ENROLLING IN CARE
Join our ECCC community
Eltham Childcare Cooperative (ECCC) believes that enrolment and orientation is an important process for families and the child/ren enrolling into care. For most children, entry into a childcare centre will be their first experience away from their parent/s, therefore the staff want to ensure it is a positive and smooth experience. The Centre is aware that this time can be a sensitive one for the child and parents; therefore we have implemented an orientation process that we believe best settles the children and families into the Centre.
WAITING LIST
Only families with existing membership or those families on the waiting list are eligible for the offers of a position when a vacancy arises.
The details recorded for the waiting list are kept confidential and are required to help determine Priority of Access of Care and what the age and needs of the child are when a place becomes available. This information is kept locked in filing cabinets in the Coordinators office. Please also refer to the Privacy and Confidentiality Policy
As a place becomes available, the Coordinator will first assess the children currently within the Centre to see if there is a child that is ready to move up a level in the rooms. The waiting list is then referred to by the Coordinator to fill the remaining vacancy.
Siblings of children already attending the Centre will be given priority over the children on the waiting list. This does not guarantee a place but is a key selection criterion as places become available. If there are no siblings (age matched to the room vacancy) of existing children within the Centre that require a position at that time, the next new family on the waiting list be contacted to see if care is still required.
A candidate’s position on the waiting list is determined by the date on which they applied to be on the waiting list. For children moving between rooms, the child considered most developmentally ready, will be offered the position. The move between rooms is not determined by birth date.
Eltham Child Care Cooperative’s waitlist is managed in priority order based on the duration a family has been registered on the waitlist and the requested needs of the family (eg. the number of days and the days of care required). Those families requiring specific days of care may find they have to wait longer for a vacancy compared to someone that is prepared to be flexible.
ECCC also applies priority of access in accordance with the guidelines set out by the Australian government.
ENROLMENT PROCESS
On confirmation of a position within the Centre, families are given enrolment forms to complete. Some of the information requested on these forms is a requirement for Child Care Subsidy administration and will be disclosed to third parties where the Centre is legally obliged, due to regulations. Some of the information is also recorded due to a requirement of the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011. All information provided is strictly confidential and is kept locked in the Coordinator’s Office.
Once you have accepted a place for your child at Eltham Child Care Cooperative, you will be required to pay a bond equivalent to 2 weeks of care. This is added to your account and is used to for your first two weeks of care upon starting.
If you'd like to discuss enrolling your child at ECCC, please contact our Centre Director via phone or email.