Enrolments
Merri-bek Council provides a Child Care Central Registration service for Derby Street Childcare Centre. Central Registration provides for an easy way for families to register your child in a number of services in Moreland. Parent’s can enrol children online or by completing the childcare application form and emailing Child Care Registration
Prior to the lodgement of the registration form, please contact Derby Street Childrens Centre to make an appointment to visit the centre for a tour. Tours are conducted by appointment only.
The centre is currently under construction, tours will recommence in August 2024 once construction is complete.
Fee Structure
Fees are reviewed and set annually by the Centre’s Committee of Management in line with the Centre’s budget. The Committee is dedicated to keeping fees as low as possible.
If accounts are more than 2 weeks in arrears we may refer your account to the Committee of Management. Fees are still payable for all absences due to illness, annual leave, and rostered days off. No fees are charged for Christmas close down period and educator training days.
The fees for 2023 are as follows:
- Daily childcare fees $128 (applicable rate if child attends the Centre for less than 5 days per week)
- Weekly childcare fees $580 (applicable rate if child attends the Centre 5 days per week)
- Sessional Kindergarten fees $625 a term (Free under Victorian Government Free Kinder fee offset)
- Long day care fees must be paid 2 weeks in advance at all times via Direct Debit (Debit Success)
- Sessional kinder fees paid on a school term basis, 1 term in advance
Fees are charged for:
- Days of childcare received
- Any additional days that you use are added to your weekly fee
- Sick days and other absent days
- Fees are required for all sick days and any other absent days. However, if the Centre is provided with notice of an absence and the place is temporarily filled, no fee will apply.
Other information
Annual In-Service Days
The Centre will be closed for 2 days per year for set up and clean up. Parents will not be charged for these days. An additional professional development day may be required and advance notification will be given.
Maintenance Levy
To assist our community child care centre in maintaining low fees all families are required to pay a maintenance levy or commit to 4 hours a year assisting the Centre in some way. The maintenance levy is paid by each family in November of the nominated year if the fours hours for that year have not been completed.
Families will be asked to nominate their preferred way of contributing to the Centre. These may include (but are not limited to):
- Attendance at the Annual General Meeting
- Participation in working bees
- Office assistance
- Repairing/making toys
- Weeding or gardening
- Families may, alternatively, nominate to pay the levy only.
Child Care Subsidy
Child Care Subsidy–Centrelink
Child Care Subsidy is the main way the Government assist families with their childcare fees.
Child Care Subsidy that commenced on 2 July 2018:
- Replaced the Child Care Benefit (CCB) and Child Care Rebate (CCR) with a single, means-tested subsidy
- Is generally paid directly to child care providers to be passed on to families
- Is simpler than the previous multi-payment system
- Is better targeted and provides more assistance to low and middle-income families.
Child Care Susbidy Eligibility
Some basic requirements must be satisfied for an individual to be eligible to receive Child Care Subsidy for a child. These include:
- the age of the child (must be aged 13 or under and not attending secondary school, except in certain circumstances where an individual may be eligible for a child who does not meet this criteria, such as children with a disability or medical condition in certain circumstances)
- the child meeting immunisation requirements
- the individual, or their partner, meeting the residency requirements listed in the legislation.
In addition, to be eligible for Child Care Subsidy the individual must be liable to pay for care provided, the care must be delivered in Australia by an approved child care provider, and not be part of a compulsory education program.
Child Care Susbidy Entitlement
There are three factors that determine a family’s level of Child Care Subsidy. These are:
- Combined annual family income
- Activity test– the activity level of both parents
- Service type– type of child care service and whether the child attends school
The Child Care Subsidy is generally paid directly to service providers to be passed on to families as a fee reduction. Families make a co-contribution to their child care fees and pay to the provider the difference between the fee charged and the subsidy amount.
There is also targeted additional fee assistance for vulnerable families through the Child Care Safety Net.
Families can get an estimate of what they may be entitled to by entering their details into the Department of Human Services Payment and Service Finder.
For more information visit the Human Services Child Care Subsidy website.