Delivery and collection of children policy |
Document no: |
72, 73, 99, 158, 168 2 (f) |
Approval date: |
Feb 2018 |
Approved by: |
Family Services Manager |
Review date: |
August 2025 |
Responsible Officer: Early Childhood Coordinator |
Version no: |
01 |
Authorising Officer: |
Family Services Manager |
1. Purpose
The City of Greater Geelong Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of all children and provide for a safe delivery and collection of each child into their service.
2. Scope
All services:
It is the responsibility of staff, educators and families to ensure the safe arrival and departure of children at the children’s service and the completion of statutory documentation. This extends to where children are still at the Service after the designated closure times and collection has not occurred. The late collection aspects of this Policy of our early childhood centres in Greater Geelong is designed to uphold the safety and wellbeing of the children in our care while maintaining accountability for parents/guardians. By implementing these stated procedures, we aim to ensure punctuality and minimise disruptions to the daily operations of the Centre.
To ensure this objective is met, parents and/or authorised nominees must sign in and sign out to confirm when a child is formally placed in, or removed from the care of the children’s service.
3. References
- Education and Care National Regulations 2011
- Amendments 2017
- Education and Care National Law Act 2010
- Amendments 2017
- Education and Care National Quality Standard
4. ECEC Policy
Delivery:
- Parent/guardian or authorised nominee must sign in via the service’s electronic kiosk located in the foyer, using their individual PIN
- Upon arrival at the program each day, children must be placed in the care of an educator. During this time, information can be exchanged in relation to children’s care requirements while at the service.
- Families are requested to notify the children’s service by 10:00am if their child/ren will not be in attendance on a day they would normally attend, by telephone or email.
Collection:
IN ALL SERVICES
MANAGEMENT WILL:
- Ensure only individuals listed on the child's enrolment form as authorized nominees / pick-up persons will be allowed to collect the child. Photo identification may be required for verification purposes.
- Support parent/guardian or authorised nominee (unfamiliar with the KIOSK system) to sign their child out using the Electronic Kiosk located in the foyer of their Service by entering their individual PIN
- Ensure no child is to be released to persons other than those nominated by parents and recorded in the child enrolment record. Photo ID may be required to prove identity upon collection of children.
- Ensure collection of a child by a family member under the age of eighteen is permitted as long as the parent / guardian has provided full details in their enrolment form as to this person being an authorised nominee and has attended the Service with the “child nominee” to familiarise them with all the steps they need to complete when collecting their sibling.(NOTE: Regulation 99 does not stipulate an age)
- Ensure any change to an authorised nominee/or additional authorised nominee put forward, including a Family Court document, requires the child enrolment record to be updated. Parents can detail the changes via an email that will be attached to the original enrolment form. These changes can be completed in person by the parent amending their enrolment form and initialling the changes.
Family Day Care (FDC) excluded.
- Assist the family - if unforeseen circumstances occur and a person other than an authorised nominee is collecting the child, the parent/guardian must contact the Service and provide verbal authorisation for the child to be collected. The Responsible Person will need to be provided with this authorisation and the person collecting the child will be required to provide photo identification and evidence of their address. This information will be copied and kept on the child’s file by the Service before the child will be released into their care.
- Ensure the Responsible Person on duty at end of program day, checks with educators to confirm all children are signed out. If any child is not signed out correctly, the family must be provided with a reminder about the Delivery and Collection policy when they next access the service.
- For late collection of children & associated fees (see Family Services – Annual Terms and Conditions of Care).
LATE COLLECTION of CHILDREN
- Issue the family with a copy of this Policy, an invoice for fees incurred for late collection and discuss the circumstances that led to late collection, so alternative collection options can be put in place.
- Upon notification from the family of potential / actual late collection, discuss who will directly make contact with the listed authorised nominees (listed in enrolment form) to collect the child on the family’s behalf.
- The parent / guardian or authorised nominee will record within Electronic Kiosk the actual time, date of this occurrence.
Follow the steps of “Procedure – Late Collection & Fees”, sign & keep on file for future reference.
- Provide a grace period for unusual / exceptional circumstances of Late Collection when this is a “once off occurrence”.
- Address via a scheduled meeting with the parent / guardian where there are persistent late collection incidents (more than two) to discuss the issue. A plan will be put in place to address the recurring lateness and prevent further occurrences.
- Make the decision - if a child has not been collected within a reasonable timeframe (20 minutes after the close of Service) and attempts to contact the parents/guardians or other authorized nominees have been unsuccessful, the centre will follow its child protection protocol. This will involve contacting relevant authorities to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the child.
IN ALL SERVICES FAMILIES
WILL:
- Need to complete an amendment form at their next attendance at the Service, in relation to any new authorised nominee.
- Communicate any changes to the usual collection arrangements to the centre in advance, preferably in writing. This includes changes in authorised pick-up persons or designated collection times.
LATE COLLECTION of CHILDREN
- Telephone the Centre immediately they anticipate a potential for a Late Collection – well in advance of the final 30 minutes of the ECEC Service’s operating times.
- Inform the Centre immediately of their estimated time of arrival, and their options for an authorised nominee on the enrolment form being sent to collect their child.
- Ensure accurate late time is entered into the Electronic Kiosk upon arrival at the Centre and communicate to family that a late collection fee will be applied for each child not collected by close of business. This fee will be charged at a predetermined rate per minute or per quarter-hour, as outlined in the centre's fee schedule.
(see Annual Terms & Conditions )
- Attend a scheduled meeting with the ECEC Centre Management where there are persistent late collection incidents (more than two) to discuss the issue. A plan will be put in place to address the recurring lateness and prevent further occurrences.
- Acknowledge this Policy; in reference to decision making if the child has not been collected within a reasonable timeframe (20 minutes after the close of Service) and attempts to contact the parents/guardians or other authorised nominees have been unsuccessful, the centre will follow its child protection protocol. This will involve contacting relevant authorities to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the child.
- In cases of chronic late collection without valid reasons, the centre reserves the right to review the child's enrolment status. Continued non-compliance with the late collection policy may result in termination of enrolment.
5. Quality Records
See City of Greater Geelong ECEC services handbook
6. Attachments
- Family Services – Annual - Terms and Conditions of Care for Families.
- Procedure – Late Collection & Fees (D24 – 409090)
- ACECQA Fact Sheet: Delivery of children to, and collection from, Education and
Care Service Premises Policy Guidelines July 2023.