Hope Discovery Outside School Hours Care, is committed to providing high quality learning and recreational programmes for Primary School aged children. Our Educators are committed to delivering a program that is guided by the “My Time Our Place” National Framework for Outside School Hours Care. This Framework aims to extend and enrich children’s wellbeing and development in school-aged care. The Framework recognises that school-aged children require time to interact with friends, practice social skills, solve problems, explore new activities and learn life skills. The framework works in five areas:

1. A strong sense of identity
2. Connections with their world
3. A strong sense of wellbeing
4. Becoming confident and involved learners
5. Effective communication skills

We ensure our programs are child focused by requiring our educators to organise
activities and experiences that are meaningful, based around all children’s needs and interests. Our educators will work with families to gain insights on family context, individual abilities and interests to assist in our programming.

We operate in compliance with the National Quality Standards which aims to raise quality and drive continuous improvement and consistency in education and care services and school age care through:

• The National Quality Standard for Early childhood Education and Care and School Aged Care.
• The Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations.
• A National quality rating and assessment process.
• Streamlined regulatory arrangements.
• The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)

The National Quality Standard is divided into seven Quality Area:

1. Educational program and practice
2. Children’s health and safety
3. Physical Environment
4. Staffing arrangements
5. Relationship with children
6. Collaborative partnerships with families
7. Leadership and service management

All Families using Child Care Programmes are strongly encouraged to apply to the Family Assistance Office for Child Care Subsidy assistance. The contact details are 136150 with the Provider Number of the Service noted on our Enrolment Form.

Please note there is a different provider number for ASC and Vacation Care. For parents to reduce fees through CCS, you are required to sign your children in and out each day and also sign the booking sheet on days that your child/ren are absent. (Please refer to Absences/cancellations for further explanation).

This is done via the enrolment form process.

For those parents undergoing casual work or work on a roster basis, if spaces allow, children can be booked a week or two in advance with the same conditions then applying re absences as of a permanent booking. i.e. once a permanent booking is made fees are charged for that day, regardless of whether the child is in care. (See absences/cancellations).

Hope Discovery Outside School Hours Care caters for children aged 4-12 years of age.

Our duty of care ensures the safety of each child.

It is a legal requirement that children must be signed out each day. Children are not permitted to be collected by anybody under the age of 18 and can only be collected by persons authorised on the enrolment form. In the event an unauthorised person is required to collect child/ren, the parent needs to advise the service, prior to this occurring, the full name of this person and a description. Photo identification will need to be provided on request before the child can be released. Failure to meet these requirements, without exception, will mean the child cannot be released from Care and late penalty may apply.

Children need to be collected according to booked times. The service needs to meet children/Educator ratios at all times. If children are not collected by 6:00pm the designated closing time, families may be charged a late fee of $5.00 each five minutes after collection time.

If you are delayed, please contact the service to avoid unnecessary worry for children.

Further to our belief that all children need to be respected and valued, staff place a high priority on ensuring new children are aware of the routines and practices of the programme. The ways this may occur are:

• A tour of the programme
• A buddy System during the early days
• A 1 to 1 session with staff

This is a very important part of Outside School Hours Care and it is vital that your child is aware of and feels comfortable with the process. Please take the time to talk with their teacher and the Outside School Hours Director. Teachers need to be aware of children transitioning to Outside School Hours Care so as not to cause unnecessary delays at the end of the school day. E.g. Asking children to stay back at the end of the day, this can cause stress and uncertainty for both children waiting and for the staff not knowing where children are.

A good idea to assist younger children is to have a practice run through a couple of times so they are familiar with the meeting point at their school. It is also a good practice to remind them in the morning that they are in Outside School
Hours Care that afternoon.

We have two ways of collecting students to access the Outside Hours School Care service, either by walking or via centre vehicles.

Walking
Students from Glen Dhu Primary School will walk from the school at a ratio of 1 Educator per 15 children. On wet weather days, children are transported by a Centre vehicle.

Other Schools
We currently collect children from the following schools, either via Maxi Taxis or Centre Buses;

• East Launceston Primary School
• Invermay Primary School
• Norwood Primary School
• Punchbowl Primary School
• Riverside Primary School
• Summerdale Primary School
• Trevallyn Primary School
• West Launceston Primary School

amongst many others. Please contact us for more details about this service to see how your child/ren can access the care.

It is important that the service is advised of cancellations to ensure appropriate staffing arrangements and also so that staff are not left waiting at schools looking for missing children. Notice of cancellation is required by 12pm and in the case of a planned absence at least a week in advance. Child care benefits still apply in these circumstances. The government will pay Child Care Benefits up to 42 days absence from care per year.

In the case of children being absent due to illness, advise of absence remains the same. If a Doctor’s certificate is supplied then this does not affect the limit of 42 days.

Please ensure any special needs your child has are detailed on the enrolment form and you have taken the time to talk to the director. This may include food or other allergies, medical conditions etc. This service provides afternoon tea each day, allergies and special dietary requirements need to be noted.

If we are required to administer medication, the following will apply;

• Staff will only administer medication to a child if a signed medical consent form has been completed by a parent.
• Only medication that is in its original packaging with the name of the child, date and dosage stated will be administered, staff will not administer a different amount than is authorised by the Doctor even if the parent requests it.
• Please advise staff if your child carries medication in their school bags so that this can be handed to staff for safety purposes whilst your child is in care.
• If your child self-medicates, this can only happen if authorisation and a management plan has be completed by the Doctor.
• If your child has allergies, please ensure that a duplicate supply of medication is left at Outside School Hours Care at all times should an emergency arise.

The displayed fee schedule is correct as of 02/01/2018.

Bus Levy (Applies to families requiring bus collection to and/or from school)
$2.00 per child per trip.

Eligible families can receive Child Care Subsidy which reduces the cost of care. There is also a further benefit – Child Care Rebate, which is available to those families who meet the work/study criteria. Families can apply for Child Care Subsidy through the Department of Human Services on 136150. Child Care Subsidy application must be lodged prior to the commencement of care or Full Fees will be charged.

Other Notes;

• Accounts are issued in arrears each fortnight.
• Method of payment is by Debitsuccess.
• Public Holidays – No Charge
• Notification of cancellation of booked days greater than 2 working days – No charge
• Notification of cancellation of booked days less than 2 working days – Full fees will apply.
• Ceasing Care: Discovery Outside School Hours Care requires two weeks’ notice prior to ceasing care and also requires this to be in writing.
• Full fees will be charged:
  • If notice of absence is not given within five working days or 24 hours if child is sick.
  • If your child/ren are absent on the first or last day of their booking, this includes Vacation Care.
  • If two weeks’ notice is not given in writing prior to ceasing care.