Early Childhood Education and Care Payment of Fees

1. Purpose

The City of Greater Geelong (Council) Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services are operated on a fee for service basis. This policy articulates

• the establishment, invoicing, payment and collection of fees for each of the ECEC services delivered by the City of Greater Geelong
• the setting of appropriate fees and charges; to ensure future sustainability
• the equitable and non-discriminatory application of fees across the programs and management of unpaid fees
• Commonwealth and State Government Funding available to eligible families to reduce or cost of the service.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all families enrolled in Councils  ECEC services.

Being an approved provider of an ECEC service and a recipient of government funding means accepting the legal responsibilities associated with setting up and administering the service requirements as by the Commonwealth and State Governments.

This policy applies to all staff, parents/guardians that access the service, and reflects the agreements the Council has entered into to receive government funding to support the operation of the ECEC services.

It outlines the roles and responsibilities each partner has in achieving a financially sustainable and accessible service for families.

3. Background and legislation

Background

The City of Greater Geelong (Council) is an approved provider under National Law, an approved Early Years Management (EYM) Organisation providing funded Kindergarten the Department of Education and Training. The City of Greater Geelong offers a range of services within Early Childhood and Care (ECEC) Unit including:

• Long Day care (for children 6 weeks to 6 years old)
• Occasional care (for children 6 weeks to 6 years old)
• 3-year-old kindergarten in sessional and integrated (long day care) settings
• Year Before School kindergarten (4-year-old Kindergarten) in sessional and integrated (long day care) settings
• Family Day Care.

As an approved provider and EYM Council is required to have a comprehensive written fees policy, which must be communicated to families. The policy must include:

• a written statement about the fees to be charged, as required under Regulation 168(2) (n), and the payment process.
• All families must be informed of all fees at the time of enrolment.
• Services must also advise eligible families of fee subsidies available.
• be responsive to the local community and the viability of the organisation.

These services operate based on fees for service, which means families are charged a fee to access the Service. Both the Commonwealth and State Government provide fee assistance to eligible families to reduce fees, in some circumstance’s fees are fully subsidised.

As approved provider the City of Greater Geelong has a number of legal obligations that must meet, including:

• Comply with Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Jobs for Families Child Care Package) Act 2017 Family Assistance Law,
• Ensure that the operator and their key personnel are suitable persons to operate a childcare service;
• Comply with Commonwealth Government funding agreements;
• Comply with State Government Services Agreement

4. Definitions

• Approved provider: An individual or organisation that has been approved by the DET as fit and proper (in accordance with Sections 12, 13 and 14 of the National Law) to operate one or more education and care services. The City of Greater Geelong is the approved provider for all Council ECEC Services.
• Approved care: Care given by a service provider that has been approved by the Family Assistance Office to receive Child Care Subsidy payments on behalf of eligible families. Most long day care, family day care, before-and-after school care, vacation care, some occasional care and some in-home care childcare services are approved providers.
• Access to Early learning: Access to Early Learning (AEL) is an evidence-based early intervention program that provides intensive support to vulnerable 3-year-old children from families with complex needs.
  
  It is available in select locations across Victoria and by referral only. Referrals identify children from families with a minimum of 2 relevant characteristics, which may include being known to Child Protection, intellectual or physical disability of a parent or child, family violence, mental health issues, sexual assault and alcohol and drug abuse.
  
  Each AEL program supports approximately 16 children per year.
  
  The AEL grants are only available to children that have been confirmed by an AEL provider as being supported by the program. In order to receive an AEL grant, eligible children must be enrolled in 15 hours of kindergarten per week delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher registered with the VIT (see page 79 for further information). Access to Early Learning grants are paid at the same rate as an ESK grant. Access more information about AEL and ESK funding on the department’s website.
• Child Care Subsidy (CCS): A Commonwealth Government payment to help families who use either approved or registered childcare services. All eligible families can receive some Child Care Subsidy.
• Children with additional needs: Children whose development or physical condition requires specialist support or children who may need additional support due to language, cultural or economic circumstances.
• DE: Department of Education
• Early Childhood Education and Care: The unit the delivers a suite of early years services provided by Council.
• Early Years Management: EYM organisations provide leadership and management to a number of funded community-based kindergarten services, and to other complementary early years services.  To be approved by the State Government as an EYM organisations must align with the EYM Policy in addition to kindergarten funding requirements.   Council is an Early Years Management (EYM) organisation.
• Early Start Kindergarten (ESK): A funding program that enables three-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and children known to Child Protection or referred to Child FIRST free of charge or low cost to attend an additional kindergarten program that is planned and delivered by an early childhood teacher for a specific number of hours. Details are available at Early Start Kindergarten.
• Eligible child: A child who meets the age and funding criteria outlined in the Kindergarten Guide and the requirements of the No Jab No Play legislation
• Enrolment form: A form that collects contact details, and personal and medical information from parents/guardians about their child. This information is required under the National Regulations, and must include contact details, names of authorised nominees (refer to Definitions), names of persons authorised to consent to medical treatment or to authorise administration of medication, names of persons authorised to take the child outside the service, details of any court orders, personal and health information including specific healthcare needs, medical management plans and dietary restrictions etc. (Regulations 160, 161, 162).This form is completed after a place has been offered by Council and accepted by the family.
  
  The information on this form is kept at the kindergarten in accordance with the City of Greater Geelong Privacy Policy.
• Kindergarten Fee Subsidy (KFS): A state government subsidy to promote participation by enabling eligible children to attend a sessional funded kindergarten program free of charge in the year before school, paid directly to Council.
  
  Note that Kindergarten is free under the current State Government Free Kinder policy however please notify the service if you also meet eligibility for Kinder fee subsidy. Details are available on the costs of kindergarten page of the Victorian Government website.
• Priority of Access: When prioritising enrolments, service providers need to be mindful of the barriers that prevent many vulnerable families from early enrolment in kindergarten programs. Service providers must have a priority of access policy in place to assist children at risk of disadvantage to access a kindergarten program. Service providers are required to notify all families of the priority of access policy that applies when they enrol their child. In instances where more eligible children apply for a place at a kindergarten service than there are places available, services must:
• prioritise children based on the priority of access criteria (below)
• work with other local kindergarten services and the local ECIB to ensure all eligible children have access to a kindergarten place.
Information about Priority of Access criteria is available in the kinder funding guide.
• Fees Policy: means Fees policy as amended from time to time.
• Free Kindergarten: is a new State Government initiative. This means eligible families will receive kindergarten program free of charge or low cost that is planned and delivered by an early childhood teacher for a specific number of hours.
• Integrated Kindergarten – Year Before school (4yo) kindergarten program offered as part of a long day care place
• Kindergarten registration: An online form to register your child to be included on the Council database for the following kindergarten year.
• No Jab No Play:  The legislation that requires all children to be fully vaccinated unless they have a medical exemption to be enrolled in childcare or kindergarten in Victoria
• Nominated Supervisor: A person who is a Certified Supervisor and has been nominated by the Approved Provider of the Service under Part 3 of the Act to be the Nominated Supervisor of that service, and who has consented to that nomination. The Nominated Supervisor has day-to-day responsibility for the Service in accordance with the National Regulations. All Services must have a Nominated Supervisor.
• Parent Advisory Group (PAG): A PAG supports the EYM organisation to deliver an effective EYM service.  PAG membership is open to parents and carers of children attending the service. PAG provides families with the opportunity to focus on enhancing their children’s experience and connecting with the broader community.
• Registered Care: Care provided by nannies, grandparents, relatives or friends, educators working within kindergartens, occasional care services and outside school hours care services that are registered with the Family Assistance Office. Eligible families can receive some reimbursement of costs when using a registered care provider.
• Regulation: The Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011(Amended 2017)
• Responsible person:  An educator who consents to being placed in day-to-day charge of the Service.
• Sessional Kindergarten: 4 year old kindergarten (the year before school) and 3 year old program offered as a standalone program (not as part of long day care)
• Second year of funded 4-year-old kinder: During the year before school, the early childhood teacher and the child’s parents, carers or legal guardians will work together to plan for the child’s transition to school. In exceptional circumstances where a child is observed to display delays in key outcome areas of learning and development, a second year of funded Four-Year-Old Kindergarten may be considered in the best interest of the child: the kindergarten program is deemed to be the most appropriate learning program and environment for that individual child the child will achieve better outcomes at kindergarten than if they go to school.
  
  Access more information on the assessment process and communicating with parents, carers, and legal guardians on the department’s website. All children in Three-Year-Old Kindergarten will be expected to transition to Four-Year-Old Kindergarten in the following year. A funded second year of kindergarten will only be available for children in the Four-Year-Old Kindergarten program who meet the above criteria. If a child will turn 6 before or while they are in their first or second year of funded kindergarten, parents, carers, or legal guardians must get an exemption from starting school. Access information for parents, carers and legal guardians about applying for an exemption on the department’s website.

5. References

• Education and Care National Regulations 2011; Amendments 2017
• Education and Care National Law Act 2010; Amendments 2017
• Education and Care National Quality Standard
• Family Assistance Law Amendments 2017
• Kindergarten Funding Guide
• Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities 2006 (Vic)
• Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Commonwealth)
• Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic)
• Councils Fees and Charges Policy
• The Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) (Public Sector)
• Early Years Management Policy Framework and Guidelines.

6. ECEC policy

ECEC management will:

• Provide responsible financial management of the ECEC services including setting of fees that will result in the organisation being financially sustainable, whilst keeping fees as affordable as possible.
• Formulate Service budgets and set fees in accordance with Councils Fees and Charges policy.
• Inform families as soon as practicable following the endorsement of any fee increases during the adoption of the annual budget, in June of each year.
• Inform families of the terms and conditions they are required to meet on enrolling with a City of Great Geelong ECEC Service
• Provide a fair and manageable system for dealing with non-payment and/or inability to pay Fees and outstanding debts
• Implement a Fees Policy that balances the parent’s/guardian’s capacity to pay fees, while providing a high-quality program and maintaining organisational viability.
• Review the Fees Policy in line with the requirements of DET Kindergarten Funding Guide, Councils Fees and Charges Policy and the Family Assistance Law Amendments 2017
• Support Service Managers to overcome barriers to participation.

In all services, service management will:

• Ensure all families are notified of the priority of access policy (both Commonwealth and State Government) that applies when they register and enrol their child and consider any barriers to accessing the service which may exist.
• Ensure families enrolling children with additional needs are informed of all support that may be available to support their child’s attendance at the service.
• Seek support when required for families with language other than English, cultural or economic circumstances which may present a barrier to participation.
• Ensure families are issued with current fee information, payment conditions and payment options before commencing care (Annual Terms and Conditions Information).
• Ensure families are informed of fee subsidies that are available for eligible families to ensure access for vulnerable families.
• Advise all families of the endorsed fee structure at the time of enrolment and any time thereafter that fees structures change, including any subsidies or assistance the family may be entitled to.
• Implement the adopted fee structure equitably to all families accessing service. Families eligible for fee subsidies will be informed of the out of pocket expense once the subsidy has been deducted from the adopted fee.
• Ensure all families eligible for Early Start Kindergarten (ESK) or ESK extension grant (for Year before school kindergarten) are aware of this option and, if they choose to access this, children are placed in a program that is eligible to receive this funding.  No fee will be charged to the family for the 600 hours of kindergarten received under Early Start kindergarten. This is applicable to integrated and sessional kindergarten programs.  Consider eligibility of families for AEL (Access to Early Learning)
• Ensure families are notified in writing of any changes to the fee structure throughout the year as soon as practicable.
• Generate fee invoices for families in line with the administration procedures. (FDC, LDC, Occ Care, Integrated Kindergarten- fortnightly) There are no fee’s for 3 or 4 year old sessional kinder.
• Where bookings are permanent, families are invoiced for the full period of the booking or session regardless of attendance. (Subsidies are applied according to eligibility)
• Work with families that are experiencing financial hardship to manage the debt through payment plans or alternative options to ensure accounts are manageable,
• In consultation with ECEC Management, explore all options with families to support them to manage unpaid fees resulting in debt, ensure families that leave services with outstanding debts are not re-enrolled in another City of Greater Geelong ECEC service until the outstanding account is cleared or satisfactory plans are negotiated and agreed with the family to manage the debt.
• Follow City of Greater Geelong debt collection processes where applicable.
• Ensure all families are aware of the eligibility criteria for CCS, NDIS, ESK, ESK extension, Free Kinder and KFS and of their responsibly to confirm the eligibility claims presented any other fee payment arrangements.
• Ensure supporting documentation is sighted to confirm eligibility KFS, if applicable.
• Ensure that all claims for CCS, Free Kinder, NDIS, ESK.ESK extension and KFS are processed accurately and in accordance with the relevant legislations and service agreements.
• Process claims for kindergarten funding through the annual confirmation and ensure all data is accurate and processed in accordance with the relevant legislations and service agreements.
• Ensure that all remittances, acquittals and provision of data is accurate, processed in a timely manner.
• Advise families of the process to register their details for CCS via MyGov for more information visit the Child Care Subsidy page on the Department of Education website.
• Notify all families of the service’s hours and days of operation including any planned service closures for public holidays, preparation days and Professional Development days on enrolment and re-enrolment of each year.
• Ensure families enrolled in integrated and sessional kindergarten are provided with 15 hours per week or 600 hours per year for 4 year olds and up to 15 hours per week for 3 year olds.
• Notify all families of the endorsed fee structure of each service type including long day care, Family Day Care, Occasional Care, and integrated kindergarten, at the time of enrolment.
• Ensure all information of family’s financial circumstances is managed confidentially

In all services, teachers and educators will:

• Ensure only enrolled children attend Services and that all enrolments are accessible on site.
• All children are signed in and out of the Service on the day they attend.
• Inform Service Management of any concerns for family's ability to meet the requirements of this policy.
• Support families to seek guidance and support to manage payment of fees.
• Support families to access information about subsidies available to reduce fees.

In family day care, contract educators will:

• Ensure families are fully informed of their individual fee schedules prior to commencing care.
• Ensure any fee changes by Contract Educators are approved by Management and all families are given a minimum 6 weeks’ notice in writing prior to fee increases.
• Submit a completed Record of Care for every child every fortnight.
• Only provide care to children enrolled in the service and have all enrolment forms available on site.
• Only sign children in or out, when dropping children at school or kindergarten or picking them up or if a parent/guardian fails to do so.
• Complete and submit a yellow record of care sheet for the period that a family is receiving Additional Child Care Subsidy.
• Not use another Family Day Care provider for their own child during the hours they are providing care for children in their home.

In all services, families will:

• Ensure all children using an ECEC Service are enrolled, and all supporting documentation is accurate and current.
• Ensure all children have up to date immunisations and provide documentation (where a medical exemption is not applicable).
• Sign their child in and out of the Service with a full signature or PIN code where an electronic sign in Kiosk is provided (LDC Occ Care, integrated Kindergarten).
• Pay their account via electronic means on or before the due date.
• Contact Management if experiencing financial hardship or difficulty paying account.
• Pay the out of pocket expense for Additional Child Care Subsidy fees above the hourly threshold set by the Commonwealth Government, where applicable.
• Read applicable ECEC Family Information for further information.
• Provide supporting documentation to confirm eligibility for KFS, if applicable.
• Ensure contact details are up to date

Sessional kindergarten services

The eligibility criteria for enrolment in our funded 3-year-old Kindergarten programs and funded Year Before School (4 year old) Kindergarten programs is listed below. If your child is due to turn 3 or 4 by 30 April next year, please speak with your Centre Director / Manager to discuss the best kindergarten option for you and your family. This is particularly important if your child is born between January and April as you have a choice to if your child starts school the year, they turn 5 or 6 years old. 

Registering for sessional Kinder families must register their interest as allocation of places in sessional kinder are managed separately to other ECEC programs. For registration information please visit our kindergarten registrations page.

• Free kindergarten means eligible families will receive kindergarten program free of charge

Service management with the support of teachers will:

• Encourage families to consider the best time for their child to commence kindergarten, based on the individual developmental and emotional needs of their child
• Families are informed of session operating hours including term dates for, planned closures and additional hours to account for closures, where applicable
• Ensure all children that meet the criteria for either 3yr old Kindergarten or Early Start Kindergarten (see criteria) or Year Before School (4-year-old) Kindergarten will be given every opportunity to attend; and enrolments are prioritised based on Priority of Access.
• Ensure all funding requirements are completed on time and correctly in order to ensure funding is available for all eligible children. (see Kindergarten Funding Guide)

Additional information

Late fees are applied where families arrive to collect their children after the advertised closing time of the Service.

Fees are not charged for public holiday and other planned service closures in LDC, Occ Care, Integrated Kindergarten. Families will be notified in advanced of any planned service closures.

Fundraising

A PAG may wish to conduct fundraising. The EYM PAG Handbook and Terms of Reference outlines the fundraising arrangements permitted under the ECEC EYM. Where funds have been raised by the PAG, the money will be deposited into an account held by the EYM in the City of Greater Geelong’s financial accounting system (Oracle).

7. Supporting documents

• Council Policy – Code of Conduct - MPL555.0.20
• Council FDC Code of Conduct Policy
• Council Fees and Charges Policy - CPL505.2  
• Kindergarten Funding Guide
• Parent Advisory Group Terms of Reference
• Parent Advisory Group Handbook

8. Evaluation

In order to assess whether the values and purposes of the policy have been achieved, the Approved Provider will:

• monitor the implementation of the Fee Policy, family’s experiences and concerns meet their responsibilities in line with the policy
• review the effectiveness of the policy and procedures to ensure that all concerns have been dealt with in a supportive, respectful, fair and timely manner
• keep the policy up to date with current legislation, research, policy and best practice
• revise the policy and procedures as part of the service's policy review cycle, or as required
• seek feedback from families and the PAG (where active) to support the revision of the policy
• notify parents/guardians of any changes to this policy.

9. Quality records

Nil

10. Attachments

Attachment 1 - Priority of access to Early Childhood Education and care Services.

11. Sources

• Child care subsidy
• Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority
• Early childhood education - information for professionals
• Sending your child to kinder.

12. Associated service documents

• Child Safe Policy (CoGG)
• Code of Conduct (CoGG)
• Delivery and Collection of Children Policy
• Family Services Annual ECEC Notice to Families Terms and Conditions
• Parent Advisory Group Handbook and Terms of Reference

• Debt Management Procedure
• Debt Management Template – (Payment Plan)
• Debt management Template – (Failure to comply with payment plan)
• Debt Management Template – (Overdue Account).

Authorisation

This policy was adopted by ECEC EYM on 1 February 2018.

Next review date

August 2025

Attachments

ECEC Service type, billing, payment options and Conditions

Priority of Access Policy:  State & Federal Government policy