CONSIDERATIONS

Philosophy:  To ensure the safety, care and protection of children and educators during operational hours.
Legislation: Educational and Care Services National Regulations
Children’s Needs: To feel safe and secure
Parents Needs: Clear policies and procedures to follow
Educators Needs: To know that parents will adhere to the centre’s operational hours, and in the event of a parent being late to pick up their child have clear policies and procedures in place to follow.
Management: To establish clear policies and procedures for Denman Children’s Centre
Needs: educators and parents to follow regarding the appropriate and timely collection of children from the centre.

POLICY STATEMENT

Denman Children’s Centre recognises that they have a duty of care to take reasonable practicable steps to provide a safe and healthy environment. Educators find themselves more and more having to deal with parents regarding to the late collection of children. When such incidents arise, the Denman Children’s Centre sees its role as being to protect the child’s feelings of security and self worth while also ensuring educators safety and welfare.

IMPLEMENTATION

Denman children’s Centre’s hours of operation are 8.30am – 4.00pm. Educators are employed to work only during these hours and have the right to finish on time. Parents are asked to arrive a few minutes earlier if they wish to discuss their child’s day with educators. The Educational and Care Services National Regulations require that a minimum of two educators be in attendance, one of which must be qualified to level 4, when children are in care. These educators, when required to work beyond their normal working hours, must be paid overtime to comply with the state award conditions. A late fee has been set to cover any costs incurred to the centre by a child being picked up late.

It is the responsibility of parents to arrive and leave prior to 4.00pm so that educators may close the centre promptly at 4.00pm. If a parent is going to be unavoidably delayed beyond 4.00pm, it’s the parents responsibility to contact the centre and or advise that they have made alternative arrangements for their child to be collected.

If the parent has not contacted the centre and fails to collect their child at 4.00pm, the educators will:

  • Remain at the centre and attempt to contact the parents at the earliest convenient time.
  • Call the emergency contacts if the parent cannot be reached.
  • Fill in the details on the late form  when the parents/ emergency contacts arrive (noting the time of collection).
  • Ensure that the parents/ emergency contacts read and sign the late form agreeing that the time the child is collected  is correct
  • Inform the Nominated Supervisor so an appropriate late fee (see attached) can be imposed.

If the educators have been unable to contact parents or emergency contacts by 4.30pm, the educators must inform the Nominated Supervisor who will contact police. Police will be asked to assist in locating the parents/ emergency contacts.

If the child has not been collected by 5.00pm the Nominated Supervisor will:

  • Contact the child Protection Helpline on 132111 and they will advise the educators what they should do.

Late pick up for a child with a 3.00pm booking   

If a child is enrolled until 3.00pm and a parent is going to be late, they must contact the centre to extend their child’s time as a one off booking. Failing to contact the centre and the child has not been collected by 3.00pm educators will:

  • Attempt to contact the parent/ guardian at the earliest convenient time.
  • Call the emergency contact if parents/ guardian cannot be contacted.
  • Fill in the late form when the parents/ emergency contacts arrive.
  • Ensure that the parents/ emergency contacts read and sign the late form agreeing that the time the child is collected is correct
  • Inform the Nominated Supervisor so an appropriate late fee (see attached) can be imposed

*Note the same late fee will be incurred for children picked up after 3pm if that is their booked time unless parents have called/ spoken to educators re extending their hours for that day.

Late Pickup fees

  • $20.00 per child up from 3.01pm to 3.15pm or 4.01pm to 4.15pm.
  • A further $20.00 per child will be charged for every additional 15 minutes or part there of eg 4.16pm- 4.30pm and so on.

*Note the time will be taken from the centre’s clocks. Parents are to sign their child in and out to the time on these clocks which are checked regularly to the 1194 number.

Continued Late Pickup

  • If late pickup occurs three times in a calendar year, the Nominated Supervisor will send a letter reminding the family of the Denman Children’s Centre’s Late and Non Collection of Children policy.
  • If a fourth late pickup is recorded, the family will be asked to meet with the Nominated Supervisor and a possible termination of their child’s enrolment may occur, as the family is in breach of their enrolment contract.

SOURCES

Educational and Care Services National Regulation
Heritage Early Childhood Centre

Related Policies

Fee Payment and Booking Policy
Arrival and Departure Policy
Enrolment Policy

This policy will be reviewed bi-annually