Children can hurt themselves in care, especially as they navigate their way through an environment that they are challenged by. An incident report will be completed and sent to you via the family app to read and sign. Should the incident be more than minor, we will contact you by telephone.

A permission slip will be sent to you for your consent. If you do not wish for your child to be involved in the excursion, your child can join another class for the day. Another option is to come along!! The more the merrier. At Wholechild, we love it when our families get involved and participate in our programs.

Children are more susceptible to picking up illnesses when they first start care due to the increased contact with other children. Children have an immature immune system, which needs to develop over time as they build their own protective antibodies. Children do not fully develop their protective antibodies until late childhood.

A study conducted by the University of Montreal found that children who attended childcare got sick more often than children who stayed at home, but also found that those same children got sick less often during the primary school years than their peers who didn’t attend childcare.

Things that we can do to support children in building a healthy immune system include providing them with healthy and nutritious food, ensuring they get enough sleep, practising good hygiene such as hand washing from an early age and keeping children at home when they are unwell to minimise the spread to other children.

If your child is unwell, generally not themselves or are contagious, please keep them at home. As adults, we know that, if we are not feeling well, the best place for us to rest and recuperate is at home, in bed or on the couch. If you are unsure whether your child should attend care, please give us a call and we will be able to guide you. If your child is sent home from care due to being unwell, a doctor’s clearance will be required before returning to care, along with ensuring that all of the symptoms have gone. You can let us know if your child will be absent via the family app. We may need to contact you for further information as we are required to keep a log to keep track of any illnesses at the centre.

If there is a confirmed case of an infectious disease in the centre, we will notify families by displaying the Staying Healthy in Childcare fact sheet and notifying families via the family app. Depending on the illness, the centre will also be in contact with, and following the health advice of, the Department of Health.

If your child is cleared to attend care and requires medication to be given, you will need to complete the medication form via the family app on the morning that the medication is due to be given. When you arrive at the centre, please personally give the medication to one of our staff members for safe-keeping. Please note that medication must be in the original packaging, be ‘in date’ and have a chemist label that clearly states the child’s full name and the method and frequency with which the medication is to be administered.

Yes. Since January 2018, children who attend childcare services must be fully up to date with their immunisations. Your child’s immunisation record obtained from Medicare must be provided as proof that all age-appropriate vaccinations are up to date. Updated immunisation records are required to be submitted to us after each stage of immunisation.

A copy of your child’s immunisation details can also be obtained at any time by:

• Using your Medicare online account through MyGov
• Using the Medicare Express Plus App
• Calling the AIR General Enquiries Line on 1800 653 809.

An immunisation medical exemption can be submitted for assessment to the Australian Immunisation Register if you meet the criteria. Appropriate documentation will be required to be submitted along with a form that is to be completed by a medical professional. Should you be successful in obtaining an exemption, the required documentation is to be attached to your enrolment form.

Children who are not immunised for a particular disease may be asked to stay at home if there is an outbreak of that vaccine preventable disease in the centre.

Anyone listed in your enrolment form as an authorised person to collect your child. However, please do not give your authorised people our front door entry code. Please ask them to ring the doorbell and one of our team will come and let them in. Please also note that they will be required to bring photo ID with them each time they come to collect your child to confirm their identification.

Our fees are $155.50 per day  for Armidale and $149.80 per day for Coffs Harbour. This is inclusive of all meals, nappies, nappy rash cream, wipes, hats, sunscreen, bed linen and excursions between the hours of 6.30am and 6.30pm. Parents only pay their gap fee portion of the daily fee, which can be as little as $18 per day after the Government’s Child Care Subsidy (CCS). There are additional government subsidies for siblings, preschool children and children with special needs. Please contact Services Australia for assistance.

Each family’s CCS is different according to your family’s total income and the hours worked under the ‘Activity Test’ and, therefore, the gap fee payable will be different.

To register for CCS, click on the link below:

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/child-care-subsidy/how-claim

To estimate your CCS entitlement, click on the link below:

https://www.childcaresubsidycalculator.com.au/

Once you have your CCS % or estimate, feel free to contact the centre for a personalised quote.

If your child is sick or just having a day at home, please let us know that your child will not be attending care either by phone, email or the family app, so that we know not to expect them. Sick days are required to be paid for as we roster our staff on in advance and set the daily fee rate based on full attendance.

We offer a 20% holiday discount off your gap fee. Please refer to our Family Handbook for instructions on how to apply for this and the conditions of entitlement.

Not at all. Should your circumstances change, all you need to do is complete an End of Care Form and submit with two weeks’ notice before your child’s last day of attendance.

Centrelink allows 42 absent days in a financial year before your CCS payments will be affected. You can see the number of absent days you have used at the bottom of your account statement. If you are getting close to the 42 absent days, please speak to the Centre Director about options and for further information.

No. We are open every weekday of the year except for gazetted public holidays unless otherwise notified. Should you wish to nominate a public holiday as one of your allocated holiday discount days, please complete a holiday discount form and submit this two weeks before the day you wish to nominate.

There are no application fees required for enrolment.

The only amounts payable prior to your child’s first day are:

– your child’s first week of gap fees (paid every week in advance); and

– a bond amount comprising two weeks of gap fees. The bond may be used to cover any unpaid fees, the last two weeks of care under the two week notice period or will otherwise be refunded upon cessation of care.

Yes, we offer a vacation care program for school aged children subject to availability. Please contact the Centre Director for further information.

Our onsite chef prepares five meals per day in line with our seasonal four-weekly rotational menu.

A continental breakfast is available from 6:30am – 8:00am.

Service of morning tea generally commences around 9:00am.

Depending on the room age, lunch starts from 11:00am, with our younger children being served earlier than our older children.

Afternoon tea is served between 2:00pm – 2.30pm.

A late snack is also provided around 4:00pm to tide children over until dinner.

A copy of the current menu is displayed in the Family Lounge near the kitchen and can also be viewed on the family app. We will also post on the family app information about what and how much your child has eaten that day.

Due to food safety health requirements and children’s allergies, we do not accept food being brought into the centre. Children will often surprise you with what they will eat whilst at care with their peers. Should your child not eat what is on the menu, we are more than happy to set up a meeting for you to discuss alternative options that we can provide in line with our nutritional guidelines.

When completing your enrolment form, or during your centre tour, please notify us of any allergies, dietary requirements and/or medical conditions that your child has. The Centre Director will arrange a meeting with you to discuss this information and you will be required to provide the relevant paperwork completed by your doctor prior to your child starting at care. Once this is completed, please provide the original coloured copy to the centre and we will create a Risk Minimisation and Communication Plan to go alongside your child’s Medical Action Plan.

Our menus have been designed by a qualified nutritionist to ensure that children receive all the essential nutrients for healthy physical and brain development.

The menu meets the Australian Dietary Guidelines, which together with the underlying evidence base, provide guidance on foods, food groups and dietary patterns that protect against chronic disease and provide the nutrients required for optimal health and wellbeing.

We also observe the government’s physical initiative programs that support the healthy development of children aged birth to 5 years by promoting physical activity, healthy eating and healthy lifestyle choices.

Yes, we have a family communication app to which we post information about your child’s day, learning documentation, photos and videos of your child. Families can add their own stories and comment on posts on the app. You will also have access via the app to your child’s secure online portfolio. Twice a year, you will receive your child’s Wholechild Developmental Summary Plan via the family app. Once this has been received, you will be invited to a Family and Educator Information Night to discuss your child’s progress and set future goals.

Yes, each classroom follows its own educational program, which is updated regularly. Your child’s educational program may be viewed either in your child’s classroom or via the family app.

Yes, our Preschool Programs are provided by Bachelor of Early Childhood Education Teachers.

We generally offer two free orientation visits prior to commencing care with us. We highly recommend completing these orientation visits 1-2 weeks prior to starting at care to avoid a lengthy break between these visits and your child commencing care with us. Please feel free to speak to us about your family’s individual requirements and we will assist you with working out an orientation plan for your circumstances.

1 educator to 4 children for children aged 0-2 years.

1 educator to 5 children for children aged 2-3 years.

1 educator to 10 children for children aged 3-5 years.

There is no restriction on the minimum number of days your child must attend care as we understand that each family’s requirements are different. We do, however, recommend a minimum of two days per week so that your child forms a regular routine, participates fully in the educational program and establishes meaningful relationships with peers and educators.

Your child’s Wholechild backpack, hat and drink bottle supplied in the Welcome Pack when you enrolled along with a change of clothes. For younger children, their own formula or breast milk and bottles. A dummy or security object will be required to be provided if needed for settling or sleep. Please refer to the Parent handbook for more information on what to bring.