Childcare
We provide full-day early childhood education and care, along with cooked meals, for children aged between six months and 5 years of age
The Early childhood education and care we offer
We offer full-day early childhood education and care to about 45 families. We are licensed for 30 children — 10 under 2 years old and 20 aged between 2 and 5 years. Children must be at least 6 months old to enrol with us. They must attend our centre at least 2 days per week to help them settle and feel comfortable.
The Centre has a mixed-age range playing together, which we find benefits both younger and older children. We encourage a caring and sharing atmosphere, with Christian values.
Childcare Hours
Our Childcare Policies
Food We Provide
Teacher-to-child ratio
We have a ratio of about 1 teacher to 5 children (1:5) throughout the day. Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 state we must have at least 1 teacher to 5 children aged under 2 years and 1 teacher to 10 children over 2 years old. Our group sizes are small giving lots of opportunity for one-to-oneopportunities interaction between teacher and child
Our teachers are qualified and registered early childhood, education teachers.
Childcare hours
We are open from 7:30am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday for 50 weeks of the year.
Closed: Public holidays and two weeks over Christmas
Your child/ren can attend for any of the hours, (a minimum of 6 hours a day) fees are allocated accordingly, see fee table.
Our childcare policies
We have 4 childcare policies that parents need to know about when their child attends our centre:
Attendance - When to arrive and leave each day, what to do when your child is away
Our attendance policy
This policy explains when your child should arrive and leave each day, what to do when they are absent, and the notice we need to stop using our childcare.
Arrival time
The Centre is open to receive children from 7:30am.
Your child should arrive at (or after) the start of their booked session. If you arrive earlier, you need to stay with your child until the session starts.
You must arrange any other arrival times with staff beforehand.
Leaving time
Your child must leave the Centre by the end of their booked session, unless you’ve arranged another time with staff.
Tell the Centre as soon as possible if you have an emergency and will be late.
We will charge extra if your child spends longer than their booked time at the Centre. We will add a $20 fee for every 15 minutes (or part thereof) you are late collecting your child.
Absences
Tell us if your child is going to be away.
Let us know if they are sick or you are on holiday. You still need to pay your daily childcare fee if your child is absent for short periods.
Frequently absent
If your child is often absent, the Centre may lose government funding for their care. This may happen if they:
- are absent on the same enrolled day or days of the week, for more than half of these days in a calendar month
- attend for fewer days per week than they are enrolled to attend, in more than half of the weeks in a calendar month, or
- attend fewer hours than they are enrolled to attend, every day, on more than half of their enrolled days in a calendar month.
If your child continues being absent, we will ask you to reconfirm your child’s enrolment agreement with the Centre.
Notice to leave the Centre
You must give at least 4 weeks’ notice in writing if you want your child to stop attending our centre. We may charge daily fees for the period instead if you give us less notice.
Policy details
Applies to: All parents/whanau/guardians
Enquiries to: Head Teacher
Last updated: June 2018
Settling new children into the Centre - How we help new children (and their parents).
Policy for settling new children
Our policy for settling new children into childcare aims to help them settle happily into our centre.
Enrolling with us
We need to receive your completed enrolment form (with copies of your child’s current immunisation details and birth certificate attached) before your child starts their settling visits to the Centre. This form provides important information we need to know when caring for your child, such as emergency contact numbers and details of any allergies and medical requirements.
We like to know special information about each child (the important details that make up their day), so please record this on the sheet provided with your enrolment form. This information helps us:
- provide the right, individual care for your child
- work together with you to ensure our care fits well with care at home.
Preparing your child for their first settling visit
Encourage your child to pack a bag of spare clothes. Bring a toy or blanket for sleeping with if they need one to make them feel more comfortable. Name all of your child’s belongings in case you leave something behind. Talk positively about your visit to the Centre, and reassure your child that you will be there together.
Settling visits
We suggest that you arrange for you and your child to have at least 2 settling visits during the 2 weeks before they start at the Centre. You will not be charged for these visits as we feel they are an important part of settling your child into our Centre. Your child will feel secure with you sharing the experience. The length of these visits can vary, depending on your needs and those of your child.
The visits enable your child to:
- explore our Centre and environment
- meet our staff and other children
- watch and join in activities and routines with us.
We feel that the more time you spend in the Centre with your child, the more opportunities your child will have to become familiar with us and feel comfortable when they are here without you.
If you would like to leave your child for a short time on one of their settling visits, please discuss this with the Head Teacher on the day.
Your child’s first day
Each day your child attends the Centre, you will need to record and sign the times that you leave and collect your child in our daily register.
When you are ready to leave your child for the day, inform a staff member who can help reassure your child when you leave and remind them that you will come back soon. We find it is better for your child if you say goodbye and leave quickly.
If you want to check how your child is coping, phone us and we can update you. We will contact you promptly if your child does not settle.
Some parents like to leave their children for shorter times in the first two weeks while they are settling in.
Your role as a parent and how we can help
Leaving your child in childcare for the first time can sometimes be more upsetting for you than for your child. Do let us know if you are feeling upset and we will help you through this time.
Remember that every child needs a different amount of time to settle into childcare, so allow as many visits as you and your child need.
It is also a good idea to talk positively with your child after each visit. Talk about the fun things they did, who they played with, and so on. This may help them to feel more settled in the Centre environment.
Welcome to our Centre
We look forward to getting to know you and your family.
Policy details
Applies to: All parents/whanau/guardians
Enquiries to: Head Teacher
Last updated: July 2013
Illness — When children can’t come to the centre
Our illness policy aims to protect the health and safety of all children in our childcare centre. If a child has an infectious illness, they will need to stay away from the Centre until they are no longer infectious.
Where we get our advice
We take advice from Regional Public Health, Ministry of Health, and the Early Childhood Council about children’s illness and follow their guidelines.
When a child’s illness is infectious
Infection can spread rapidly when groups of people share the same living space. Children pick up infections very easily as they tend to have closer contact with each other and be less aware of hygiene.
Deciding whether illness is infectious
An ‘infectious person’ is defined by the Early Childhood Council as “any person, who may come into contact with children, and who have a disease or condition (that is likely to have a detrimental effect) and which is capable of being passed on to children”.
We use the Ministry of Health’s list of infectious diseases to help us decide whether a child needs to stay away from the Centre.
Infectious Diseases (on the Ministry of Health’s HealthEd website) gives this list.
What happens if the illness is infectious
If your child has an illness listed in the Infectious Diseases list, we will ask you to keep them away from the Centre until they are no longer infectious.
In some cases, we may also ask children who are likely to develop the illness to stay away, to protect them from the illness and prevent its spread.
Contacting parents
If we are told that a child at the Centre has an infectious illness, we will take advice from Regional Public Health and follow their instructions. This could involve contacting all families of children attending our childcare centre.
Diarrhoea
Children should not attend the Centre if they have diarrhoea. They should have at least 1 normal bowel motion before returning to the Centre.
If a child has other symptoms as well as diarrhoea (such as a fever, stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, or a headache), they are likely to have a gastrointestinal infection. They should stay away from the Centre until at least 48 hours after their first normal bowel motion.
Vomiting
Repeated vomiting (ie vomiting 2 or more times in the previous 24 hours) suggests infection. The child should be taken to the doctor and kept away from the Centre for at least 48 hours after the last vomit. The only exception is where the vomiting is caused by a condition that is not infectious and the child is not in danger of dehydration.
Conjunctivitis
Children must not return to the Centre until the discharge caused by conjunctivitis has stopped.
If a child becomes ill at the Centre
If a child becomes ill while at the Centre, we will do the following:
- Staff will tell the Head Teacher that the child is or seems unwell.
- Centre staff will use Ministry of Health and Regional Public Health resources (including the Infectious Diseases list) to decide what to do.
- The child will be isolated from other children to reduce the risk of further infection, but will be cared for by staff at all times.
- Staff will inform the child’s parents or caregivers about the illness.
- The Head Teacher and the child’s parents or caregivers will discuss and decide what action needs to be taken. For example, they will decide whether the child needs to leave the Centre immediately and/or whether the child should see a doctor to identify or confirm the illness.
- The Centre’s first aid form will be filled out with the date, time, child’s name, illness observed (eg vomited, diarrhoea, high temperature, spots etc), and the action taken by staff. This form will be signed by the staff member involved and the child’s parent or caregiver when they come to collect the child from the Centre.
- If a parent, caregiver, or emergency contact cannot be contacted or cannot pick up the ill child immediately, the Centre will care for the child until they arrive. Staff may also want to talk about the child’s condition with a doctor if they feel that the illness needs medical advice.
Policy details
Applies to: All staff and children
Enquiries to: Head Teacher
Last updated: July 2013
Sun protection - How we protect our children from sun damage
Sun protection policy
Our sun protection policy aims to protect children and staff from harmful sun radiation from October to April.
Getting too much ultraviolet radiation from the sun can burn or damage our skin and increase our risk of getting skin cancer.
When does the sun protection policy apply?
Our sun protection policy applies daily during the daylight saving months (October to April). We follow the policy while children are at the Centre and on outings.
‘Sun-unsafe’ days and times
‘Sun-unsafe’ days occur when the advertised burn time is less than 30 minutes. The sun is also ‘unsafe’ between 10:30am and 4:00pm from October to April, especially when there are few (or no) clouds.
What parents need to do
- Apply sunscreen to your child’s skin either before, or when, you arrive at the Centre. The Centre has sunscreen you can use in a container next to the sign-in sheet. If your child is allergic to Sunsense SPF 30+ sunscreen (“Ultra” for over 2-year-olds and “Sensitive” for under 2-year-olds), you’ll need to give us another sunscreen (in a named bottle) that we can use.
- Stamp your child’s hand (using our centre’s stamp) to show that you have applied sunscreen.
- Provide a named sun hat. This hat must protect the child’s face and neck. Sun hats remain at the Centre, in your child’s tote tray.
- Dress your child in clothes that cover and protect their shoulders, chests, and backs. For example, they should wear t-shirts, not sleeveless tops.
- Encourage your child to wear sunglasses.
What staff need to do
- Promote our sun protection policy.
- Protect children from harmful sun radiation during outdoor activities by using:
- shade
- hats and clothing
- Sunsense SPF 30+ sunscreen —“Ultra” for over 2-year-olds and “Sensitive” for under 2-year-olds (or another sunscreen supplied by a parent).
- Model ‘sun-smart’ behaviour. Always use sunscreen yourself and wear sun hats and protective clothing outside on ‘sun-unsafe’ days.
Applying sunscreen
- Apply sunscreen generously to children’s faces (including back of the neck and ears) and exposed limbs.
- Reapply sunscreen after lunch at around 1pm on a ‘sun-unsafe’ day. The New Zealand Cancer Society advises that sunscreen works best if it’s applied about 15–30 minutes before going out in the sun. Stamp each child’s hand again to show you’ve reapplied sunscreen.
- Reapply sunscreen to children at any time during the day as necessary.
Our play areas and programme
The Centre provides shaded play areas outside in the veranda, sandpit, playhouse, and the large play cubes.
We plan our outdoor activities so we’re out in the sun as little as possible between 10:30am and 4:00pm. We usually encourage children to be indoors between 12:00pm and 1:30pm on most days.
We remind parents, whanau, and caregivers about this policy in our newsletters and notices. We also include the policy in our curriculum teaching about sun protection.
Policy details
Applies to: Parents/whanau/caregivers, staff, and children
Enquiries to: Head Teacher
Last updated: July 2013
DOWNLOAD POLICY LINKS
Developing Social and Emotional Competency
Assessment Planning and Evaluation Policy
Curriculum Framework Policy
Information and Complaints Policy
Child Protection Policy
Emergency Plan
Child Health and Well Being
Food at our childcare centre
Our kitchen is a licensed facility that meets all Government regulations and requirements.
We provide all the food your child will need at our childcare centre. Our daily menu is also ‘nut free’ and caters for any food requirements your child has. Often the children are able to source the vegetables and fruit from our gardens and apple trees.
Food we provide
We provide children with:
a two course lunch
morning and afternoon tea
extra snacks when needed.
Typical daily menu
We have a 4-week menu cycle. Our lunches include 2 red-meat meals a week. We serve fish or vegetarian food for the other meals. The menu below covers the different types of food provided.
