own pace. If your child is becoming toilet independent, please just let the teacher know. Even when a child is able to use the toilet independently, an occasional accident is normal. We ask that a change of clothes is kept in the child’s bag in case of accidents.

There may be a small number of children who would benefit from a second year of 3YO or 4YO kindergarten, however a second year of kindergarten is never guaranteed. Your child may be eligible if they have developmental delays in at least two key areas of learning and development.  If your child’s teacher believes your child would benefit from a second year of four-year-old kindergarten, they will discuss your options with you through out the year.

If your child turns six in their first or second year of four-year-old kindergarten, you must get an exemption from their intended school.

Applications for all Kindergarten, Long Day Care and Occasional Care programs can be made through the enrolment page on the GRPSA website.

ENROLMENTS | Goulburn Region Preschool Association 

Step 1: Please select which service you would like to apply for

Step 2: Complete the appropriate registration application form

Step 3:  Notification will be via email. Once this is submitted and a place is available

Step 4: Our Service will be in contact with you and an enrolment form will be emailed out to be completed before your child can start

Under the ‘No Jab, No play’ legislation that came into force on 28 February 2018, children are required to be fully vaccinated for their age before they can be enrolled in a kindergarten program.

Conscientious objection is not an exemption.

To have your child’s enrolment confirmed, you need to provide:

• a current Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register,

and

• the statement must show your child is up to date with all vaccinations that are due for their age. Or they’re up to date with the vaccinations they’re able to receive.

This is known as “No Jab No Play”.

The immunisation history statement from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) is the only document accepted for enrolments this can be accessed through MyGov or contacting the AIR, Services Australia office. Letters from GPs or local councils are not accepted.

You can find out more about No Jab No Play on the Better Health Channel.

Parents and carers can print a copy of their child’s Immunisation History Statement from their myGov account or:

• the Express Plus Medicare mobile app
• call the AIR on 1800 653 809
• visit a Services Australia Office (Medicare or Centrelink)

Families who do not hold a Medicare card must call the AIR to request an immunisation history statement. A translating and interpreting service is available by calling 131 450, Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.45pm

Kindergarten places are allocated based on the priority of access outlined in our Enrolment and Orientation Policy. This follows the guidelines set by the Victorian Government. First round offers are made to eligible children, and those who do not receive an offer in the first round are placed on a waitlist. This waitlist is used in case any initial offers are not accepted.

If your child has been offered a place at a kindergarten which has multiple groups, the group placements are allocated after all the applications have closed. Closure of applications are on 30th June. We will send an email for preferences of groups following this date. You will be notified of these group placements by the end of October.

Xplor Home, is our all-in-one communication app designed to seamlessly connect families with our services. With Xplor Home, families can easily sign their children in and out of the service, receive communication directly from the service, request extra bookings, and view and pay their accounts.

You can download the app from the Google Play Store or Apple Store.

You will receive a link to sign up upon the enrolment of your child. If you have not received the link please contact admin@grpsa.com.au

• A bag – one that your child can manage/carry independently and can store ALL their belongings
• Change of clothes (appropriate for weather conditions) – children have accidents which are not always toilet related. Messy play is encouraged so extra clothes may be required or they may spill food/drink over themselves
• A drink bottle – water only is preferred
• A lunchbox – packed with morning tea and lunch.
• Shoes – should be comfortable, strong and sturdy to support children’s involvement in all areas of the kindergarten environment especially outdoors eg climbing, running
• A Hat – Opt for broad-brimmed or legionnaire-style hats that provide shade not only to the face but also the neck and ears. To avoid mix-ups and the safe return of misplaced hats, make sure that your child’s is clearly named.

For some children this can be their first time in an early childhood setting and for some parents this may be the first time leaving your child.

Separation and settling in can be challenging, but is also very much the norm.

Discuss concerns with your child’s educator/teacher for strategies that will support you and your child during this transition.

Most importantly be honest and have faith in the teacher/educator.

When your child is going to be absent from Childcare/Kindergarten you need to let your service know.

Kindergarten: 

You are able to let us know if your child is unwell or away for a planned holiday on the Xplor Home App by submitting an absence request OR you can call the service

Long Day Care

You are able to let us know if your child is unwell or away for a planned holiday on the Xplor Home App by submitting an attendance request. A courtesy call/email to the service is also appreciated.

For families accessing CCS for Long Day Care or Out of School/Kinder hours Care, normal session fees are charged during absences including illness, holidays and public holidays. The only exceptions are when the service is closed for the Christmas/New Year period, and GRPSA annual conference.

It’s important you tell your service so they can accurately record the absence. If absences are not noted accurately, Services Australia can’t pay your CCS correctly.

How many absences you can get

You can get up to 42 allowable absence days per child each financial year. If you reach your allowable absence limit, you may be able to get additional absences. More information can be found online at Services Australia – Child Care Subsidy if your child is absent from child care – Child Care Subsidy – Services Australia

Parents are to provide 14 days written notice of their intention to withdraw a child from the service. This needs to be done in writing by completing a cancellation of care form and emailing to the service or to admin@grpsa.com.au.

Cancellation of Care Form

Services Australia won’t pay CCS for any absences before your child physically attends or after the last day your child physically attends care. You’ll need to pay full fees for these days.  Eg. A parent gives the service 2 weeks written notice of cease of care. The child does not attend during those last 1 week of the notice period. No CCS will be paid on those sessions – full fees will be payable.

All fees are due 14 days from the date of invoice (this date is the Statement Generated date on Xplor statements). All fees not paid by due dates will be deemed outstanding.

Any fees or charges incurred due to insufficient funds being available for direct debit payments will be the responsibility of the parent/guardian. Families will incur the rejected payment fee of $19.95 per each rejection.

Should a direct debit payment be unsuccessful, 1 further payment attempt will be made. If the second payment attempt is unsuccessful, the account will be deemed to be outstanding and the Fee Collection Process – Outstanding Accounts will apply. See GRPSA Fees Policy.

Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is financial assistance from the Australian Government to help with child care costs. It’s available for various types of care like long day care and outside school hours care. It is the responsibility of each family to submit a claim for Childcare Subsidy (CCS) and cannot be done by the service.

How to Apply for Child Care Subsidy (CCS)

To be eligible, ensure you:
Care for a child 13 or younger not in secondary school.
Use an approved child care service.
Pay the child care fees.
Meet residency and immunisation requirements.

Create a MyGov Account:
Go to my.gov.au, create an account, and link it to Centrelink.

Complete CCS Assessment:
Log in to MyGov, go to Centrelink, and fill out the CCS assessment with your family’s income, work/study activities, and other details.
Submit your CCS claim through MyGov. You might need to provide documents like proof of income. Centrelink will review your claim and inform you of the outcome.

Please note, CCS can take up to 6 weeks to be approved, however Centrelink will backpay CCS from the date that you submitted your application.

Confirming CCS Enrolment:

Open Centrelink, either via your app or MyGov. Go to Tasks – there will be a pending task for you to complete

Read through and confirm and submit the enrolment. (Please note, there will be no fee or bookings showing as if you are enrolled on a casual basis rather than a permanent basis)

From your Xplor Home App, in the finance section you are able to accept the CWA Agreement and confirm at the bottom. (There will be no fee or bookings showing if you are enrolled on a casual basis rather than a permanent basis).

The Child Care Subsidy will be paid directly to providers to be passed on to families as a fee reduction. Families will make a co-contribution to their child care fees and pay to the provider the difference between the fee charged and the subsidised amount (gap fee).

If a statutory public holiday falls on a day that your child would normally attend care and you receive CCS for this, it would be counted as an absence.

However, no fees will be charged when Services are closed over the Christmas period.

The hourly rate cap for children below school age for centre-based care is $14.29 as of July 2024.

In addition to Child Care Subsidy, there may be other benefits or support available for families, such as additional subsidies for low-income families, support for children with special needs, or access to early childhood education programs. It is best to check with Centrelink for information on additional benefits or support.

Firstly, it is important to note, Centrelink can at their discretion and with no notification to the service, remove previously paid CCS or pay CCS direct to the parent. Any queries relating to CCS need to be raised directly with Centrelink.

Your rate of childcare subsidy may change due to various factors, including:

Changes in income – Childcare subsidy eligibility and the amount received are based on your family’s income. If your income increases or decreases, it can impact your subsidy rate. Higher income may result in a lower subsidy, while a decrease in income may lead to an increase in subsidy.

Changes in family size– If you have a new child or a child leaves your household, it can affect your subsidy rate. Additional children may increase the subsidy, while a decrease in the number of children may result in a lower subsidy.

Changes in activity level – Childcare subsidy eligibility is based off the activity level of both parents, such as work, study, or training. If there are changes in your or your partner’s activity level, it can impact your subsidy rate. For example, if you or your partner start working more hours, it may lead to a decrease in subsidy.

Changes in government policies – Childcare subsidy programs are subject to government policies and regulations. Changes in these policies, such as adjustments to income thresholds or subsidy rates, can result in changes to your subsidy rate. It is important to notify Centrelink promptly about any changes in your circumstances to ensure that your subsidy rate is adjusted accordingly.

CCS estimations are provided to the service each week via Centrelink. CCS% displayed may be subject to change after the actuals are paid, which can take up to 28 days.

Please note, Centrelink withhold 5% of your CCS which is paid to parents at the end of the financial year, if they have not paid enough CCS throughout the year.

For in-depth details on the Child Care Subsidy visit their website or contact the Department directly on 1300 566 046.