Out of School Hours Care
BALLAN
OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS CARE
(OSHC)
INFORMATION BOOKLET
TELEPHONE: 0498 638 718
Before School Care
Monday to Friday
6.30am—8.45am
After School Care
Monday to Friday
3.00pm – 6.30pm
Supervising Staff
Wendy Hughes, Ellen Gantner,
Vicki Vinci, Coral Richardson
PHILOSOPHY
Ballan OSHC provides a safe place where children can engage in a range of play and leisure experiences that allow them to feel happy, safe and relaxed, interact with friends, practice social skills, try new activities and learn life skills. We have a zero tolerance to child abuse.
We believe that the best interests of the children and their right to learn play and grow in a safe and nurturing environment is the primary consideration in all decision making at the Centre and is visible in the actions, interactions and daily work with the children.
Our Centre aims to create a relaxed, home-like atmosphere where children have the choice of a range of activities including art, craft, games, role play, sport and outdoor play
Programs are designed to cater for differences in ages, cultures, skills, interests and abilities through a variety of recreational and challenging activities.
Children, parents and staff are treated with respect and their individual uniqueness is acknowledged and valued.
Our Centre encourages parental and community participation and welcomes suggestions and open discussions on all issues relevant to the centre’s operation.
We believe that each child has the right to:
- learn through play and experimentation
- feel safe and secure, both physically and emotionally
- be heard, respected, valued and included
- express their ideas, creativity and feelings naturally and responsibly
- a nurturing caring environment which fosters and extends their talents and interests and enables the development of stable, caring relationships with staff and other children and develops a sense of self worth
- stimulating, balanced and flexible programs with opportunities for self-directed play and which encourage self-discipline, independence, interdependence, self-esteem, curiosity, negotiation and personal responsibility
- programs and resources which actively promote the acceptance and inclusion of children of diverse ages, abilities, interests, family structures and cultural heritage
ENROLMENT
To enrol your child you must complete an enrolment form, which can be collected from the Centre or your child’s school. The enrolment form must be completed in FULL, PRIOR to your child attending the Centre. This form contains medical consent in case of an accident. It also specifies who may collect your child from the Centre.
FEE STRUCTURE:
Morning Session PERMANENT: …………................$23.00
Morning Session CASUAL: ………………...........$26.00
Afternoon Session PERMANENT: …………….……….$23.00
Afternoon Session CASUAL: ……………….…....$26.00
CHILD CARE BENEFIT / CHILD CARE REBATE
Ballan OSHC is an approved Centre therefore you are eligible for Child
Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate. Please ensure your Customer Reference
Numbers CRN’s are on your enrolment form to enable us to send your data to
Centrelink. You can contact the FAO on 136 150 for more information to claim the Child Care Subsidy which is a subsidy, separate to Child Care Benefit, to assist with the cost of child care. Due to a high income you may still be eligible to receive Child Care Subsidy (CCS) on the full fee amount. To receive this, you must have a formal enrolment with us. A formal enrolment is where you have provided both parent and child Family Assistance Office Customer Reference Numbers and dates of birth and you have requested the Family Assistance Office to have assessed your eligibility for Child Care Subsidy. You will be advised upon enrolment if we have been unable to formalise your enrolment. The Administration Team sends weekly attendance information to the government (which includes fee information) and based on this information, the government will calculate and pay your Child Care Rebate automatically. For further information on Child Care Rebate, please contact the Family Assistance Office on 13 61 50.
Absences (Before and After School Care only) Child Care Benefit is paid for a child’s absences from care for up to 42 days per financial year. Once your child has reached up to 42 days of allowable absences Child Care Benefit is not paid for any further absences. This means that if your child is absent again because they are sick or on holiday you will have to pay full fees for the day/s they are absent.
ACCOUNT PAYMENT PROCESS
Accounts will be processed every Monday (except Public Holidays they will be processed on Tuesdays), and are always 1 week in arrears.
It is expected that all accounts are to be paid weekly using one of the below options:
- Direct Deposit
Name: Ballan Primary School
Direct Credit into our account
BSB: 063824
Account Number: 10015316
****Please provide surnames (both if names differ) as reference
to track payments****
- Cheques / Money Orders or cash
to office or site via post or in person.
- EFTPOS at school office during business hours (8.30am – 4.30pm)
If accounts become over $200 in arrears children will not be able to attend sessions until payment is made.
PERMANENT BOOKINGS
If a child is to attend the Centre on a regular basis a permanent booking is required. A permanent booking must be paid for whether or not the child attends.
There is a reduced rate for booking your child or children on a permanent basis and secures your spot. Permanent bookings may be transferred from one day to another in the same week (Monday to Friday) providing you notify the Centre.
Permanent bookings falling on a public holiday are non-chargeable.
To add or cancel a permanent booking, 7 days written notification MUST be given. If a cancelled booking is rebooked within two weeks, all the fees from the day of cancellation to the new commencement must be paid in full prior to the new booking being accepted.
CASUAL BOOKINGS
If a child is to attend irregularly or occasionally, then a casual booking may be made by either written application or phoning the Centre. Casual bookings may be cancelled provided notice is given prior to 6.30am for a morning session or 2.30pm for an afternoon session. If the appropriate notice is not given, payment is still required. Casual bookings will not be accepted if fees are outstanding for prior bookings unless arranged by written agreement.
PUPIL FREE / STRIKE DAYS
During any term, there is the possibility of Industrial action by the Teacher’s AEU or Pupil Free days. There will be no charge to people with permanent bookings that choose not to use the Centre on these days (From the school involved). The Centre will only operate if there is sufficient staff and numbers.
ABSENTEEISM
If your child will not be present at a pre-booked session whether a casual or permanent booking, you must let the Supervisor know to avoid unnecessary confusion and concern. The roll is checked in each session to make sure all children are present. Staff are under instruction to carry out a search for any child not reported absent and not present at roll check.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
Am session: On arrival at the centre parents are to sign in their child\ren. On departure from OSHC, staff will sign them out.
Pm session: On arrival at the centre OSHC staff will sign in the children. On departure from OSHC, parents/caregivers are required to sign out their child/ren, and inform a staff member that they are taking their child/ren. The Centre must be able to account for all children should an emergency arise. A late fee of $1.00 per minute per child will apply if children are left after 6.30pm, if the child has not been picked up by 7.00pm and emergency contacts have not been reached, the police will be called.
COURT ORDERS
You must inform the Centre of any court orders relating to the custody of the child. The Centre Supervisor must sight and keep a copy of any such order affecting custody of children in the Centre’s care.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidentiality is of up most importance and all staff have been informed of their responsibility in confidentiality of family issues. Please note that personal phone numbers or other personal information will not be passed on to parents or children by staff.
STAFF
The Centre has permanent staff consisting of a Coordinator and an Assistant for each session. There will be a minimum of two staff members present every for every afternoon session.
DAILY SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
Programs in OSHC are based on recreation and leisure. Children will be offered a variety of experiences and activities including painting, building, craft, music, language, messy and free play, multicultural and sporting activities.
HOMEWORK
From approximately 5pm to 5.30pm Monday to Thursday we have “quiet time” to encourage the children to do their homework, otherwise they have a choice of quiet reading or writing.
BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT
The Ballan OSHC will provide a secure, friendly and stimulating environment which encourages children to co-operate, enhances their self-esteem and encourages their ability to interact with others, promotes acceptable behaviour and any recriminations are kept to a minimum. Where a child continues to behave in an unacceptable manner, parents/guardians will be consulted and asked to work with the staff and outside agencies (if appropriate) to ensure clear guidelines and acceptable behaviour is promoted. Access to the centre may be suspended or terminated if the Code of Conduct is not followed. The Centre has a behaviour management policy in place. All parents are to read and acknowledge their understanding of this document.
GUIDING CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOUR
Educators help children to manage their own behaviour and to think about other people’s needs, rights and feelings. They talk to the children in a calm and respectful way and understand that children each behave differently.
ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION
If a child has a condition which requires medication however occasional, parents must complete and sign the relevant form available from Centre staff prior to administration.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
In the event of an emergency or accident, every effort will be made to contact parents, caregivers or emergency contacts prior to seeking medical treatment. An Ambulance will be called in the event of a serious accident.
Parents/caregivers are required to sign the accident book if treatment of any sort is required, with the exception of band-aids that are supplied for minor scratches.
POLICIES AND PROCEEDURES
The information in this booklet is taken from our Policies and Procedures.
These are available for parents to read on request.
BALLAN
OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS CARE