NQF

Aim

For parents to pay their child care fees on time.

Related Policies

Orientation for Children Policy
Privacy and Confidentiality Policy

Who is affected by this policy?

Parents
Management

Fees Procedure:

Setting Fees
− Fees are to be set on an annual basis by management, based on the annual budget and
ensuring that the required income will be received to run the service efficiently
− Fees will be reviewed each term based on attendance and the centre’s ability to meet the
running costs. Parents will be given at least 2 weeks notice of any changes in the fees.
− A current fee schedule is available from the Nominated Supervisor.
− The Centre is approved to offer Child Care Subsidy (CCS) to eligible families. The centre
operates under the Child Care Management System (CCMS).Please contact the Family
Assistance Office (FAO) on 13 6150 to register.

Fee Payment
Payments will be deducted based on your enrolled usage for permanent and casual bookings,
fortnightly in advance via Debit success. Payments can be cancelled or altered providing you give two
weeks written notice.

• A dishonour fee of $15.00 will be charged for the direct debit of Childcare fees returned
  unpaid.
• Fees are to be paid for the days the child is booked into the centre, including times when the
  child is absent due to illness, holidays and cancelled bookings. CCB is paid for the first 42 days
  of absences without evidence.
• Statements are issued fortnightly for fees payable two weeks in advance. The statement will
  include the fee charged per session, the CCS paid (if applicable) by the Family Assistance
  Office, including the total number of allowable absent days used to date.
• All records will be kept confidential and stored appropriately. Parents may access particulars
  of their fees at any time and information given in writing upon request.

Child Care Subsidy: (CCS)
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.
Combined family income is used to determine the subsidy percentage. Income thresholds change each financial year. Current thresholds are available from the Department of Human Services website. See servicesaustralia.gov.au/ . See ‘Activity Level and Subsidised Care.’

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.
Low-income families who do not meet the activity test can access 24 hours of subsidised care per
fortnight under the Child Care Safety Net. Families who do not meet the activity test but have a
preschool-age child attending preschool are eligible for 36 hours of subsidised care per fortnight.
People with disability or impairment, including those who receive Disability Support Pension or an
invalidity service pension or who have been diagnosed by a registered medical practitioner or clinical psychologist as impaired to a significant degree may be exempt from the activity test.
Families who need more than their available hours of subsidised care per fortnight due to exceptional
circumstances can also apply to Centrelink for additional hours.

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 Entitlement
We will issue fortnightly 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.
(Parents’ My Gov accounts will also have how much care families have received and how much Child
Care Subsidy has been paid.)

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.

Annual Membership Fee
− Each family is required to pay SMOOSH a non-refundable Annual Membership Fee plus GST
per family prior to processing their application enrolment
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
this does not occur, 2 weeks fees will be charged via DebitSuccess.

Late Collection Fees
A late collection fee of $20 for the first 10 minutes or part there of is charged, $5 per minute charged
thereafter if your child is not collected by 6pm.

If after 15 minutes the centre has not been notified by the parent and the nominated contact persons
cannot be reached, the child will be taken to Burwood Police Station.

If a parent routinely collects their child after 6pm the Nominated Supervisor will need to discuss other
options with them, and suitable arrangements made or the child’s place in the centre may be cancelled

Non-Cancellation Fee
A booking for after care must be cancelled by the parent/guardian on or prior to the day of the
booking. This can be done in writing on a cancellation form, via mobile or text.

If the child is not cancelled, the parent will be charged a non-cancellation fee of $5.00. This fee will be
charged to the parents account and is payable by direct deposit within two weeks of the charge.

Absence Days
Each child is eligible for CCS for the initial 42 days absence from care across all approved child care
services during each financial year (as per 4.8 in the Child Care Service Handbook 2010-2011). These
absences can be taken for any reason and do not require supporting documentation, but they are only
available on a day on which care would otherwise have been provided if the child was not absent, and
the family was charged for that care.

Additional Absence Days
Once the initial 42 absence days have been used, CCR is payable for any additional absences where:

• the absence relates to a day on which care would otherwise have been provided if the child
  was not absent and
• the absence is one taken for an additional absence reason and
• your service obtains and keeps the required documentation and
• you meet the requirements for recording attendance and absences and child care fees are charged

Dishonour Fee

If this happens, we regret to inform you a charge of $15.00 will be billed to your account.

Bookings:

• All bookings must be made in advance.
• All cancelled bookings will be a charge. Two weeks written notice is required for permanent cancellation
  of bookings.
• All bookings (casual or permanent) and (vacation care/pupil free days) will not be swapped for alternate
  days. A cancellation must be made and a new booking created.

Vacation Care Bookings:

• All bookings must be made and paid for two weeks in advance
• All cancelled bookings are a charge Pupil Free Day Bookings:
• All bookings must be made and paid for two weeks in advance
• All cancelled bookings are a charge Cancellation of Bookings:
• Parents/Guardians are to notify the centre if their child will be absent on a day that they are booked into care, by phone or in person by filling out a cancellation form.
• All bookings (casual or permanent) are a charge.
• All bookings are charged when taking holidays within the school term.

Current Statement of Fee Structure

Other Fees & Charges

Sources
Bryant, L. (2009). Managing a Child Care Service : A Hands-On Guide for Service Providers. Sydney:
Community Child Care Co-Operative.
Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011
Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Child Care) Act 2009

Review
The policy will be reviewed annually.
Review will be conducted by:

• Management,
• Employees,
• Family Members
• Interested parties.