Learning and Care

As a parent or carer of a young child, you are the main influence on your child’s development. Early childhood learning and care services exist to help you with this important role.

Learning and care services offered by Children’s Centres operate under the National Quality Framework (NQF). The NQF aims to raise the quality of services across Australia through its National Quality Standard. The standard includes the Early Years Learning Framework, a curriculum framework to guide staff in developing quality learning and care programs for children.

Preschool

Preschool provides 15 hours of universal access to preschool for children 4 years of age. Aboriginal children and children under the guardianship of the Minister are able to attend sessional preschool from 3 years of age. Preschool programs are play-based educational programs designed and delivered by qualified teachers using the national curriculum framework.

When your child can start preschool

All children are entitled to access at least 1 year of preschool.

We are now introducing a mid-year intake into preschool. This means that from 2023 children who turn 4 years old:

before 1 May are eligible to start preschool at the beginning of the year
on 1 May to 31 October can commence preschool through the mid-year intake at the start of Term 3 of that year
after 31 October will be eligible to commence preschool at the start of the following year.

If you want to delay your child’s start to preschool or you’re not sure about when they should start, please talk to us about your options.

If your child is Aboriginal or under guardianship (in care) they are eligible for 12 hours of preschool after they turn 3. They will then be eligible for 15 hours per week of preschool in the year before they start school.

Enrolling your child

You can register your interest to enrol your child with us by using the Preschool Registration of Interest form. This form is available by clicking on the Preschool Registration of Interest Form link.

This can be done at any time during the time prior to your child being eligible to begin preschool.

Priority will be given to children living in our catchment area. If you don’t live in our catchment area you should indicate at least 2 other preschool options on your form.

Preschool Session Times

The Preschool Program is offered four days a week, Monday – Thursday and on a number of Fridays during the term. Children attend two days a week, for 6.5 hours per day, and 3 Fridays during the term, and therefore receive the entitlement of hours of Preschool each term.

Fees

We ask you to contribute towards the cost of your child attending preschool .

The parent contribution is $120 per term. If you choose to pay the total amount at the beginning of the year, the parent contribution is discounted to $400. Alternatively you can pay instalments of $120 each term.

Please talk to us if you’d like to set up an alternative payment plan for the term.

What to bring

Children need to bring these items each day:

A bag or backpack
A hat that covers ears, face and neck (no caps). Any hat must have the cord removed for safety reasons
A change of clothes, including underwear and socks
A drink bottle containing water only
Healthy fruit or vegetable snacks
A packed lunch that complies with our Healthy Eating Policy
Nappies and wipes if required.

Please write your child’s name on all their belongings.

What not to bring

Children should not bring these things:

Any food containing nuts (some children have nut allergies that can be dangerous)
Unhealthy food or drink (lollies, any foods containing chocolate, chips, sweet cakes and biscuits)

Occasional Care

When: Tuesday
9:00am – 11:45am

Occasional Care is child care available to families on a casual basis. Sessions are offered to families in advance and the program is integrated with the Preschool Program.

What to bring for occasional care

When your child attends occasional care, please bring these items:

An appropriately sized bag to hold your child’s belongings.
A water bottle, or milk for younger children if required (please do not bring juice or codial).
A healthy snack.
A set of spare clothes.
Nappies and wipes, if required.

Please label all belongings to assist staff to return them to your child if they are misplaced (including clothing, shoes and food containers).

Apply sunscreen at home before coming to occasional care.

If you forget to do this, the Centre has sunscreen available for families to use.

PAINT THE WESTSIDE REaD

Seaton Children’s Centre is proud to be a partner of the Paint the Westside REaD program. This program is a joint initiative of the Department of Education preschools, children’s centres and schools in the Inner West Partnership, The City of Charles Sturt and Uniting SA.

In 2017 children across our community grew an egg by reading, singing, talking and dancing with it in our preschools, children’s centres and community spaces. Lizzie is the program mascot whose role it is to promote the importance of reading, talking, singing, rhyming and playing with children every day from birth.

Lizzie shares a monthly message about ways families and educators can support children’s literacy development and we use these messages within our program. We aim to have Lizzie visit each term as part of the project. We will also promote Paint the Westside REaD events and holiday programs that Lizzie is involved in.

We also have a ‘book swap box’ located in the foyer where children can borrow a book and families can bring a book they no longer want and swap it for another from the box.

There will be lots of Lizzie things happening across our centre and the community as we continue to build Lizzie’s profile and share the monthly messages.