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MOYNE SHIRE COUNCIL | NAME OF DOCUMENT | PAGE 1 Moyne Shire Children’s Services Handbook 2020
MOYNE SHIRE COUNCIL | NAME OF DOCUMENT | PAGE 1
Moyne Shire Children’s Services
Handbook 2020
MOYNE SHIRE COUNCIL | CHILDREN SERVICES HANDBOOK | PAGE 1
Moyne Shire Children’s Services 2020
Children's service Address Program Operating hours
Day Hours
Port Fairy Community Services Centre
16 Atkinson Street Port Fairy
Child Care Monday to Friday 7.30 - 6.00
4 yo Kindergarten Monday 8.45 - 11.45 12.45 - 3.45
Tuesday to Friday 8.45 - 2.45
Koroit Kindergarten 88 High Street Koroit
4 yo Kindergarten Monday 9.00-2.00
Tuesday 8.45-1.45/ 9.00-2.00
Wednesday 8.45-1.45
Thursday 8.45-1.45/ 9.00-2.00
3 yo Kindergarten Wednesday & Friday
8.45-11.45
Merri Kindergarten 1126 Hopkins Highway Purnim West
4 yo Kindergarten Monday Tuesday, Thursday & Friday
9.00 - 2.00
3 yo Kindergarten Wednesday 9.00 - 12.00
Hawkesdale & District Family Services Centre
66 Mitchell Street Hawkesdale
4 yo Kindergarten 3 yo (integrated one day a week)
Tuesday to Thursday
8.30 - 1.30
Child Care Tuesday to Thursday
8.30 - 5.00
Macarthur Kindergarten 21 Heckfield Street Macarthur
4 yo Kindergarten 3 yo (integrated one day a week)
Monday, to Wednesday
8.45 - 1.45
Nullawarre Kindergarten 132 Henry's Sawmill Road Nullawarre
4 yo Kindergarten 3 yo (integrated one day a week)
Monday, Tuesday & Thursday
9.00 - 2.00
Mortlake Kindergarten 1 Park Street Mortlake
4 yo Kindergarten 3yo (Integrated one day a week)
Monday, Wednesday & Thursday
8.45 – 1.45
Chatsworth Occasional Child Care
1569 Caramut - Chatsworth Rd Chatsworth
Child Care Tuesday & Thursday
9.00 - 4.30
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Operating dates and fee information Kindergarten programs and Chatsworth Childcare
Term 1 28th January – 27th March (children start 29th January) Term 2 14th April - 26th June Term 3 13th July – 18th September Term 4 5th October – 18th December
Port Fairy Community Services Centre PFCSC childcare opens Monday 13th January 2020 and closes Wednesday 23rd December 2020 for Christmas/New Year closure. Childcare does not operate on public holidays. Hawkesdale & District Family Services Centre HDFSC childcare opens Tuesday 21st January 2020 and closes Wednesday 23rd December 2020 for Christmas/New Year closure. Hawkesdale childcare does not operate on public holidays. Pupil Free Days (for kindergarten only) Moyne Shire allocates four pupil free days per year to all kindergartens to assist with setting up, planning and co-ordination of the programs. When setting the dates, consideration will be given to public holidays as well as when our workload demands are highest. This will not affect children using child care places. Public Holiday’s 2020 All Moyne Shire Centres will be closed for the following public holidays. Childcare fees do not apply for public holidays or centre closures
Australia Day Monday 27th January
Labour Day Monday 9th March
Good Friday Friday 10th April
Easter Monday Monday 13th April
May Race Day Thursday 7th May
Queen’s Birthday Monday 8h June
AFL Grand Final Friday TBA
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Fees/Payments Fees are set annually by Moyne Shire Council and are available by contacting Moyne Shire Early Years unit on 03 5568 0516. Fee schedules are also displayed on the noticeboard in each centre. Invoices will be issued fortnightly via email or post and can be paid over the phone, in person or via the Bpay details found at the bottom of your account. Four Year Old Kindergarten Fee Subsidy The Kindergarten Fee Subsidy is applied in the following circumstances and enables eligible children to
attend a funded kindergarten program free of charge if:
the child is identified by a parent, carer or legal guardian as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
the child is identified on their birth certificate as being a multiple birth child (triplets or more)
the child individually holds, or has a parent or guardian who holds one of the following:
− a Commonwealth Health Care Card
− a Commonwealth Pensioner Concession Card
− a Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card or White Card
− Refugee visa (subclass 200)
− In-country Special Humanitarian visa (subclass 201)
− Global Special Humanitarian visa (subclass 202)
− Temporary Humanitarian Concern visa (subclass 786)
− Protection visa (subclass 866)
− Emergency Rescue visa (subclass 203)
− Woman at risk visa (subclass 204)
− Bridging visas A-E.
To receive Kindergarten Fee Subsidy, relevant documentation must accompany your child’s enrolment. If you or your child become eligible for a Health Care Card or Pension Card during 2020 please forward a copy to our offices as soon as possible. If the card expires during 2020, full fees will apply until a copy of the updated card is provided. Child Care Subsidy (CCS) (not applicable for Kindergarten) Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is a payment paid directly to the service from the government to provide financial assistance for those families that are eligible. Income and activity information is provided to Centrelink and applicable CCS is then applied to your account to reduce your weekly fee accordingly. To learn more or to apply for CCS visit the website: https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/child-care-subsidy
Until CCS has been approved and commenced we will require full payment of your child’s fees
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The Educational Program Service Philosophy Service philosophies reflect the beliefs and values of each service and guide all aspects of operations and practices. They are regularly reviewed and updated with input from educators, families and children and are on display in the foyer of each centre. Our Programs Our aim at all our services is to provide high quality learning experiences to all children, regardless of age or which program they attend. Each service is staffed by qualified early childhood educators that provide quality early learning programs reflective of approved early learning frameworks. The frameworks strive to advance children’s learning from 0-8 and make no distinction between sessional or long day programs. Our educators are encouraged to transition from previous terms of ‘kindergarten’ and ‘childcare’, to more current and reflective terms of ‘Early Learning Programs’. The programs we offer will reflect the ‘Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework” (VEYLDF) ‘and the ‘Early Years Learning Framework for Australia – Belonging, Being, Becoming’ (EYLF). The VEYLDF identifies five outcomes for all children:
-Children have a strong sense of identity (Identity) -Children are connected with and contribute to their world (Community) -Children have a strong sense of wellbeing (Wellbeing) -Children are confident and involved learners (Learning) -Children are effective communicators (Communication)
The EYLF describes childhood as a time of Belonging, Being and Becoming Belonging – is the basis for living a fulfilling life. Children feel they belong because of the relationships they have with their family, community, culture and place. Being - is about the living in the here and now. Childhood is a special time in life and children need time to just ‘be’ – time to play, try new things and have fun. Becoming – is about the learning and development that young children experience. Children start to form their sense of identity from an early age, which shapes the type of adult they will become The EYLF identifies practice principles for educators including:
- Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships - Partnerships with families - High expectations and equality - Respect for diversity - Ongoing learning and reflective practice
Based on the frameworks, children will be observed and a program developed that reflects the child’s individual strengths and needs. This will be done through listening, watching and working with your child, using photos, work samples and discussions with families.
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Children learn at different rates, in different ways and at different times. We offer play based curriculums that allow for choice, extending children creatively, socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually through a flexible, inclusive indoor/outdoor program. We strongly encourage families to be involved in our programs, contributing to the learning process of their child. This can be done through being a parent helper at kindergarten, reading and interacting with your child’s learning portfolio, suggesting ideas for the program and meetings and discussions with your child’s educators. To view the Victorian Early Years learning and Development Frameworks please visit www.education.vic.gov.au/earlylearning
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Important information Enrolment Enrolment forms must be completed in full prior to commencing. Forms can be completed online by following the link below, or hard copies are available at each service for those that don’t have online access.
http://www.moyne.vic.gov.au/Our-Services/Family-Childrens-Services When is the right time to enrol for Kindergarten? Every child is unique and therefore knowing when to commence kindergarten can be a challenging decision to make. We strongly advise you speak with an Early Childhood Educator and discuss your concerns. All children who are four by the 30th of April in the year of attendance are eligible to attend one year of funded four-year-old kindergarten. Children will only be eligible to attend a second year of kindergarten if they are observed as having delays in at least two outcome areas of learning and development. Unfortunately, general immaturity is not considered a delay so families are encouraged to give careful thought to the best time for their child to attend kindergarten. Parents of children turning six anytime during the kindergarten year are required to request an “exemption from school due to attendance in a kindergarten program” from the regional Department of Education and Training in the year prior to commencing kindergarten. For further information on this please speak to your child’s educator. All children who are three by the 30th April in the year of attendance are eligible to attend a three-year-old program, however, they are unable to commence at the service until they are 3 years old. Orientation / Settling in Period For most children, starting in an early childhood setting is exciting, for others however it can be unsettling. As we are all different we strongly encourage parents/guardians to work with us through this initial transition period and be guided by your child’s educator. Please feel free to stay with your child until they settle or discuss strategies for settling with your child’s educator. We encourage families to consider their own child’s coping ability and to make decisions based on their needs, as a parent - you know your child best! We encourage all parents/guardians to say goodbye to their children before they leave. This helps to develop trust and the reassurance that you will return.
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What to Bring A named bag that contains:
Clothing: Children like to explore, climb, dig, paint, run, create and be adventurous. Clothing needs to be suitable, not restricting. Smocks are provided, however children do get dirty having fun. Please keep this in mind.
For safety reasons we ask parents to ensure children wear closed toe footwear. Thongs and crocs can be dangerous when climbing and running and are not particularly supportive or well fitted.
Enough nappies for the entire day (wipes & creams provided)
Food & Drinks: Moyne Shire Children’s Services acknowledge the importance of healthy eating and physical activity, and its contribution to good health and overall wellbeing. It is our role to encourage and promote a healthy lifestyle to children at the service, including eating nutritious food.
We ask that parents send along a piece of fruit or vegetable for morning snack.
For lunch, parents are asked to provide a sandwich, a roll or something suitable that your child will eat. Children will engage in healthy eating practices and learning as part of their program at the centre.
We occasionally have children enrolled who at risk of anaphylaxis due to severe allergy to nuts, so some services are “nut free” and parents are asked not to send nuts and/or items containing nut based ingredients. If this is the case, there will be clear notices displayed in the foyer.
Bottles of breast milk or baby formula should be clearly labelled.
Lunchbox ideas The following are some ideas on what to send in your child’s lunchbox for the day. Usually children eat more while at kindergarten or childcare, so 5-7 snacks and a lunch meal is a good start (for a full day). It’s a good idea to pack a variety of foods and change your child’s lunch a little each day to avoid boredom. Snacks (* foods you can give to children from 10 months) We encourage snack time to include nutritious foods which satisfy children’s appetites and keep their energy levels up. Please try to keep food with higher sugar content to a minimum. (eg- jam, honey, flavoured yoghurt, ‘fruit’ sticks and bars, packaged foods)
- Toast with vegemite, jam, honey or cream cheese* - Fruit bread* - Cheese cut into sticks or grated* - Dry biscuits with spread or cheese* - Natural flavoured popcorn - Yoghurt or Custard * - Dried fruit (sultanas, apricots, pineapple, apple) - Pikelets plain or with spread* - Rice cakes spread with mashed avocado and cottage cheese* - Carrot, cucumber, celery sticks and mini corn with dip (eg: hummus, cream cheese, tzatziki, French
onion) - Fresh fruit* (cut into sticks for easy grasp), mango, watermelon, pear, cantaloupe, honeydew melon,
kiwi fruit, peach, plums, berries, grapes.
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Lunches
- Baked beans or spaghetti - Rice and vegies* - Chicken pieces or drumsticks - Homemade sausage rolls or pies - Quiche or Vegetable slice - Pasta or Potato salads - Yoghurt or custard with whole, mashed or stewed fruits* (apple, pear, banana, apricots, berries) - Sandwiches* (use wholegrain bread, pita, bread rolls, bagels or tortilla wraps) with lots of different
fillings such as : Ham, chicken, beef, lamb, tuna, egg, carrot, cheese, tomato, lettuce, corn, pineapple, banana, avocado, honey, jam, vegemite, pickles, chutney.
- We request no chips, chocolate, lollies, juices, cordials or food with nuts. Birthdays Birthdays are an exciting time for children. You are welcome to bring along something small, such as vanilla based cupcakes to share with other children at this time. Please feel free to speak with your child’s educator if you have any questions. If your child has any dietary restrictions/allergies it may be a good idea to have food on hand at the centre for such occasions. We aim to make all children feel included. We welcome learning about other events our families celebrate. Parent Involvement We encourage a partnership with parents and welcome parental involvement. We recognise that in our ever increasing busy lives, the time we can contribute varies. We value and respect the involvement of parents in developing a program relevant to their child’s strengths and interests. Parents and families will be asked to provide information to help us get to know more about their child outside of the service, and what they would like to gain from their time with us. Parents/Families are always encouraged to provide feedback on the program provided. Other examples of opportunities to be involved are: -
- Sharing specific skills/interests with the children - Supporting fundraising activities - Attending various family functions at the centre
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Safety and wellbeing Child Safety Moyne Shire Council (MSC) is a Child Safe organisation and takes a zero tolerance approach to child abuse and will ensure that respectful attitudes, behaviors and beliefs are shaped within the culture of the organisation. MSC is committed to the safety, participation and empowerment of all children within Council run services and events. MSC aims to prevent child abuse through training and education, rigorous recruitment processes, and effective risk management procedures. MSC takes all allegations seriously and has practices in place to respond quickly and thoroughly. Court orders Parents must notify the centre and provide a copy if there is a court order affecting their child. Without a court order we are legally obliged to allow any parent to access or collect a child. Arrival and departure It’s extremely important that you approach one of your child’s educators to let us know that your child has arrived or is about to depart for the day. This provides an opportunity for the sharing of information to ensure your child has the best experience possible. Only parents/guardians and authorised nominees are permitted to collect children, so if you’re unable to collect your child please contact us to provide the name of the person who will do so. This person must be an authorised nominee on your child’s enrolment form. If your child is not collected from the centre and we’re unable to contact you, we will contact the authorised nominee listed on your child’s enrolment form. Medical conditions To ensure appropriate identification and management of children with medical conditions, we will implement best practice and risk minimisation strategies. If your child has a medical condition, you will be asked to provide a medical management plan to be followed in the event of an incident relating to the specific health care need, allergy or relevant medical condition. We will then work with you to develop a risk minimisation and communication plan, which will guide how we can best care for your child. Medication Any child who requires medication to be administered whilst at the service must have the details of administration completed in the medication record. Regulations require that medication is in the original container, bearing the original label with the child’s name printed on it and be within its use by date.
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Immunisation – No Jab No Play Prior to commencement you must provide us with a current Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register showing that your child is up to date with all the vaccinations they are due/able to receive. Legislation also requires us to request an updated certificate once more during the year. Emergency and evacuation procedures In the event that the service needs to be evacuated, we will conduct this in a rehearsed, timely, calm and safe manner to secure the safety of each person using the service. Emergency drills are practised regularly, giving educators and children an opportunity to become familiar with the routine and planned evacuation. Emergency evacuation plans are on display at each exit of the centre. Bushfire at Risk Register Services identified as being at high fire risk and on the Department of Education and Training Bushfire at-Risk Register (Macarthur, Hawkesdale, Chatsworth and Merri), will close on days determined to have a fire danger rating of Code Red by the Emergency Management Commissioner. Where possible, four to seven day’s notice of a planned closure will be provided. Services not on the Department’s Bushfire at-Risk Register will remain open, unless directly threatened by fire or another emergency. On days of extreme heat the service will remain open. Staff will monitor the wellbeing of children and early collection may be requested. Smoke Free Environment No Smoking legislation applies to all education and care services, including buildings and grounds. Smoking is banned within four metres of the service entrance. Complaints and grievances All users of the centre are encouraged to express their concerns or complaints about aspects of the service. Complaints will be treated consistently, and in a timely fashion. Initially, inquiries or complaints about the program should be directed to your child’s educator for discussion and clarification. If you’re not comfortable discussing directly with your child’s educator, you may speak to the centre Educational Leader. If after discussion the matter has not been resolved, it should be referred to: Sharon Wilson Coordinator Early Years Moyne Shire Council, PO Box 51, Port Fairy 3284 Phone: 5568 0549 Mobile: 0417 389 343 Email: [email protected]
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The Coordinator Early Years will respond promptly to inform the complainant of how the complaint will be addressed. If no resolution can be reached, the matter may be referred to: Jan Consedine Manager Community Services Moyne Shire Council, PO Box 51, Port Fairy 3284 Phone: 5568 0587 Mobile: 0455 573 040 Email: [email protected]
If the matter is a notifiable complaint as per Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations, or requires professional involvement from a third party early childhood professional, the complaint will be referred to an authorised officer at: Department of Education and Training 75 High Street BELMONT 3216 Phone: 5215 5136 Email: [email protected]
