Early Learning and Childcare FAQs
There are various options available for families requiring care. Most qualify for the Child Care Subsidy and must require with the standards set out in the National Quality Standards. The following are the most common:
Long Day Care (LDC) – LDC is the most popular form of care and is operated from centres specifically designed to deliver childcare services. Centres must be open for at least eight hours per day, five days per week. LDC caters for children from birth to school age.
Family Day Care (FDC) – FDC caters for children 0-12 years’ old and generally operates out of a private residence. Numbers of children attending are restricted and opening hours may be limited when compared to LDC. Family daycare is great for parents who want their children to learn and play in small groups, in a home environment. It caters for children, birth to 12 years and is held in the home of a registered educator.
Preschool Services – Preschool typically relates to children 3-5 years’ old and is designed to prepare children for transition to primary school. Also known as kindy, this service may be delivered from a mixed used premise or as a standalone service.
Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) – OSHC operates before and after school care during school term and vacation care during school holidays. This is a convenient solution for parents unable to drop off/collect their child due to work or other commitments.
More details can be found in the following childcare FAQ.
This is a very common childcare FAQ, and for good reason. The Childcare Sector has evolved from child minding to early learning and care. All child care providers offer a care service, however the educational offer or curriculum is what differentiates daycare from early learning.
KinderPark employ fulltime Early Childhood Teachers supported by Educational Leaders to ensure our early learning offer is play-based and developmentally appropriate to get our children ready for life.
The science of early development has clearly established the first five years of life as the most critical for building the foundations for life-long learning, wellbeing, and health.
Research demonstrates the important role of high-quality early childhood learning experiences on children’s development, particularly in the very early years and especially for disadvantaged children who are more likely to be developmentally vulnerable in language and cognitive skills when they enter school.
Yes. The National Quality Framework (NQF) sets out the minimum educator qualification requirements for working with children preschool age and under in centre-based services. These services must meet the following educator qualification requirements:
- 50% of educators must have, or be actively working towards, an approved diploma level education and care qualification (or higher).
- All other educators must hold or be actively working towards at least an approved certificate III level education and care qualification.
- Services must engage or have access to an early childhood teacher (ECT) based on the number of children in attendance at the service.
Why choose KinderPark?
A day at KinderPark starts when you bring your child to the centre and they begin by engaging in activities. We then serve morning tea and continue with the day’s experiences, both indoor and outdoor, that are set up ready for your child to engage in. We serve lunch, and for those children that require a rest, they’re given a relaxing setting to sleep/rest. Children that don’t rest will participate in wellness experiences to provide opportunities for self regulation. We serve afternoon tea and engage the children in further experiences set up in the environment both indoor and outdoor. Before we know it, you’re back to pick them up!
Yes, we would meet with you to discuss how we can support you and your child. We take the time to understand their needs and ensure the introduction of further support if required. You can find out more from Communicare.
Families are cornerstone of information for every child, we encourage families to provide feedback whenever possible and keep open communication to provide a sense of belonging. We see ourselves as an extension of your family and work hard to collaborate with you for your child’s unique care and educational needs. We take time to understand their interests, like and dislikes, skills and strengths, note the staff and other children they get along best with, and tailor learning to their personalities.
We communicate in person, via emails and through our Storypark app. Our app will provide you with curriculum information and updates on your child’s day.
Enquiries & Enrolment
We’re so excited that you’re showing an interest at KinderPark! We have three easy communication options for you to make an enquiry.
Come and visit us! Come into the centre and have a tour, we can then discuss any queries you have. Then, we’ll walk you through the steps of enrolment, which involves selecting your days, start time (e.g. ASAP or in six months times) and some paperwork.
Please note that it is your responsibility to communicate with Centrelink about any Child Care Subsidy you’re entitled too.
Services & Provisions
Children’s nappies are changed regularly as per our Nappy Change Procedure. We don’t provide nappies and ask that our families bring 4-6 nappies each day for children in fulltime nappies.
Yes! We have our own cook that prepares meals for the children, we follow the ‘FEED Australia’ guidelines which allows us to create a menu that provides a balanced day for the children in our centre. We believe by providing the children with nutritious meals we provide them the best possible opportunities to learn and grow.
Yes, we can accommodate special dietary requirements. During enrolment (or later if allergies/intolerances are discovered after enrolment), we meet with families to discuss this individually to ensure each child’s needs are met and the child is safe.
We have many different centres. Each one’s opening hours reflect the needs of the community and families and can be found on their individual Centre page.
Children can attend from 0-5, we have rooms that cater to Babies, Toddlers and Kindy children which allows us to adapt curriculums and environments to suit the age of the children in each room. Some of our Centres offer Outside of School Hours Care and Vacation Care for Primary aged school children. Details of each centre can be found on the centre page.
We are happy to discuss your child’s needs and requirements to ensure we are creating a safe place for them. Working alongside you, we’ll put appropriate procedures in place to support your child and provide optimum care. We also ensure all staff are aware of your child’s needs.
Our SunSmart policy is based on the recommendations from the Cancer Council WA that have created SunSmart, our co-workers complete training to ensure they are aware of the requirements to be sun safe.
We can discuss this with you to provide your child with consistent toilet training between home and the centre, and communicate regularly with you to encourage their progress.
Fees & the Child Care Subsidy (CCS)
The centre fee schedule is available in each centre outlining the fees payable for each type of care.
Fees are paid weekly in advance of care. This is outlined in our Payment of Fees Policy, this is available to read in each centre.
Yes, fees are payable on public holidays. This is standard across childcare centres in WA.
KinderPark supports families taking leave and will apply a holiday discount to daily fees. We request two weeks’ notice of planned leave plus account balances to be up to date to qualify for the discount. Details of limits and use can be found in the Payment of Fees Policy, this is available to read in each centre.
The CCS is a Government subsidy that offers different levels of financial assistance to help cover the cost of childcare for Australian families. The subsidy is the main way the Government assists families with their child care fees, and is targeted to provide greater assistance to low and middle income families.
Some basic requirements must be satisfied for an individual to be eligible to receive CCS for a child. These are:
- the child must be aged 13 or under and not attending secondary school, except in certain circumstances where an individual may be eligible for a child who does not meet this criteria, such as children with a disability or medical condition in certain circumstances
- the individual must care of the child at least 2 nights per fortnight or have 14% per cent of care or be receiving Family Tax Benefit for the child
- the child must meet immunisation requirements
- the individual, or their partner, must meet the residency requirements
In addition, to be eligible for CCS the individual must be liable to pay for care provided, the care must be delivered in Australia by an approved child care provider, and not be part of a compulsory education program.
More information and details can be found on the Governments CentreLink website.
It’s impossible for us to speak to your level of CCS as there are three factors that determine it. These are:
- Combined annual family income
- Activity test – the activity level of both parents
- Service type – type of child care service and whether the child attends school
Generally speaking, the more income you earn, the lower your CCS will be. CCS is generally paid directly to service providers to be passed on to families as a fee reduction. Families make a co-contribution to their child care fees and pay to the provider the difference between the fee charged and the subsidy amount (also called the out of pocket fee).
To support disadvantaged and vulnerable children attend quality early childhood education and care, state and territory governments can contribute to the out of pocket fee on behalf of the family.
There is also targeted additional fee assistance for vulnerable families through the Child Care Safety Net.
More information and details can be found on the Governments CentreLink website.
The ACCS is a top up payment in addition to the CCS and provides additional assistance to families and children facing barriers in accessing child care. The ACCS has four elements:
- Child Wellbeing
- Grandparents
- Temporary Financial Hardship
- Transition to Work
More information and details can be found on the Governments CentreLink website.
Families should lodge an application for CCS before their child commences at the centre. The easiest way to claim CCS is online through Centrelink. To claim online you will need a myGov account linked to Centrelink. If you do not have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account, you will need to set up both prior to claiming online. Families can call Centrelink for further information via the Centrelink Families Line 136 150.
Programming & Curriculum
The National Quality Framework (NQF) provides a national approach to regulation, assessment and quality improvement for early childhood education and care and outside school hours care services across Australia. Find out more at ACECQA.
The National Quality Standard (NQS) sets a high national benchmark for early childhood education and care and outside school hours care services in Australia.
The NQS includes 7 quality areas that are important outcomes for children.
Services are assessed and rated by their regulatory authority against the NQS, and given a rating for each of the 7 quality areas and an overall rating based on these results. Find out more here ACECQA.
Approved learning framework under the NQF for young children from birth to five years of age. Link to approved learning framework ACECQA.
Preparing to Attend
This is such a common childcare FAQ! A full list of items to pack will be discussed during enrolment and induction, however, generally the following items may be recommended (depending on age and developmental stage):
- Nappies
- Dummy
- Expressed milk (if applicable)
- Blanket or sleepsuit for rest time (sheets provided)
- Comfort item
- Drink bottle (preferably no spill with lid)
- A complete set of spare clothes
- Bucket hat
- Medication (if applicable)
Please ensure all items are clearly labelled with your child’s name. If there are two or more children with the same name in one room, we’ll also ask you to provide the initial of your surname to make sure we don’t accidentally mix up family items. Our Family Handbook can provide more information.
Our children play inside and outside year-round, so it’s important that they’re dressed accordingly. We recommend extra layers of clothing in winter and on chilly days. Please ensure each child has at least one complete change of clothing (ideally two) in case they become wet or soiled through water and/or messy play. Sometimes our play is really messy, so we suggest dressing your child in old or secondhand clothes to prevent any special items being ruined.
Our Family Handbook can provide more information.
No, all meals are provided! KinderPark centres provide meals throughout the day for all children attending our centres. This include meals and snacks for children with allergies, food sensitivities, or other dietary requirements (e.g. religious reasons for certain food omissions). To help us manage allergies safely, we do not permit food to be brought from home.
All of our centres provide sunscreen so families need not pack their own. Sunscreen is always applied during outside playtime. However, if you child has sensitive skin or you have a preferred brand (e.g. you prefer a vegan or organic brand) you’re welcome to supply your own sunscreen — just let us know you’ve packed it.
Have more questions? We apologies if our childcare FAQ sheet didn’t answer them all! Please get in touch so we can answer any queries personally.