If you have a question that we haven’t covered for you in the below, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via phone or email.

 

1. What are your centre hours?

6.30am – 6.30pm Mon – Fri. We are closed on Weekends & Public Holidays

2. Do you offer occasional care?

No – we are a Long Day Care approved provider.

3. Do you offer casual bookings?

Yes – if your child is enrolled for a minimum of one permanent booked day, you can enrol your child for additional casual days, subject to availability.

4. What does your daily fee include?

• Nappies
• Wipes
• Sunscreeen
• 5 Meals daily (Breakfast, Morning Tea, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Late Snack)
• Specialist Programs – including – Playground to Plate®, Art Classes, Yoga & Mindfulness, Sport & Music

5. How many Children’s rooms are there at Fitzroy ELC?

There are 8 children’s rooms in total that all open out to our playground and outdoor spaces. View our rooms.

6. What is the ratio of children to educators?

• Children under three – 4 children to 1 educator
• Children over three – 11 children to 1 educator

*We often staff over and above ratio to cover educator breaks.

7. Is there off street parking available?

Yes – you can enter our dedicated car park from Spring Street, behind the centre. There is keypad access from our car park into the centre.

8. How do I access the centre?

Access to Fitzroy ELC from Nicholson Street and our car park is by keying a code into a keypad – families will be provided this code following orientation. These doors don’t open automatically to passers by.

9. Do you have an integrated kinder program at Fitzroy ELC?

Yes, we do. Our funded kinder program is delivered in our age appropriate rooms by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher.

10. Do educators & teachers need to be qualified to work in the rooms?

Yes – they are qualified with one or more of the following:

• Certificate III in children’s services
• Diploma in children’s services
• Degree qualified as an Early Childhood Teacher

11. Have the educators had background checks?

Yes – all educators must hold a current working with children check & also have undergone and hold a current police check.

12. Can I reduce/increase my days after care has started?

We ask for four weeks notice in writing for any changes to your child’s booked days. Your request will be placed on an internal waitlist and offered to you as soon as we have availability to accommodate your request.

13. I registered via the website but I haven’t received an offer for care – why is that?

Offers have only been made to families that required care either when we opened the service, or soon after. It’s not possible for us to offer enrolments to families and their children needing care in excess of a month in advance as we are unable to forecast availability.

14. What happens if my child’s booked day falls on a Public Holiday?

We are closed on public holidays. You will still be charged for that booked day if it falls on a PH. The reason for this is that our educators are employed on a permanent/full time basis in order to ensure consistency of educators in each of our rooms to support the development of bonds and relationships – these educators are still paid for this day that they would have otherwise been working. If your child was due to attend on a day that falls on a public holiday, it will be counted as an absence and you will still be subject to receiving the Childcare Subsidy so that you only need to pay the gap – see here for more information if your child is absent from care.

15. How do I get the childcare subsidy?

Please visit the department of human services website to best understand how the Childcare subsidy works and how to apply online. We recommend that families do this early so that their subsidy is approved and ready by the time care for their child commences.

16. How is the curriculum developed?

The development of our program/curriculum is based on the National Quality Standards & Framework – and the Early Years Framework which guides our practice for programming.

17. How do find out about my child’s activity while at Fitzroy ELC, like what they’ve eaten, etc.?

With each family’s permission, we use a program called Kinder M8 – this is an application that can be logged into via your desktop or mobile device and will be our main communication channel for communication with families about daily information relating to your child.

18. Who can drop off/pick up my child from Fitzroy ELC?

Only those people that are nominated in your child’s enrolment form. These authorised people will need to sign your child in and out using a digital Kiosk that can be accessed from an iPad inside your child’s room.

19. Do you cater for vegetarian children?

Yes – our menu is adapted each and everyday to accommodate children with a preference for vegetarian food. We are a nut-free, egg friendly centre. View our seasonal, rotating menu.

20. Can I bring my child’s favourite food into the centre?

No – we have a strict policy that prohibits bringing food into the centre, so that we can avoid cross-contamination and compromising children with allergies.

21. Do you have a holiday fee if my family goes on holidays?

No.

22. How does orientation work?

We ask parents to bring children in for a minimum of 2, 2-hour sessions prior to the commencement of care at Fitzroy ELC. Parent’s are required to remain on the premises during the orientation sessions. If more sessions are required to help your child settle, this is definitely an option that is available to you.

23. What if I need to cease my child’s care at Fitzroy ELC?

We understand that changes in circumstances happen all the time for families. We ask that you provide written notice via email to our centre manager, four weeks prior to the day you intend to be your child’s last booked day with us. If you are receiving the childcare subsidy, you must also remember that it’s imperative for your child to attend their last booked day at Fitzroy ELC to avoid being charged cessation of care by the Australian government – this is part of the conditions of receiving the childcare subsidy.

24. How do I read the statement of fees that I receive after my Child is enrolled at the service.

Click here to see how to read our statements.