The Island Parent Handbook Content Welcome Philosophy Goals Gaining a position at the Island Signing your Child in/out Types of Care Transport Service Fees Our Educators and Facilitators What to Bring Individual Children Management plans Authorised Persons to Collect your Child
Collecting Children procedure Emergency Contacts Late Fees Absences Belongings Child Care Benefit Program Inclusion Computer Use Computers, Television, Video Games, Electronic Games
Celebrations Emergency Procedures Grievances and Complaints Code of Conduct Thank you
WELCOME TO
THE ISLAND BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE The Island is a private, Christian based multi purpose before, after and
vacation care service dedicated to striving for excellence in the care and development of your child. The island is fully licensed by the Department of Community Services. Treasure Island has an active Parent and Friend’s Committee that meets regularly to discuss the centre’s operations and gives parents a forum where they can talk freely with centre management and have input into the centre.
The Island is part of the Treasure Island Childcare Group and is licensed to accept children from 5-12 years of age.
The Island Educators are all dedicated, highly skilled and motivated members of a close knit team. At The Island we try to foster a “family” atmosphere.
Our Educators are continually furthering their knowledge by attending “in
service” training courses to keep current in their chosen profession. We also act as a student placement centre for TAFE, University and other college students. By having these students from time to time it enables a two way flow of ideas and information. Our Educators will readily admit that quite often they gain as much from student placements as the students gain themselves.
As a service to the community we also accept work experience students from local high schools and other community organisations.
The Island does not require our parents to perform roster duty days or any
other form of mandatory involvement. Of course, if you would like to volunteer to help in the centre then there are numerous ways you can assist as much or a little as you like.
The following information in this hand book will assist you and your child to settle into life at The Island with a minimum of stress and a maximum of enjoyment and confidence.
Aim and Ethos The Island follows and endorses mainstream Christian principles and beliefs. We understand that children come from differing cultures and beliefs and we value this diversity and recognize the importance of meeting family and individual values.
Gaining a Position at the Island An enrolment form must be filled out before your child can attend The Island Program. No child will be accepted unless an enrolment form is completed. Please ensure that your emergency contact is reliable, Please designate who is able to pick up your child, All medical and behavioural information must be placed on the form, Parents must inform the program of any changes of contact numbers and address, If you have sole custody of a child a copy of the court order is to be kept on file in a lockable file. Immunisation Evidence
We have a registered number of places for each program. Once maximum enrolments are received, any further applications are placed on a waiting list and contacted by the Co-ordinator when a place becomes available.
Signing In/out Book All children must be signed in and out on the attendance sheets; for Before & After School Care, as well as Vacation Care with the time and signature of the responsible person or parent/caregiver. These legal documents are available in the foyer. Please don’t allow your Child to sign themselves in or out.
If a parent/caregiver sends an unauthorised person to collect a child, a letter of authority or a phone call, is required. A licence or appropriate identification must be sighted and be over the age of 18
If your child’s name is highlighted on the attendance sheet, this requires a parent/caregiver to speak to staff
Types of care At the island we cater for before school care, after school care, vacation care and pupil free days.
Before and after school care Our fantastic Educators will pick up your child/ren from just about any local school. The Children are provided with afternoon tea and an Educational and fun program.
Before School Care Monday to Friday
6.30am – 8.45am
Busses depart the island to drop the Children at their school between 8.00am – 8.45am.
After School Care Monday to Friday
3.oopm – 6.30pm
Children will be collected from the schools on the busses and brought to The island.
Vacation Care
We provide a great vacation care program. We have many exciting events that the Children can take part in At the Island we recognise that Holiday periods do not always fall at the same time as state schools, if this occurs The Island is always willing to try to accommodate you and your Family.
The island will provide 8 weeks of vacation care per year. This will be over the following periods:
Term 1: Term 2: Term 3: Term 4:
Two weeks commencing end of term 1 Two weeks commencing end of term 2 Two weeks commencing end of term 3 Two weeks prior to the return of Term 1 for the new year (Mid January with dates to be determined each year.)
Monday to Friday
7:00am– 6.30pm
Public Holidays The Centre is closed on most Public Holidays – fees will apply if child normally attends the Before/Afteror Vacation care on this day.
Pupil Free Days The centre is open on state Pupil Free Days- fees will apply if child normally attends Before/After or Vacation care on this day.
Transport All children are transported to and from school in our busses. The are all fully air-conditioned with ABS breaks, fire extinguishers, first Aid Kits and the drivers are licensed to drive the busses. We always send two staff on the school pick ups/drop offs, one to drive and one to supervise and ensure all the Children are safe and wearing their seatbelts. Staff discuss limits with children each term. Please ensure your child/ren are aware of these limits. Be aware of the safety for everyone, when getting on and off the bus We never distract the driver When getting on the bus walk to the back of the bus and find an empty seat, keeping in mind younger children first as they require a booster seat. Place your seat belt on We never eat food on the bus. Behave so that the journey is enjoyable for all, we never Jump, use bad language, yell or fight. We never take off seat belts until the bus has stopped and an Educator has opened the side door. Please look after our bus
Fees All Fees are to be paid weekly, Fortnightly, or monthy. The keep current with the time we only offer Direct Debit for payments . Any direct debit thatis dishoned will incur a fee of _________ . It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to ensure that fees are paid on time. If you experience any delays or difficulties in paying fees please contact someone in the office.
Food and Refreshments Before School Care Breakfast will be provided by the Centre for your Child to have on arrival. Drinks including milk and juice options will be readily available.
After School Care The Centre will provide appetising snacks which will vary form day to day but will always include a fruit and dairy option. Drinks will be readily available.
Educators and Facilitators At the island we pride ourselves on having Educators and Facilitators that are not only fun but also caring. Dawn and Darryl oversee Treasure Island Childcare Centre and The Island. The have both been active members in the Childcare industry for over 30 years, and as such demand a high expectations from their service and the Educators who work for them. The Island works on a 1:15 staff ratio and complies with the National regulations for Childcare in NSW. You will find our staff to be friendly and enthusiastic. Please spend time getting to know them and ask any questions you have.
Individual Child’s Management Plan Upon enrolment, any child that has severe allergies or medical needs that require immediate use of an Epi-Pen or urgent administration of medication must supply the Centre with a Management Plan. This will outline to all staff the appropriate action to be taken if your child has a medical need or allergic reaction to food, pollens, bee stings etc
Persons authorised to collect a child A child/ren will be released into the care of either parent, a guardian or a responsible person into whose care a custodial parent/guardian has signed permission for the child to be released. This may include persons nominated on the Enrolment Form as Emergency Contacts to collect the child/ren or persons nominated to collect the child/ren on specific occasions. It is the responsibility of the custodial parent to ensure that St Monica’s Out of Hours School Care is informed on any changed to the nominated persons. A child/ren will not be permitted to leave the Centre with anyone unknown to staff. If a child is to be picked up by someone not nominated on the Enrolment Form, a signed note must be provided by the parent or guardian prior to the child being collected. Any persons collecting a child for the first time will be asked to show proof of their identification (and may be asked by different staff members at different times) The Centre staff will not be responsible where a child is removed from the Centre by a non-custodial parent (despite the efforts of the staff). In such cases the Centre will make every effort to contact the custodial parent and the police immediately.
Procedure to Collect Children – After School Care The Centre should also be advised if the child/ren go home sick during the day. It is not the siblings, nor the schools responsibility to inform The Island.
Emergency Contacts Parents/Guardians must provide the Centre with the name, contact phone number and address of at least 2 people who can collect the child in case of an emergency or illness When contacted by the Centre, the parent or responsible person nominated by the parent must go immediately to the Centre to collect the sick or injured child.
Late Fees
Children must be picked up from the Centre by 6.00pm. A fee of $1.00 per minute per family will be applied from 6.00pm onwards. This is not subject to negotiation. After 30 minutes if the parent/guardian or Emergency Contact person cannot be contacted, then the Children’s Emergency Service and/or Police will be called.
Belongings All your child’s belongings must be clearly marked with their name. All unmarked items that are lost will be placed in our lost property box for four weeks then donated to charity if un- claimed. We will put up a sign just prior to the donation suggesting parents check the lost property. The service recognises that children sometimes bring their own toys (named) to school, however children are responsible for these toys whilst at the program. Toys that are not named and left at the Centre will go in to general use. The Centre does not take any responsibility for toys, games, mobile phones, etc., children bring from home.
Child Care Benefit The Island is a fully approved Child Care Centre with full benefits to apply. If a rebate is applicable, the Centre Coordinator will support you in completing the application to obtain this.
Child Care Benefit (CCB) is a subsidy to parents that is paid through the centre in the form of a Reduction in child care fees. CCB can only be claimed for actual child care fees, not any other item we may bill you for.
How to Apply To be able to receive CCB you must apply to the Family Assistance Office (FAO). CCB application forms are available from the service. Once approved, you will be given an approval number and a percentage for payment. This percentage will vary according to gross family income etc, and gradually reduces as family income increases.
How it Works Once your entitlement has been approved, you will receive a letter from the FAO advising you of your approval details. You will need to bring this approval letter to the service for us to obtain the necessary information to claim CCB for you.
Please note the following; The FAO will not backdate approvals, but will date all approvals from the date they receive your CCB application even if they take some time to process it. You should apply for CCB as soon as possible to avoid paying full fees for any weeks prior to your CCB application being dated. A family with one or more non working parents will be limited to not more than 24 hours of CCB per week (Your child can attend more hours, you will just not receive CCB for the hours in excess of 24). Families with both parents working are entitled to claim up to 50 hours per week in CCB. Each child may have up to 30 absent days each CCB year (July to June) and still receive CCB for those days. If your child is absent from The Island on an enrolled day, you must sign the absence register for those days absent when your child returns. Please note that this is a FAO requirement and if you don’t endeavor to sign the absence register then the FAO may require you to repay your CCB for any absent days you haven’t signed for (we know that this can be inconvenient to remember to do, but it isn’t our rule, it’s the FAO’s rule, sorry !)
How CCB is Paid Once you have obtained approval to claim CCB and brought in your approval letter to us, the rest is automatic. We submit your weekly usage information to the department via an encrypted internet link and the department calculates the actual dollar value of your CCB entitlement and remits that amount to us, which we deduct from your fees payable.
CCB Payment Issues The FAO review all CCB approvals constantly during the year. The FAO is generally very efficient in advising families of changes to their CCB approval. Unfortunately, experience has shown that in a few cases the first indication that a CCB approval has been reviewed by the FAO is a larger than expected fee account. If you do receive an unexpectedly large fee statement that has resulted from your CCB being reviewed or cancelled and you are at a loss to understand why, you should follow the following procedure; CCB we will credit your account with adjustments due.
If the monetary value of your CCB has been reduced significantly and you have difficulty paying your fees, please let us know so that we can assist. Please note that under the new CCB payment system, we no longer calculate your entitlements at the service, they are calculated by the department and sent to us. If there is a problem with the amount of CCB you have received, this needs to be taken up with the Family Assistance Office by you directly.
Other CCB Issues If you think your CCB is either too much or not enough, ask us to confirm your CCB de- tails, calculations, days and hours of care and approval date. If the information we hold is correct, then you must contact the FAO and ask them to review your approval details. Be aware that the FAO data match with the ATO and other departments. Significant changes in income, both increases or decreases, must be advised to the FAO as soon as possible.
OTHER CCB ISSUES The FAO will seek to recover overpaid CCB from the families concerned. If you have had or are having a temporary reduction in income, you should advise the FAO as you may be entitled to higher CCB for the duration of any income shortfall. If you have applied for Child Care Benefit and have already paid full fees, we will automatically back date any benefit to the earliest date possible to obtain the maximum assistance for you. The Family Assistance Office reviews Child Care Benefits paid to individual clients frequently during the year and if there are any changes to your approved entitlements, these are communicated to both yourselves and the service. The Family Assistance Office reviews Child Care Benefits paid to individual clients frequently during the year and if there are any changes to your approved entitlements, these are communicated to both yourselves and the service.
Program Children are encouraged to discuss activities & plan their program together with Educators. These ideas are then given to the Educators to implement along with other activities they would like to do during that day or over the weekly program. Children are given opportunities to modify their program to meet their individual needs, interests & abilities throughout the week. Each day the opportunities for free play, craft, sports, board games, playground, activity colouring sheets, computer games, T.V., reading, homework and quiet time will be made available The Island’s Program is committed to nurturing and extending each child’s cognitive, physical, emotional and intellectual development in a child-friendly, supportive and fun environment. The service offers a planned, flexible and balanced program, which will respond to children, parents/caregivers and staff needs. Within the children’s program, the service provides learning experiences that expose children to many different and varied subjects. Special events such as celebrations, video and fancy dress days are also undertaken All staffing arrangements are made within the recommended National Standards staff/child ratios. Children and parents are given the opportunity to evaluate their programs through surveys and feedback to staff.
Inclusion The Island offers a non discriminative approach to programming, which is inclusive of all children. Consideration is given to factors such as culture, ethnicity, language, gender, social class and ability when planning the children’s program. The program responds to individual needs, interest and request by providing a range of activities for all children attending the service. The children’s program offers a balance of activities, ensuring flexibility and providing for child-initiated activities. Children and parents/caregivers input is valued when Educators are preparing the program to ensure that it meets the needs of all concerned at all times. The Island ensures that all children including those with additional needs participate in the planned activities of all Children’s Services program.
Computer Use Children are allowed under supervision to access the Computers and access to the Internet. Parents/caregivers and children will be required to sign an agreement with regards to Internet Code of Conduct.
Computers, Television, Video Games, Electronic Games The program endeavours to reflect children’s interests in the program, therefore activities such as videos, television, computers and electronic games will be offered within a balanced program of activities. The amount of time children can participate in these activities will, however, be limited. The service will ensure that the content of program and games will be appropriate for all children present and will not contain any physical or verbal violence or ridicule. These activities will be limited to C and G ratings. On occasions PG videos/dvd’s/ electronic games may be viewed under supervision of staff. Parents can request their children to not view these by indicating on their enrolment form then alternate activities will be arranged to meet their needs.
Celebrations & Festivities The OSHC program acknowledges that celebrations and festivals assist children to learn about other people and cultures. To facilitate this, the service will endeavour to include a variety of celebrations and festivities throughout the year within the children’s program. The program will include a range of experiences representing everyday life, and celebrations will not focus on one specific festival or aspect of the culture. Children are, however, encouraged to celebrate festivities related to their culture or lifestyle.
Emergency Procedures Emergency procedures are displayed in each room and will be implemented in the event of any emergency in the Centre. Please follow the direction of the person in c harge. At various times in the year we will practice an emergency drills so the Children and educators know what to do.
Grievance and Complaints If you have any concerns about any aspect of our service, please address them to:
Code of Conduct Staff discuss children’s conduct each term. Please ensure your child is aware of their rights/limits. Socially interact in a safe environment Be accepted, respected and valued as an individual Be given a fair hearing Travel to and from school & excursions safely and without harassment
Children’s responsibilities Recognise and respect the rights of others Accept, respect and value others as individuals Respect all property Express themselves in an acceptable manner
Code of Conduct for Parents/Caregivers Parents/caregivers do not have the right to speak to other children. Parents/caregivers cannot discipline other children. There will be no swearing or raised voices
Code of Conduct for Staff Socially interact in a safe environment Be accepted, respected and valued as an individual Be given a fair hearing Staff members have the right to ask a person to leave the premises if they or the children feel intimidated or threatened in any way
Thank You Thank You for Choosing The Island as you Childs care provider. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.