When erolling your child in Acacia you will enter an arrangement with us that all out of pocket fees will be paid in accordance to our policies.

Acacia Children’s Centre – Richmond Centre Based care fee structure are based on

10 hour sessions per day at the cost of $115 per day.

Existing enrolled families are able to add an extra Casual days when available. We ask families to email this request.

Casual sessions are also based on 10 hour sessions at the cost of $115 per day

This is the full fee and does not take into account the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), which many families are eligible for. 

The CCS is a payment made by the Commonwealth Government to assist families with the cost of child care. Eligibility for this payment is determined by Centrelink’s Services Australia.

Families must set up a myGov account (www.mygov.com.au), which is the platform linked directly to the CCS and inform both Acacia and Centerlink on current information.

A claim for CCS must be made for each child in your family enrolled at child care.

Further information about the CCS can be found at the links below:

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/child-care-subsidy

Free Kinder

Free Kindergarten information for families

General information

Kindergarten programs for four-year-old and eligible three-year-old children in Victorian Government funded services will be free as part of the Best Start, Best Life reform.

This investment will save families up to $2,500 for each child enrolled in a participating funded kindergarten program.

DET also provides funding to assist eligible three-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and children known to Child Protection, to access kindergarten programs.

What free kindergarten means at our service

Acacia has opted in to the  Free Kindergarten initiative. Applicable parent fees are outlined below:

• Funded sessional kindergarten for 3-year-old children (up to 15 hours per week) – no parent fee
  • Funded sessional kindergarten for 4-year-old children (15 hours per week) – no parent fee
  • Kindergarten in long day care for 3 and 4 -year-old children – parent fee will be reduced by the Free Kindergarten Funding up to $2000

Other charges  

Other charges levied by Acacia are included on the Statement of Fees and Charges, that will be provided to families upon enrolment.

These include:

• Excursion/service event charge (outside of the 15 hours per week program): At times throughout the year an additional excursion(s) or event(s) may be arranged where it is considered relevant to the service’s program and the children’s interests. At this time any additional costs to families are taken into consideration before a decision is made (refer to Excursions and Service Events Policy).
• Late collection charge: The approved provider/Committee of Management/Board [delete whichever is not applicable] reserves the right to implement a late collection charge when parents/guardians are frequently late in collecting a child from the service. This charge will be set at a level determined by the approved provider/Committee of Management/Board

Fundraising and voluntary parent payment/donations

While participation in fundraising/donation is voluntary, the support of every family is encouraged. Fundraising activities are also an opportunity for families and communities to come together.

Subsidies

1. Child Care Subsidy (CCS)

Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is an Australian Government subsidy that can assist eligible families with the costs of childcare at an approved child care provider. [Service Name] is an approved/registered  care provider.

Approved child care are providers that meet certain standards and requirements, and are approved by the Australian Government. Approved child care providers must:

• hold the required approvals or licences to provide child care in the state or territory that the service/s operate in
• ensure the provider and any individual who is or will be a Person with Management or Control of the Provider is fit and a proper person to administer the CCS (requirements set out in Section 194E of A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999.
• be financially viable and is likely to remain so
• ensure that required fit and proper checks are carried out for each Person with Management or Control of the Provider, Persons with Responsibility for Day-to-Day Operation of the Service and In-Home Care and Family Day Care Educators

The amount payable is determined by the circumstances of the applicant’s including the family income, the hourly rate cap and the hours of activity undertaken by the parents. Further information for parents can be found here: https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/child-care-subsidy.

Long day care providers that offer funded kindergarten as part of the long day care program are required to directly offset the full payment of the Free Kindergarten initiative from parents’ out of pocket fees (after CCS is applied). Fee reductions will be made proportionally across the year to families’ bills, i.e. fortnightly or monthly. Only children receiving a funded kindergarten place at Acacia led by a qualified teacher, are eligible under this initiative

Exclusions and exceptions: Not available for providers that primarily provide an early educational program to children in the year that is two years before grade one of school (preschool or kindergarten).

Payment of fees

The Committee of Management/Board will regularly review payment options and procedures to ensure that they are inclusive and sensitive to families’ cultural and financial situations.

Fees will be invoiced to parents/guardians directly and must be paid by the date indicated on the invoice. Each invoice will be accompanied by payment instructions. The first term’s fees must be received in full prior to the child commencing at the service. For children enrolled after the commencement of a term, a pro rata invoice will be issued and must be paid in full within 14 days of the child’s commencement at the service. Receipts will be provided for all fee payments.

Parents/guardians experiencing difficulty in paying fees are requested to contact the Director to arrange a suitable alternative payment plan. The Privacy and Confidentiality Policy of the service will be complied with at all times in relation to a family’s financial/personal circumstances.

Unpaid fees If fees are not paid by the due date, the following steps will be taken.

• An initial reminder letter will be sent to parents/guardians with a specified payment date, and will include information on a range of support options available for the family.
• Where payment is still not received, families will be invited to attend a meeting to discuss the range of support options available and establish a payment plan.
• Failure to attend the meeting and continued non-payment may result in a second and final letter notifying parents/guardians that the child’s place at the service may be withdrawn unless payment is made or a payment plan is entered into within a specified period of time. This letter will also include information on a range of support options available for the family.
• The Committee of Management/Board  will continue to offer support and will reserve the right to employ the services of a debt collector.
• If a decision is made to withdraw the child’s place at the service, the parents/guardians will be provided with 14 days’ notice in writing.
• No further enrolments of children from the parents/guardians will be accepted until all outstanding fees have been paid.

Refund of fees

In any other case, additional hours are non-refundable (exceptional circumstances may apply – these are at the discretion of the Committee of Management/Board). There will be no refund of these fees in the following circumstances:

• a child’s short-term illness
• public holidays
• family holiday during operational times
• closure of the service for one or more days when a qualified educator is absent and a qualified reliever is not available
• closure of the service for staff training days
• closure of the service due to extreme and unavoidable circumstances.

In addition, there will be no refund where a family chooses not to send their child to the program for the maximum number of hours for which they are enrolled.

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