POLICY CONTENT

To enable our School to meet legal requirements, fill positions and maintain financial viability, families are required to provide notice when withdrawing their child from the School.  
 

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

QUALITY AREA 7: Governance and Leadership

7.1	Governance	Governance supports the operation of a quality service.
7.1.1	Service philosophy and purposes	A statement of philosophy guides all aspects of the service’s operations.
7.1.2	Management Systems	Systems are in place to manage risk and enable the effective management and operation of a quality service.
7.1.3	Roles and Responsibilities	Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and understood and support effective decision making and operation of the service.

 

PURPOSE 

We aim to ensure families gain a clear understanding of the School requirements when withdrawing their child from our care.    
 

SCOPE

This policy applies to families and management of the School. 
 

IMPLEMENTATION 

During the enrolment and orientation process families are to be made aware of the School requirements should they wish to withdraw their child from the School.  
 

WITHDRAWING FROM THE SCHOOL 

• Families are required to provide the office with two weeks written notice when withdrawing their child from the School.   
• The letter must state: 
  • the date they are writing the withdrawal notice 
  • the child’s last day of attendance 
  • the reason for withdrawal from the School 
• Written withdrawal notification can be emailed to management.  
• This letter will be placed into the child’s file and archived once they have left the school. 
•  All records related to a child’s enrolment must be kept securely until the end of 3 years after the last day of the child’s attendance. 
• Management will add an end date into the school software program to ensure compliance with the Family Assistance Office and Centrelink. 
• Fees will be charged up to the end of the two weeks from the date at which notice was received in writing, whether or not the child has attended the School during those two weeks. 
• A final account is to be processed by administration. The final account is to be issued immediately to the family advising of the balance (payment is due or no payment due as applicable).  
• Families must ensure the account is paid prior to final attendance. 
• If payment has not been received, the debt recovery process is to start immediately.  
• If the child does not attend during their two weeks of notice, Child Care Subsidy (CCS) will not be paid after their last day of attendance (including if the child does not attend on their last day) and full fees will be applicable under Cessation of Care (This is a policy of the Family Assistance Office in relation to Child Care Subsidy). 

CONTINUING ENROLMENT FOR THE NEW YEAR 

• Prior to the end of each year, families will be provided with a form to confirm their child’s continuing enrolment requirements for the New Year.  
• Failure to complete and return this form may result in their child not being considered for a future position.  
• Families with children going to school the following year will be required to complete the Re-enrolment form confirming that their child will be going to school the following year, adding an end date to their child’s care.  
• Families who require care in the New Year until the school year starts, will need to advise management in writing, stating their child’s last date of attendance at the School. Any extensions to the advised date will be assessed by management and subject to availability which will be confirmed in writing for families.  
• The Complying Written Arrangement will be updated  
• Families eligible for Child Care Subsidy are responsible for ensuring that all information requested by Centrelink is provided to them in order to ensure no interruption to CCS payments.

 

EMPLOYEES WITH CHILDREN AT THE SCHOOL

Employees are welcome to enrol their child at the School, however, if an employee is terminated from their position, the School reserves the right to terminate the child’s position due to conflict of interest.  
 

WITHDRAWAL PRIOR TO COMMENCEMENT OF CARE

If a family has accepted the offer of a placement, then decides to withdraw from the school before the agreed commencement date, the written notice period applies. If less than the written notice period is given prior to the agreed commencement date, full payment of the first two weeks School fees is payable and is non refundable. Full fees is payable as you are not entitled to claim any child care subsidy for this period. 
 

14 WEEK RULE (CCS) 

An enrolment will end for Child Care Subsidy purposes, if a child does not attend a session of care at our School for 14 continuous weeks.  
This ensures that enrolments at our school are current and do not remain open indefinitely in the Child Care Subsidy system. 
 

UPDATING AND ENDING ARRANGEMENTS AND ENROLMENTS

When the arrangement for care ends, the School Director must update an enrolment notice in the Child Care Subsidy System within seven days of the change or event which caused the change to the arrangement.  
 
SOURCE  Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment. (2019) Child Care Provider handbook 
dese.gov.au/resources-child-care-provider...  
Australian Government Services Australia Child Care Subsidy  
servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centreli... 
Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. (2016). 
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011).      
Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017). 
Revised National Quality Framework. (2017). (Amended 2020). 
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018)