Enrolment and Orientation Including Immunisation
Policy
Under no circumstances will we allow your child to commence care without all appropriate enrolment forms completed, which include an immunisation history statement from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (or an Immunisation Status Certificate from a doctor or local council immunisation service) that shows your child’s immunisations are up to date for their age, any required anaphylaxis/asthma plans and lawful authority orders. Only under extenuating circumstances will we enrol your child without adequate orientation.
Relevant Legislation
Education and Care Services National Regulations (regulation 168 (2) (k)
National Quality Standard 6.1
No Jab, No Play legislation
Implementation
Priority Access
The Australian Government provides guidelines in regard to access that is prioritised according to need. These guidelines are:
- Priority 1 - a child at risk of serious abuse or neglect
- Priority 2 - a child of a single parent who satisfies, or of parents who both satisfy, the work, training, study test (refer to FAO)
- Priority 3 - any other child (refer to page 68 of the Child Care Service Handbook 2010-2011)
A further consideration is whether your family is a sole parent or a two parent family.
Although all effort would be made to avoid such occasions, because of these government guidelines it may be necessary to change either the time of attendance’s, or number of attendance’s, for families considered of lower priority under these guidelines, to make room for a family requiring care for reasons of what is considered within these guidelines as a higher need.
Please be assured that you will only be asked if absolutely necessary, and that our Centre is in no way making a value judgement of your family. These are simply Government guidelines, developed to ensure that working and studying families have access and priority to available child care places.
On the occasion that we do make a request of you, your understanding and co-operation would be greatly appreciated.
Lawful Authority and Contact
The Children Services Regulations require all Centres to keep records of lawful authority, contact and residence arrangements for children. During enrolment you will be asked to fill in an authorisation statement in regards to lawful authority and contact relating to your child.
All sections of the enrolment form must be completed prior to enrolment, as staff will not permit a child to leave the Centre without the appropriate written authorisation from you. Persons unknown to staff will be questioned on their arrival, and lawful authority forms checked
If the person collecting your child is not listed, he or she will be unable to leave the Centre with your child, and we will notify you by phone.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is of paramount importance in our centre. All of the information provided to us by you, such as addresses, phone numbers, and custody information, is seen and recorded only by our Family Relations Officers and the staff directly responsible for the care of your child.
At no time will information be given out without your consent, and any individual meetings that take place between you and our staff will be undertaken with the highest degree of professionalism.
The Centre maintains all information provided by your family on computer and on file. We ask you to ensure your child’s records are kept up to date by communicating any changes to your child’s pertinent information to our customer service Officer.
After updating the central administration records, this information is forwarded to the staff in your child’s playroom, where your child’s written records are updated.
If you have a change in any of the following please let us know:
- your child’s diet
- allergies/asthma
- change of address , phone or email
- immunisations (please provide updated approved Immunisation History Statement)
- change of work/study address/phone
- change to emergency contacts
On your child’s birthday each year a Child History Sheet and a Condition of Enrolment and Family Information form will be given to you to update and un updated immunisation statement will be requested (if relevant) to return to reception . It is important that you complete and return these forms to our Family Relations Officer, to ensure that the care your child continues to receive remains both current and relevant.
We ask you to keep us informed of any changes throughout the year as we need to be able to know your child’s needs and be able to contact you throughout the day if the need.
Daily Communication
At One World we recognise that effective communication is a vital factor in providing care that is personal and individualised. We recognise that when it comes to your child, you are the expert. Our staff rely on you to share with them your intimate knowledge of your child each day, in order to provide care that is consistent with your home environment, and to develop a program that reflects an understanding of your child’s changing needs throughout their growth and development.
Our staff in turn welcome the opportunity to share with you their professional expertise in child development, and to share with you their knowledge and growing understanding of your child. We see both parents and staff as a resource to each other, and therefore, as active partners in the care and education of children.
Daily communication between you and your child’s caregivers is an essential element of a quality early childhood program. We look forward to many conversations and opportunities for exchanging of information, and getting to know you and your child personally during your time at our Centre.
General Communication
The Children’s Centre, and the people within it, is not unlike a small community, and as such, there are always activities taking place and information to share with others. The children are central to the Children’s Centre community’s very existence, and we actively use every medium at our disposal to communicate to you the importance of the work we do each day with your children, and to encourage your involvement in the program and its’ ongoing development.
General information, items of interest and news relating to the Centre, are communicated to you through notice boards, displays, website and secure online platforms such as our One World for Children Facebook page, our Facebook families page and online portfolios (storypark).
In all manner of ways, communication is the key to the provision of a high quality child care service. At One World, communication in its many forms is an integral part of our work. It is placed with importance, and actively encouraged as a way to deepen our shared understanding of children, and to foster the development of mutually respectful relationships between parents and staff.
Enrolment Procedure
When enrolling your child into the Centre the following will be followed:
- Our relationship officers will determine our vacancies
- An appointment will be made for your family to look through the Centre
- When looking through the centre your questions will be answered
- You will receive and information bag containing a brochure, fridge magnet and information relating to what you need to do before beginning care.
- An appointment will be made to complete the enrolment forms and begin the orientation process at which time you need to also supply all required documents such as Immunisation History Statement/Court orders/Asthma and Anaphylaxis plans etc
- Orientations begin during this time a date will be discussed and set for your child to begin care.
Immunisation Procedure
In accordance with “No Jab, No Play” legislation families must provide evidence that the child they are enrolling is fully immunised for their age, on a vaccination catch-up program or unable to be fully immunised for medical reasons (Please not this does not apply for school aged children using Outside School Hours Care and Vacation Care).
To comply with the legislation families must provide an approved immunisation certificate before care can commence. An Immunisations History Statement from the Austalian Childhhood Immunisation Register can be used. An Immunisation Status Certificate from a medical doctor or a local council immunisation service can also be used if it meets requirements. Our family relations officers will assist you with how to obtain the required documentation and assess it once it has been received to ensure immunisations are up to date before care can commence.
Orientation Procedure
The Children’s Centre has developed and fine-tuned a comprehensive and effective orientation process to ensure that you and your child have a smooth transition into our Centre. We recommend that all families should complete this process, as we feel it is very important that both you and your child feel welcome, comfortable and settled into the program, before commencing care.
The orientation process may take one or more visits, having been tailored to meet the individual needs of your family.
Only under extenuating circumstances will we enrol your child without adequate orientation.
Orientation 1
You meet with the staff of your child’s playroom room with your child and pass all relevant information onto the staff about your child such as:
- Routines
- Food likes/dislikes/allergies/intolerance/medical conditions
- Strengths
- Interests
- Family/sibblings/extended family
- Pets
And to discuss individual expectations ie shoes can be off when playing outdoors, changed into new clothing before going home
When you and your child are comfortable you can leave the room and come to reception to complete all the relevant paperwork (Usually about an hour)
Orientation 2
Your child stays in the playroom while you complete/submit any outstanding forms enrolment forms (usually 1hr)
Orientation 3
You leave your child for 1-2 hrs (but we will contact you if we feel you need to come back earlier should your child be distressed)
Orientation 4
A forth orientation will be arranged as needed. This is based on individual families and children.
Policy Review
This policy will be reviewed bi annually unless there are any regulatory or legislative requirements and/or any feedback from staff, parents and the community.
Sources
Education and Care Services National Regulations
National Quality Standard
Parent Handbook
Staying Healthy in Child Care - 4th Edition, National Health and Medical Research Council