Fees Policy

 

NQF

QA7 7.1.2 Management systems – Systems are in place to manage risk and enable the effective management and operation of a quality service.

Aim

Parents fully understand fee payment  procedures and requirements, and pay their child care fees on time.

 

Related Policies

Orientation for Children Policy

Privacy and Confidentiality Policy

 

Implementation

Enrolment

  • Submit the enrolment and associated documents through the online Xplor portal.
  • Once confirmation is received by Rose Garden Kids that all information is accurate.
  • Immediately accept the Comply Written Agreement through your MyGov Ap.
  • CCS submission will be processed by Centrelink, you will receive confirmation of eligibility.

FEES

Our childcare fees are outlined in our fee schedule below and as detailed in the Parent Handbook sent to you when enrolment is confirmed. Please note our fees are adjusted each July, notification of increase is given 2 weeks prior.

Fees must be paid on time and:

  • Weekly or fortnightly buy direct deposit. Receipt emailed to: tooradin@rosegardenkids.com.au
  • on the first day your child attends the service for the week
  • in advance for every day that your child is enrolled at the service. This includes pupil free days, sick days, family holidays and public holidays but excludes periods when the service is closed including over the Christmas and New Year break period.
  • Accounts will not be permitted to be paid in arrears past 1 week.

 

Child Care Subsidy

Child Care Subsidy is available to all families who are Australian Residents if the child meets immunisation requirements and parents meet eligibility requirements. Entitlement is determined by an activity test which determines the number of hours of subsidised care to which families are entitled.

A broad range of activities meet the activity test requirements, including paid work, self-employment, unpaid work in a family business, active job hunting, volunteering or studying. You can also include reasonable travel time to and from a place of activity to the centre. In two parent families, both parents must meet the activity test, and subsidy hours are calculated on the lower number where parents have different levels of activity.

 

There are exemptions for parents who legitimately cannot meet the activity test requirements.

The percentage of subsidy a family receives is based on their estimated combined annual income.

All families wishing to access Child Care Subsidy need to complete an online Child Care Subsidy assessment through their MyGov account. Assessment asks families to provide information about their expected combined family income, activity level of parents and types of child care service being used.

 

The Additional Child Care Subsidy may be available to help support:

  • families needing help to support their children’s safety and wellbeing
  • grandparents on income support who are primary child-carers
  • families in temporary financial hardship families moving to work from income support

 

Families can claim Child Care Subsidy or Additional Child Care Subsidy online by signing into their MyGov and completing a Child Care Subsidy claim. If eligible, the Subsidy will be paid directly to the service on families’ behalf and we will reduce the fees owed. This can occur after our service enters families’ enrolment information online, and families confirm their enrolment information through their MyGov account. Until Child Care Subsidy details are available, families will need to pay full fees.

Families are entitled to receive Child Care Subsidy for up to 42 days where their child is absent, for example due to illness, public holidays and parental leave. Evidence to support these absences is not required. Additional absence days may be available if they meet the situations outlined in the Family Assistance Law and there is evidence to support these.

Statements of Fees and Entitlement

We will issue weekly Statements which include child/children’s full name/s, date of care, date of payment, daily and weekly hours of care, absences, hourly fees and hourly and daily fee totals  and the number of hours fees were reduced (eg by Child Care Subsidy) and total reduction amount-all of which is automatically applied by Centrelink and Xplor.   Details of payments will be processed by each Monday when new Statements are generated.

Late Fees

Families who do not collect their child before  close for the day will be charged a late fee of $1 for every minute they arrive past our closing time for both educators who are at the service at close time. This fee covers the cost of employing the staff required to supervise a child outside our operating hours. It may be waived at the discretion of the Nominated Supervisor.

Termination

Should you wish to end your child’s place at the service or should management make the decision to terminate your child’s place, 2 weeks written notice is required from the ending/terminating party. If you do not provide this notice, you will be charged 2 weeks fees. Children must also be signed in and out by parents/guardians on the last scheduled day of their attendance for the Child Care Subsidy to apply. If this does not occur families are required to pay full fees.

Discounted Fees

Holidays are charged at a discounted fee providing 2 weeks notice prior is given in writing.

Holiday and Sibling fees are applied only if the account is kept up to date and not in an overdue state.

 

Overdue Fees

The Nominated Supervisor will issue a Friendly Fee Reminder email and txt to the family who is two weeks late paying their fees. If families are having difficulty making fee payments they should immediately speak with the approved provider or nominated supervisor to discuss fee payment arrangements. Information provided by families will be treated as strictly private and confidential.

If the CCS isn’t submitted on time then a weekly fee payment of half the charges of the fees is expected to be paid each week. When CCS is finally paid to the service the CCS is usually backdated and all credits applied to the account.

 

In cases of non-payment of fees, where the service is unable to contact families about the debt, or families do not respond to communication requested by Rose Garden kids, or families do not meet agreed arrangements for repayment of the debt and ongoing payment of fees:

  • Overdue surcharges will be applied to outstanding debt amounts and
  • the Nominated Supervisor will immediately suspend or terminate the child’s place at the service. Families will be advised of this action in writing.

Where families do not meet agreed payment plans, and an outstanding debt remains, the Nominated Supervisor may use their discretion to engage a third-party agency to recover the outstanding amount.  The charge of the debt recovery will be added to the debt owed.

Surcharge of 10% will apply to any overdue fees, per week.

Sources

Bryant, L. (2009). Managing a Child Care Service : A Hands-On Guide for Service Providers. 

Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations Family Assistance Law

Review

Reviewed: 30.10.2023

The policy will be reviewed annually by:

  • Management
  • Employees
  • Family Members
  • Interested parties
Full Fees Charged
Daily Full Time
Fee $135 $650
$130pd
Half Day $110 6.30-12.30
or
12.30-6
Casual $140
Holiday $125 $120
Sibling Fee $125 $120