CONSIDERATIONS

Philosophy: To provide an enrolment and orientation process that will form a strong foundation for open relationships between families and the Denman  Children’s Centre.
Legislation: Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010,Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011: Regulations 168(2)(k), 160, 161, 162, 177, 183 , Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), Health records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW) , Family Assistance Law www.dss.gov.au
Children’s Needs: To feel safe and secure in the early childhood setting.
Parents Needs: To read and comply with this policy
Early Childhood: Acting in accordance with the obligations outlined in this policy.
Educators/ Certified Supervisors: Responding to enrolment enquiries on a day-to-day basis and referring people to the person responsible for the enrolment process, as required. Providing comfort and reassurance to children who are showing signs of distress when separating from family members. Sharing information with parents/guardians regarding their child’s progress with regard to settling in to the service.
Nominated Supervisor:
Providing enrolment application forms.
Maintaining a waiting list.
Collecting, receipting and banking enrolment fees.
Offering places in line with this policy and criteria for priority access, and providing relevant paperwork to families in accordance with this policy.
Providing a monthly report to the approved provider regarding the status of  enrolments.
Storing completed enrolment application forms in a lockable file (refer to privacy  and confidentiality policy) as soon as is practicable.
Approved Provider:  Ensure the service operates in line with the Education and Care Services National Law and National Regulations 2011 with regard to the delivery and collection of children at all times. Providing opportunities (in consultation with the Nominated Supervisor and staff)  for interested families to attend the service during operational hours to observe the program and become familiar with the service prior to their child commencing in the program. Ensuring that enrolment forms (refer to Definitions) comply with the requirements  of Regulations 160, 161, 162. Ensuring that enrolment records (refer to Definitions) are stored in a safe and     secure place, and kept for three years after the last date on which the child was educated and cared for by the service (Regulation 183). Ensuring that parents/guardians of a child attending the service can enter the service premises at any time that the child is being educated and cared for, except where this may pose a risk to the safety of children or staff, or conflict with  any duty of the Approved Provider, Nominated Supervisor or staff under the Law (Regulation 157).

 POLICY STATEMENT

Our service will implement a process to ensure enrolment and orientation processes are planned and implemented in to meet the needs of the child and family as well as ensuring all legislative requirements, including the Australian Government Priority of Access Guidelines are adhered to.

IMPLEMENTATION

Enrolment

Enrolments will be accepted according to the Australian Government ‘Priority of Access’. Parents/guardians will be advised that families of children enrolled with third priority access may be required to alter their days or leave the service in order to provide a place for a higher priority child.

Enrolment Form

The enrolment form must be completed by each enrolling family each year. Where enrolling families are not fluent in English the enrolment meeting will, wherever possible be conducted in the families primary language. At enrolment parents are encouraged to provide any further information about their child that will support continuity of care between home and the service.

  • Enrolments will be taken throughout the year subject to availability. The main round of placements being offered at the end of the year (see below). If there are no placements available the child will be placed on a waiting list.
  • The Denman Children’s Centre will not exceed the maximum number of children whom the service is licensed to provide care for. This number is 34 preschool and 5 occasional care positions.
  • Children enrolled at the Denman Children’s Centre must be under six years of age.
  • The Denman Children’s Centre offers a subsidised fee for families that have a current low income health care card, pensioner card or who are indigenous if the child is 3 years or older.
  • During the first week in August each year we will call for registrations for placements in preschool (2-6 yrs) and the Nursery (0-2’s) for the following year. We will collect registrations for a period of four (4) weeks.
  • After this time the Nominated Supervisor will arrange groups for all rooms offering positions to families keeping in line with the Priority of Access Guidelines. We will try to offer families their preference but no guarantees can be given.
  • A letter of offer along with the enrolment form will be posted to families. In the letter new families will be given an orientation meeting date

The enrolment record will include the following information for each child:

  • Full name, date of birth and address of the child.
  • Name, address and contact details of each parent of the child; any emergency contacts; any person nominated by the parent to collect the child from the service; any person authorised to consent to medical treatment or to authorise administration of medication to the child; any person authorised to give approval for an educator to take the child out of the service.
  • Details of court orders, parenting orders or plans.
  • Details of court orders relating to the child’s residence or contact with a parent or other person.
  • Gender of the child.
  • Language used in the child’s home.
  • Cultural background of the child and child’s parents.
  • Any special considerations for the child (e.g. cultural, religious or dietary requirements or additional need).
  • Authorisations for our service to seek medical treatment for the child from a registered medical practitioner, hospital or ambulance service, and transportation of the child by an ambulance service.
  • Authorisation for the service to take the child on regular outings.
  • Name, address and telephone number of the child’s registered medical practitioner or medical service.
  • Child’s Medicare number (if available).
  • Details of any specific healthcare needs of the child including any medical condition.
  • Details of any allergies or anaphylaxis diagnosis.
  • Any medical management plan, anaphylaxis/asthma/diabetic management or risk minimisation plan.
  • Details of dietary restrictions for the child.
  • Immunisation status of the child ( copy of the child’s immunisation history statement must be provided)
  • Noted sighting of health record for the child by approved provider or educator/staff.
  • A Privacy Statement attached to the enrolment form which details:
  • the name and contact details of the service;
  • the fact that enrolling parents/guardians are able to gain access to their information;
  • why the information is collected;
  • the organisations to which the information may be disclosed;
  • any law that requires the particular information to be collected;
  • the main consequences for not providing the required information.

Custody Arrangements

The Education and Care Services National Law requires our service to have details of all custodial and access arrangements.

  • Enrolling family members are responsible for informing the Director of custody and access arrangements on enrolment, and must advise the Director immediately of any subsequent alterations to these arrangements.
  • All relevant legal documentation is to be shown to the Director and a copy will be maintained in the child’s enrolment record.

Orientation

The orientation and settling in period will consider and respect the needs of both families and children. Parents/guardians will be encouraged to remain with their child when delivering or collecting them for as long a period as the parent/guardian and/or educators feel may be necessary to ensure the child’s wellbeing.

We will always consider the feelings and time constraints that families may have in regard to participating in orientation processes and aim to make the experience a positive and welcoming introduction to the service.

Our service will provide options for orientation to the education and care service for families which includes:

  • Inviting new families to visit the service with their child , to familiarise families with the service prior to the child’s attendance.
  • Providing all new families with a conducted tour of the premises which will include introductions to other educators, children and families, and that highlights specific policies and procedures that families need to know about our service.
  • Ensuring each family has a copy of the Family Handbook and an opportunity to have any questions answered.
  • Ensuring all new families are encouraged to share information about their child and any concerns, doubts or anxieties they may have in regard to enrolling their child at the service.
  • Service philosophy
  • Administrative matters including fees, payment methods etc.
  • The curriculum – programming
  • Daily routines and collection requirements including location and the    importance of the attendance register
  • Seek from and assist families in completing additional information relating to any special health needs or medical conditions affecting their child.
  • A conformation letter stating the starting date, days and hours will be posted to families once payment has been made to secure the placement.
  • At the time of enrolment, families are required to pay a non Enrolment fee as per the Fee Schedule see attached. We also require two weeks bond, this is paid out if families vacate the centre or the last two weeks of the year.
  • Once the enrolment and orientation process is complete your child is ready to attend in the New Year.

SOURCES

  • Previous policy
    • Child Care Benefit (Eligibility of Child Care Services for Approval and Continued Approval) Determination 2000, included in the Legislative Extracts: www.humanservices.gov. au/customer/services/ centrelink/child-care-benefit
  • Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011: http://files.acecqa.gov. au/files/National-Quality- Framework-Resources-Kit/ NQF02-Guide-to-ECS-Law-and-Regs- 130902.pdf

Related Policies

Failure to meet the requirements outlined in this policy is a criminal offence and may result in fines of up to $22,000.

This policy will be reviewed bi-annually