2021 Four-year-old kindergarten Central Registration Service Family Handbook

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Acknowledgement of Country Moonee Valley City Council respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which Moonee Valley is located – the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung People of the Kulin Nation: and we pay our respects to their Spirits, Ancestors, Elders and Community Members past and present. Council also extends this respect to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples who call Moonee Valley home.

Child Safe Organisation Here at Moonee Valley City Council, we are committed to being a child safe organisation with a zero tolerance for child abuse, and will protect the interests and safety of children at all times in accordance with the Victorian Child Safe Standards and related legislation. All children, regardless of their gender, race, religious beliefs, age, disability, sexual orientation, family or social background have equal rights to protection from abuse. We are committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and to providing a safe environment for children with a disability. We promote and are committed to the safety and empowerment of children as active citizens. We foster a culture of openness and inclusiveness, as well as supporting all staff and volunteers to understand the importance of child safety and wellbeing, and ensuring consistent adherence to child safety and policies and procedures. We demonstrate committed leadership by creating safe environments for children and young people participating in our community programs and activities. If you have any child safety concerns, please contact a Child Safe Officer by calling 9243 8888 or for more information, please visit our website page https://mvcc.vic.gov.au/my-council/what-we-do/

Further information Further information is available on Council’s website mvcc.vic.gov.au/kinder or by contacting the Central Registration Team via email at kinderenrol@mvcc.vic.gov.au or call 9243 8888 with any enquiries.

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Contents Acknowledgement of Country ..................................................................................... 1

Child Safe Organisation .............................................................................................. 1

Further information...................................................................................................... 1

Introduction ................................................................................................................. 4

What is 4 year old kindergarten? ............................................................................. 4

Why should my child go to 4 year old kindergarten? ............................................... 5

What happens at 4 year old kindergarten? .............................................................. 5

When is my child eligible for 4 year old kindergarten? ................................................ 5

How do I know if my child is ready for 4 year old kindergarten? .............................. 6

The 4 year old kindergarten program .......................................................................... 6

Timetable options .................................................................................................... 7

Days of service closure ........................................................................................... 7

Ratios ...................................................................................................................... 7

Participating kindergartens ...................................................................................... 8

Fees ............................................................................................................................ 9

Application fee ......................................................................................................... 9

Kindergarten term fees ............................................................................................ 9

Kindergarten fee subsidy ......................................................................................... 9

Discounts for multiple births .................................................................................. 10

Non-payment of fees ............................................................................................. 10

Child Care Benefit (CCB)/Child Care Rebate (CCR)/Child Care Subsidy ............. 11

The application process ............................................................................................ 11

Responding to an offer .......................................................................................... 13

Waiting list ............................................................................................................. 13

Priority of Access Criteria ...................................................................................... 14

Late applications ................................................................................................... 16

Reserved places for high priority children ............................................................. 16

Exceptional circumstances .................................................................................... 16

Early Start Kindergarten ........................................................................................ 16

Supporting documentation .................................................................................... 17

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Modifications to your original application ............................................................... 18

Cancellations ......................................................................................................... 18

Changing groups or Kindergartens........................................................................ 18

Placed and wait ..................................................................................................... 19

‘No Jab No Play’ ....................................................................................................... 19

Additional and/or high support needs........................................................................ 20

Preschool Field Officer Service ................................................................................. 21

How to refer to the PSFO Service ......................................................................... 21

Second year of funded kindergarten ......................................................................... 21

Early entry ................................................................................................................. 22

Privacy information ................................................................................................... 22

Contact details .......................................................................................................... 23

Complaints regarding Central Registration ............................................................ 23

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Introduction Moonee Valley City Council works in partnership with the Department of Education and Training (DET) in the coordination of a Central Registration Service for three and four year old Kindergarten programs in Moonee Valley. This centralised service allows families to indicate their preferences for a number of kindergartens at one time rather than apply separately at each facility. This information booklet is designed to provide a handy reference guide to help you through the process of applying for your child in one of the Kindergartens connected to Council’s Central Registration Service in 2021. If you wish to attend a service not connected to Council’s Central Registration Service, the team can also provide you with the contact details for these service providers.

What is 4 year old kindergarten? Kindergarten is a program for young children delivered by a qualified Early Childhood Educators. All groups are delivered by a Bachelor Qualified Educator supported by co Educators, who will hold a minimum Cert III qualification in Early Childhood. Sessional Kindergarten programs are delivered throughout Moonee Valley by a number of different providers. This includes Council delivered services, not for profit or community based providers or through Long Day Care Services across the municipality. In 2013, for the first time, Kindergartens received funding to ensure the delivery of 15 hours quality education to each child in the year before school. This funding was provided through a combination of State Government (10 hours) and the Federal Government (5 hours) commitment. Unfortunately, the Federal Government has only committed to this funding until the end of 2020. This could see 2021 families faced with either a significant reduction of available hours, or a significant increase in out of pocket expenses. The benefits of kindergarten last a lifetime. To show our support to the importance of 15 hours of funded kindergarten, Moonee Valley City Council has signed up to the ‘I Love Kinder’ Campaign, alongside many other service providers. To show your support to maintaining 15 hours of kindergarten for your child, support the campaign by signing the petition available at ilovekinder.org.au or like ‘I Love Kinder’ on Facebook. Moonee Valley will continue to plan for the provision of 15 hours of kindergarten into 2021. This may change if the Federal Government cuts funding.

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Why should my child go to 4 year old kindergarten? Kindergarten is an important step for young children and is strongly recommended for all children. Research shows that kindergarten improves children’s health and wellbeing, helps them to develop strong social skills and encourages a love of learning.

What happens at 4 year old kindergarten? A high-quality Kindergarten program will offer your child a range of learning experiences and activities that are both stimulating and fun. Your child’s learning and curiosity will be encouraged through experiences and activities, such as exploring the natural world, being exposed to new ideas and solving problems. Your child will be learning to become an effective learner by being able to:

• Learn to work with others and make friends through group activities and cooperative play;

• Express their creativity, for example, through dance, movement and art; • Build their communication skills by listening to and having conversations with

the educators and other children; • Develop the skills that they need for reading, writing and mathematics.

When is my child eligible for 4 year old kindergarten? Children are eligible for one funded year of Kindergarten in the year before they go to school. In Victoria, a child cannot attend more than one State Government funded Kindergarten program at the same time.

Your child must be four years of age by 30 April in the year that they are to attend Kindergarten. Eligible year to attend Kindergarten:

Child’s Date of Birth Eligible Year

1/5/2015 – 30/4/2016 2020

1/5/2016 – 30/4/2017 2021

1/5/2017 – 30/4/2018 2022

1/5/2018 – 30/4/2019 2023

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How do I know if my child is ready for 4 year old kindergarten? Children learn at different rates, in different ways and at different times. In some cases, your child may benefit from starting Kindergarten at a later time. Some indicators you may wish to consider when thinking about sending your child to kindergarten include:

• Are they able to actively join in other children’s play? • Can they separate easily, or with some support, from me? • Are they able to express their needs and be understood? • Are they able to manage the equipment and playground at Kindergarten? • Do they have stamina to attend a full Kindergarten session? This is important

when choosing sessions to apply for, 7.5hrs x 2 days per week or 5 hrs x 3 days per week

The 4 year old kindergarten program Kindergarten programs are planned and implemented by a trained Early Childhood Educator, Diploma Qualified Educator and qualified co-workers in both Moonee Valley City Council Kindergartens, not-for-profit Kindergartens and Long Day Care Centres. The Kindergarten program aims to enhance each child’s learning and development, using routines and play-based experiences appropriate for each child’s unique and holistic development. The educational program reflects and builds on the knowledge, strengths, ideas, culture, abilities and interests of each child. The educational program is guided by the approved Early Years Learning and Development Frameworks and the National Quality Framework to achieve the five key learning outcomes of:

• Children have a strong sense of identity (identity); • Children are connected with and contribute to their world (community); • Children have a strong sense of wellbeing (wellbeing); • Children are confident and involved in learning (learning); • Children are effective communicators (communication).

The outcomes provide a shared language for all Early Childhood professionals and families to use when planning for children’s learning and development, which allows for continuity when your child transitions from Kindergarten to school. The Department is responsible for the regulation and assessment of education and care services, including preschools (kindergartens) operating under the National Quality Framework. These services must meet the requirements of the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 (National Law) and the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 (National Regulations).

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Timetable options Moonee Valley City Council offers families a range of Kindergarten programs delivered by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher for 15 hours per week or 600 hours a year, subject to funding. Please refer to the Timetable attached to the Kindergarten Application Form or available on Council’s website mvcc.vic.gov.au/kinder to determine which option best suits you and your family’s needs.

Days of service closure Sessional kindergartens operated from Council managed sites will be closed for all Victorian defined public holidays and the following organisational days:

Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 4

Wednesday 27 January Wednesday 21 April Monday 12 July Monday 4 October

Friday 17 December

Families will be advised of any additional days in writing 28 days prior to the date. Please note, the service may be forced to close in emergency circumstances such as staff shortages or facility issues. These will be avoided wherever possible, however may be at times be out of Council’s control.

Ratios Groups will vary in size according to licensed capacity (with up to a maximum of 33 children) and operate with a 1:11 Staff/Child ratios as per early education and care services national regulations.

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Participating kindergartens Listed below are the 17 Kindergartens managed through the Central Registration Service.

Kindergarten Address Phone

Airport West Kindergarten 97 McNamara Avenue, Airport West 9338 1516

Ascot Kindergarten* 1 West St (cnr Middle St), Ascot Vale 9375 3548

Ascot Progress Kindergarten** 11 Brown Ave, Ascot Vale 9375 3409

Avondale Heights Community Precinct – Early Years Centre

14-22 Clarendon St, Avondale Heights 9243 1622

Beaver St Kindergarten 13A Beaver St, Aberfeldie 9337 9788

Coronation Kindergarten 34 Roseberry St, Ascot Vale 9370 5895

Hopetoun Early Years Centre 220 Racecourse Rd, Flemington 9243 1680

Keilor East Kindergarten 31 Mark St, Keilor East 9336 2658

Lincolnville Kindergarten 6 Devon Ave, Keilor East 9337 2106

Milleara Gardens Kindergarten Park Dr (opp 75 Park Dr), Keilor East 9337 6514

Montgomery Park Kindergarten 2A Hilda St, Essendon 9370 5145

Montgomery Park Children’s Centre**** 47 Lawson St, Essendon 9375 1951

North Essendon Kindergarten 51 – 53 Kerferd St, North Essendon 9379 6802

St Aidan’s Preschool*** 5 James St, Strathmore 9379 4879

St Andrew’s Kindergarten*** 29 St Kinnord St, Aberfeldie 9337 4050

St Brendan’s Kindergarten*** 25 Bryant St, Flemington 9376 6305

Strathmore Community Kindergarten 50 Loeman St, Strathmore 9379 8642

Strathmore Community Children’s Centre**** 28 Loeman St, Strathmore 9243 1200

Strathmore Heights Kindergarten 148 Mascoma St, Strathmore Heights 9338 3669

* Community based Committee of Management manages and delivers the Kindergarten programs at Ascot Kindergarten.

** Community based Committee of Management manages and delivers the Kindergarten programs at Ascot Progress Kindergarten.

*** Not-for-profit provider BPA Children’s Services manages and delivers the Kindergarten programs at St Aidan’s Preschool, St Andrew’s Kindergarten and St Brendan’s Kindergarten.

**** Additional Sessional Kindergarten groups are being offered at these Council Long Day Care Centres. Standard sessional Kindergarten fees will apply for these groups.

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Families wishing to visit a Kindergarten should phone the service to arrange an appointment. Council only accepts Application forms for the Kindergartens listed above. Funded Kindergarten places are also available in other community based Kindergartens, long day care centres and some private schools. Families who wish to enrol for Kindergarten in any of these services can contact those centres directly.

Fees Application fee Families are required to pay a non-refundable Application Fee of $41.50 when submitting their Application form, including applications for a second year of Kindergarten. An exemption from this application fee is provided if the child or parent / guardian has an eligible concession card / meets eligibility for a fee subsidy rebate, are of Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander decent and known to child protection and or childFirst.

Kindergarten term fees A fee schedule for 2021 Council managed kindergartens will be included in the enrolment pack to be emailed to families in October 2020. Parents seeking fee information for Committee based and BPA Children’s Services are encouraged to contact the respective services directly. At the time of enrolment, you will receive information regarding invoicing and payment options from your Kindergarten provider.

Kindergarten fee subsidy Each year the State Government provides Council with an annual Kindergarten Fee Subsidy (subject to availability of funds) towards reducing fees for families who meet the following criteria for funded four-year-old kindergarten: The child individually holds, or has a parent or guardian who holds one of the following:

• Commonwealth Health Care Card; • Commonwealth Pensioner Concession Card; • Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card or White Card; • Refugee Visa (subclass 200); • In-Country Special Humanitarian Visa (subclass 201); • Global Special Humanitarian Visa (subclass 202); • Temporary humanitarian Concern Visa (subclass 786);

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• Protection Visa (subclass 866); • Emergency Rescue Visa (subclass 203); • Woman at Risk Visa (subclass 204); or, • Bridging Visas A-E.

or the child; • Is identified on the birth certificate as being a multiple birth child (triplet or

more). or the child;

• Is identified by a parent, carer or legal guardian as being Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

Eligible families will not be required to pay fees. Subsidy Card holders must provide a copy of their current Health Care Card, Pension Card, approved Visa or other relevant documentation with their Application Form. Eligible families can apply for the subsidy by completing the relevant sections on the Application Form and a copy of the card to ensure their subsidy is processed. Council must always have a valid, up to date card to process the subsidy each term. Any parent / guardian or child who becomes eligible for a Health Care Card or Pension Card at any time throughout the year should immediately provide a copy of their new card to Council to gain approval and receive the Government subsidy.

Discounts for multiple births Council provides a reduction in Kindergarten Fees for families enrolling more than one child in the same year. A $10 discount will be applied to each child per term for twins. Please speak with your Kindergarten provider regarding fee charges for multiple births.

Non-payment of fees Each Kindergarten represented through Central Registration Service has policies and procedures regarding the non-payment of fees. Please refer to your Kindergarten provider for further information regarding policies and procedures to recover outstanding fees. N.B. Places will not be allocated to children if there is a debt outstanding for the family to Moonee Valley City Council’s Family and Children’s Services Department.

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Child Care Benefit (CCB)/Child Care Rebate (CCR)/Child Care Subsidy Following the introduction of the Federal Government’s Child Care Subsidy (CCS) from 2 July 2018, families are no longer able to claim the above benefits when attending Moonee Valley City Council managed Kindergartens or sessional kindergarten sessions in Council managed Long Day Care Services.

The application process 1. Register your child at centralregistration.mvcc.vic.gov.au

For further information or support, please contact Central Registration at kinderenrol@mvcc.vic.gov.au or visit mvcc.vic.gov.au/kinder

2. Collect an Application Form from one of the following: • Moonee Valley City Council

9 Kellaway Ave Moonee Ponds VIC 3039 Monday to Friday between 8.30am - 5.00pm

• Council’s website www.mvcc.vic.gov.au (You will require a printer to print the application form, complete the application online or complete the application through the Portal)

• One of Council’s Kindergartens or Maternal Child Health Centres

3. Complete all relevant personal details on the Application Form. N.B. Only parents or legal guardians can sign the Application Form. Proof of legal guardianship must be provided with the Application Form.

4. Choose your preferences on the sheet provided in number order. Start with number 1 for your most preferred group. You can select up to 6 preferences only. Please note that Council cannot guarantee your first preference of session or location and you should only indicate preferences you would be willing to accept. N.B. Please refer to ‘Filling in your preference’ section of this booklet for an example of how to complete your preferences.

5. Sign and return your completed Application Form with the $41.50 Application Fee and a document providing proof of birth, i.e. birth certificate, passport copy etc. and other supporting documentation:

o Via the Central Registration Service online Portal at https://centralregistration.mvcc.vic.gov.au/Public/Login.aspx

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Create an account if applying online for the first time and follow the prompts to submit your application form;

If you are a family with a child or children already registered, you will have received an email with your online login details;

Attach relevant documentation and pay the non-refundable application fee;

After your application is submitted, you will receive an automatic email confirming the application;

Once your application has been processed, you will receive an email from the Central Registration Team within 30 business days;

Once the Application has been processed, families can log in at any time to view and update details or kindergarten preferences, add or withdraw applications, respond to kindergarten offers or make online enquiries;

Changes to application details or preferences will only be accepted until 29 May 2020 to be included within the first round of offers.

o By email to kinderenrol@mvcc.vic.gov.au with a copy of your online payment receipt that shows the Application Fee has been paid;

o In person at the Moonee Valley Civic Centre, 9 Kellaway Ave, Moonee Ponds; or

o By mail to: Kindergarten Central Registration Service Moonee Valley City Council PO Box 126, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039 (Attach a copy of your online payment receipt that shows the Application Fee has been paid).

NB: The application must be submitted by 29 May 2020 to be considered for first round offers, however, Council will continue to accept applications after this date, and you will be included in further allocation round offers.

6. The Central Registration Service allocates places according to Council’s priority of access criteria (see Page 14)

7. First round offers notifications will be sent to families via email and/or SMS by 31 July 2020. You must respond to a first round offer within 2 working days to confirm whether you wish to accept the place or would rather wait for a place in another Kindergarten or group. N.B. Parents or guardians must be contactable by Council at all times. Failure to respond will result in the offer being cancelled.

8. If there are no suitable vacancies, your child will remain on a waiting list until a place becomes available at one of your preferences.

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9. Attendance at Kindergarten in the first week confirms the uptake of your child’s place at that Kindergarten. Failure to attend Kindergarten, or to contact the Kindergarten in your child’s absence, or being un-contactable by the Kindergarten may result in your child’s place being cancelled.

Responding to an offer The Central Registration Service allocates places according to the priority of access criteria. If you are allocated a place at one of your preferences, you will receive an email or SMS advising an offer is available and you are required to take action by doing one of the following within 2 working days:

• Accept – if you are happy with the offer, simply choose to accept it; • Placed and Wait – if you receive an offer lower than your first preference, you

can accept this place and opt to remain on the waiting list for a higher preference (Accept and Wait available until the third round has been completed. At that point, you will need to accept your current offer or decline the current offer and place your child back on the waitlist);

• Decline – if you do not wish to accept the place you are offered, you may decline the place and remain on the waiting list for your other preferences. This means that the place that you have declined will be removed from your application. The application will be removed from the Central registration system for 2020 if you decline 3 offers.

• Withdraw – if you decide you do not wish to attend a Moonee Valley City Council Kindergarten at all, you may cancel your application and you will be removed from the waiting list altogether.

If a response to an offer is not received by the due date, your child’s name will be removed from the Central Registration Service with the place offered to the next family on the waiting list.

Waiting list Where the system is unable to allocate a child a place, they will be placed on the waiting list until a place becomes available for them at one of your preferences. A child’s position on the waiting list is constantly changing, depending upon factors such as new applications and whether other families accept places or whether they choose to or cancel and go back on the waiting list. Due to the changes to the waiting list; staff are unable to advise a child’s position on the waiting list.

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Priority of Access Criteria Kindergarten places are allocated in accordance with Priority of Access criteria defined within the Department of Education and Training’s (DET) Kindergarten Funding Guide. The aim of this requirement is to:

• Promote fair and equitable access to Kindergarten programs;• Support all eligible children to access a Kindergarten program, including those

who face barriers to participation;• Not inadvertently present barriers to participation.

Moonee Valley City Council have developed an enrolment policy that considers both the Priority of Access (POA) and additional local criteria.

In line with the enrolment policy, priority is given to applications for children eligible for a second year of funded four-year-old kindergarten, provided that the application is received before the end of their first year of funded kindergarten. All remaining places are allocated applying the Priority of Access. Each individual application is assessed against each of the POA criteria, with their application weighted overall based on the combination of these criteria. The first criteria considered is your residency. Your application will be allocated to one of these four starting criteria below: -

Current Moonee Valley Resident who is living in the municipality Proximity to serviceIf you live in MVCC and your first preference is the closest to where you currently live/ live at time of application.

Please Note: Allocations and priority are not prioritised based on actual distance from the kindergarten to where you live, proximity is allocated to all applications choosing the closest kindergarten to home equally

Current Moonee Valley Ratepayer that does not live in the municipality

A non-resident with a link to the municipality

The parent / guardian works, studies or has children attending formal or informal care (i.e. care by a relative) for two days or more or the child being registered has a sibling attending school within the municipality;

Non-resident with no link

You do not meet/fall under the first Three (3) categories/priorities.

You are still eligible to apply but will have a lower priority than an application from a current resident, ratepayer or non-resident with a link to the municipality.

Please note applications with no link to the municipality will not be processed as part of the first round of offers.

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Once your residency is determined, the following additional categories/priorities are considered: Note: Application’s may meet more than one of the categories below

Children at Risk:- • Family is known to Child Protection and / or ChildFIRST• Children in Out of home care• The child is currently on out of home care including kinship care

Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander • The child is identified by a parent or guardian as being of Aboriginal and / or Torres

Strait Islander descent

Child with complex additional needs or complex medical needs • Children who require additional assistance in order to fully participate in the

Kindergarten program/and or• Children who require a combination of services which are individually planned

and/or• Children who have an identified specific disability or developmental delay.

Eligible Card Holder. Child or parent holds one of the following

• Health Care Card• Pensioner / Concession Card• A temporary protection / humanitarian / refugee visa

The Victorian Department of Education and Training (DET) has the most up-to-date KFS eligibility criteria

Sibling attending in the same year • Multiple births or three and four year old siblings applying in the same year at a

sessional kindergartens through the central registration scheme

Past Association with the service • If a sibling has attended your first preferred service in the past 3 years

Where two or more children have the same point value, the Central Registration System will allocate places randomly. N.B. Council reserves the right to consider factors such as group size, group dynamics and other special considerations when allocating places to families in order to act in the best interest of all children and families.

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Late applications Applications submitted after 29 May 2020 are considered late applications and will not be included in the first round of allocations. These applications will be included in subsequent allocation rounds.

Reserved places for high priority children DET specifies that enrolment policies must assist children at risk of disadvantage to access a funded Kindergarten program. It defines ‘high priority children’ as follows:

• Children at risk of abuse or neglect;• Children of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent;• Children with additional needs, defined as children:

o who require additional assistance in order to fully participate in theKindergarten program;

o who require a combination of services which are individually planned;o who have an identified specific disability or developmental delay.

Two places per group will be reserved until the end of October to accommodate ‘high priority children’ who do not receive a place in accordance with the standard priority of access process outlined above. Moonee Valley City Council will endeavour to provide a funded Kindergarten place to all ‘high priority children’, however, this may not be at their preferred Kindergarten group. After these places are released, any vacant reserved places will be made available to eligible families on the waiting list as per the standard priority of access allocation process.

Exceptional circumstances Exceptional circumstances will be considered. Circumstances covered under Council’s Kindergarten Priority of Access Guidelines do not need an exceptional circumstance form to be completed. To discuss exceptional circumstances, please contact the Central Registration Service email kinderenrol@mvcc.vic.gov.au or call 9243 8888.

Early Start Kindergarten Early Start Kindergarten (ESK) provides free Kindergarten to eligible three year old children. Moonee Valley City Council may be able to offer eligible children a Kindergarten place in a program for four year olds. Children are eligible for ESK if they are aged three by 30 April in the year they will be attending a Kindergarten program, and:

• the child is Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander; or

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• the family has had contact with Child Protection (or been referred by Child Protection to Child FIRST); or

• refugee and asylum seeker children (visa's 200-204, 449, 785-786, 790, 866)

Supporting documentation The following documentation must be provided with your Application Form.

Proof of date of birth One of the following legal forms of proof of date of birth must be provided:

• Your child’s Birth Certificate;• Your child’s Passport; or• If neither of the above can be provided, a copy of an Immunisation History

Statement for your child accompanied verifying your child’s date of birth to betrue and correct must be provided.

Proof of residency For residents, proof of residency in Moonee Valley must be provided in one of the following ways:

• Copy of a tenancy agreement or utility bill (issued within the last 3 months);• Copy of a current Health Care Card displaying current address.

Please note a Rates notice is not accepted as confirmation you are currently living at a property.

Proof of ratepayer For non-residents, proof of being a ratepayer must be provided in the following way:

• Copy of a rates notice (issued within the last 3 months).

Working, studying or using childcare in Moonee Valley For non-residents of Moonee Valley, applications can be submitted with some proof of working, studying or using childcare in Moonee Valley for a minimum of two days per week. Proof can be provided in the following ways:

• Copy of a payslip/letter from employer;• Copy of a school/university enrolment;• Copy of a childcare payment receipt or Childcare Benefit letter from Centrelink.

N.B. Other families who live outside of the municipality may apply, but should note that residents, ratepayers or families who work, study or use childcare in Moonee Valley will be given priority to access Kindergarten places. Applications of families that do not meet the above criteria will not be processed until after the first round of allocations has occurred.

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Other relevant documentation The following forms of documentation may be provided for ‘high priority children’:

• Referral or letter from Child Protection, Child FIRST/Family Services, Maternal and Child Health Nurse;

• Proof of attendance at Early Start Kindergarten; • Approval for Kindergarten Inclusion Support Package; • Referral or letter from a doctor, Early Intervention Service, other specialist

agencies, a Maternal and Child Health Nurse or Enhanced Home Visiting Nurse in regard to additional needs or significant medical conditions;

• Child Disability Health Care Card. Not providing this information with your application could result in your Priority of Access being assessed with less weight than you may be eligible for, potentially affecting your overall placement.

Modifications to your original application Families may advise the Central Registration Service via email at kinderenrol@mvcc.vic.gov.au or in person as to any change to their original application details. It is your responsibility to ensure all contact and other details are correct. Changes to preferences of Kindergarten groups can be made at any time prior to allocation. You may change all preferences to suit any change in needs.

Cancellations Families must notify the Central Registration Service via email at kinderenrol@mvcc.vic.gov.au of their intention to leave the service. If the Central Registration Service is not informed, fees will continue to be generated for that place. Please note that if you cancel your Kindergarten application and subsequently decide to re-enrol, you will need to notify the Central Registration Service via email to reinstate your application. The application will return to the waiting list and will be processed as a new application, with points assigned according to your status as at your new lodgement date. The normal processing fee will be waived.

Changing groups or Kindergartens Families must contact the Central Registration Service via email at kinderenrol@mvcc.vic.gov.au as families are unable to transfer between kindergartens and groups. You will need to cancel your current place and be put back on the waiting list for allocation again as per the Priority of Access guidelines.

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Please note, if you wish to revert to the waiting list, there is no guarantee that you will secure a place in future allocations or return to the place you previously had.

Placed and wait The Central Registration Service provides a placed and wait provision for families who may receive an offer for a lower preference place, but wish to continue to remain on a waiting list for their higher preference. If a place becomes available at the families higher preference, the system will automatically allocate the child to the higher preference and you are unable to go back to your original offer. Families will be contacted via SMS when this occurs to view the change made. If at any time families’ wish for their child to remain at the lower preference place allocated, families must notify the Central Registration Service via email immediately to ensure that no further system changes occur. The Placed and Wait provision will cease after the third round of offers has been completed. At this time, families will be required to accept the lower preference that they have received, or remain on a waiting list for a higher preference. Families who choose to remain on the waiting list must note that this means that their child will not have a Kindergarten place until one becomes available at their higher preference. Please note, there is no guarantee that a place may become available at your higher preference. This process is in place to ensure equity of Kindergarten places, in addition to ensuring that Kindergarten educators can prepare for each child’s transition into Kindergarten.

‘No Jab No Play’ The No Jab No Play legislation came into effect on 1 January 2016. Under this new legislation, children will be required to have their immunisations up to date or have an approved exemption in order to commence Kindergarten. How does this affect enrolling children in Kindergarten in 2021? An Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register or Immunisation Status Certificate from a medical practitioner must be produced prior to your child commencing Kindergarten showing immunisations are up to date. This is a condition of being able to commence Kindergarten. Evidence of a catch up program can be produced in cases where children are late with immunisations. Immunisation History Statements can be requested at any time by contacting the Australian Immunisation Register:

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• Download via MyGov Portal • phone 1800 653 809 or email acir@medicareaustralia.gov.au • visit your local Medicare Office.

The Australian Immunisation Register must be contacted to obtain evidence to commence to commence kindergarten, they can review all records visible and those that may not have been fully transferred to the register. For general information on Childhood Vaccinations and information about Moonee Valley City Councils Childhood vaccination program you can contact Moonee Valley’s Immunisation Officers via immunisation@mvcc.vic.gov.au or 9243 8810.

Immunisation schedule and catch up programs A comprehensive childhood immunisation service is provided by Moonee Valley City Council and offered free to all children eligible with a Medicare Card. The Immunisation team is available to discuss your child’s immunisation program and give the required vaccines. Catch up programs can be tailored for children who are late with immunisations. Children from overseas can have their records transferred to the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register. It is vital that families who wish to discuss transferring records from overseas notify Moonee Valley’s Immunisation Officers immunisation@mvcc.vic.gov.au or 9243 8810 well before attending a vaccination session as sessions are busy.

Additional and/or high support needs Families should provide details of any additional needs or medical requirements in the relevant sections of the Application Form, and are required to attach any supporting documentation. The Kindergarten Inclusion Support (KIS) program offers supplementary assistance to Kindergartens to support the inclusion of children with additional needs in the Kindergarten program. Applications are made by the Kindergarten Educator in consultation with parents / guardians, Early Childhood Intervention Agencies and the Preschool Field Officer (PSFO). Applications for KIS can be made from September of the year prior to the child starting Kindergarten. Please note applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

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Preschool Field Officer Service The PSFO service works closely with Kindergarten Educators to provide for the inclusion and participation of children with additional needs. Support may include:

• information, resources, program strategies, coaching, modelling of specific skills;

• identification of referral pathways; • contributing to recognising the child’s capabilities as well as their learning and

development needs. The PSFO service provides one unit of care, up to 11 hours, to eligible children who are attending a Kindergarten program in Moonee Valley. The PSFO Service is funded by the Department of Education (DET) and is of no additional cost to families. To be eligible for the PSFO service, there must be concern in one or more of the following developmental areas:

• challenging behaviours; • speech, language or communication delays; • social and emotional difficulties; or, • a diagnosed disability.

Please note - children who have a diagnosed disability and are already supported by an early intervention service are not eligible for this service.

How to refer to the PSFO Service Talk to your child’s Kindergarten Educator about the possibility of a referral being made to the PSFO Service.

Second year of funded kindergarten It is recognised that some children may benefit from a second year of funded Kindergarten prior to commencing school, and Educators will use guidelines to assess children who may benefit. Your child is eligible for a second year of Kindergarten if your child’s Early Childhood Educator has assessed that your child has developments delays in at least two key areas of development and will achieve better outcomes at Kindergarten rather than going to school. The areas assessed by the Early Childhood Educator include:

• self-care - your child’s ability to look after themselves sufficiently; • ability to speak and/or understand language; • cognitive (intellectual) development;

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• social development – how your child interacts with other children; • emotional development.

Declaration of eligibility applications are sent to the Department of Education and Training (DET) for second year funding approval. Where an application for a second year of funded Kindergarten is not approved by DET, the child will not be eligible to enrol for a second year at a State funded Kindergarten program. N.B. Should your child meet the criteria for a second year, a new Application must be approved by the Educator for the following year. In order to apply for a second year place, parents / guardians must complete an application and pay the $41.50 Application Fee. This application must be submitted by Friday 26 June 2020, to be considered for first round offers. Where a child has been attending a funded Kindergarten program at a Kindergarten that does not participate in the Central Registration Service, the family must notify the Central Registration Team via email at kinderenrol@mvcc.vic.gov.au.

Early entry Should parents/ guardians decide to request early entry to Kindergarten for their child, the following requirements must be met:

• the child must be at least 3 years and six months by 30 April in the year they attend the funded Kindergarten program (this aligns with the age requirements for early entry to school);

• parents / guardians must make a written request for early entry to school to either the Area Director of the appropriate Departmental Regional Office or directly to the Principal of a non-government school dependent on whether the child is intending to attend a government or non-government school;

• parents / guardians must provide Moonee Valley City Council with a copy of the written response from the Department or the non-government school acknowledging that you have requested early entry to school.

Please note: Most applications for early school entry are unsuccessful. Children granted early entry to Kindergarten are not eligible for a second year of funded Kindergarten in the following year if the child does not attend school, as specified in the DET funding criteria.

Privacy information The collection and handling of personal information will be conducted in accordance with Council’s Privacy Policy which is displayed on Council’s website or is available for inspection at Council’s customer service centre. Please refer to the Privacy Policy for further information at mvcc.vic.gov.au/privacy.

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Contact details For further information or assistance please visit Council’s Central Registration Service mvcc.vic.gov.au/kinder or contact them on 9243 8888. Please refer to the DET links below for more information regarding Kindergarten:

• About Kindergarten – This brochure gives parents some general information about Kindergarten and what to expect. http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/parents/kindergarten/choosingkinder.pdf

• Choosing a Kindergarten Program – This brochure gives parents information about finding a Kindergarten, questions to ask a service when choosing a program, age of the child when starting Kindergarten, and where to seek assistance when choosing the year for their child to start. http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/parents/kindergarten/choosingkinder.pdf

Complaints regarding Central Registration Families are encouraged to discuss any concerns with the Central Registration Team in writing. Complaints received will not change the outcome of the allocation process and will not automatically result in a place being allocated or available for the complaints received.

Step 1: Document and direct their concerns to the Central Registration Team: • the complaint will be reviewed by the Responsible Person, and appropriate

staff will be consulted with. • relevant information will be collected, for example, application form,

communication to and from the family, updates to applications. • written complaints will be responded to in writing within five working/

business days.

Step 2: If the family feels that the response provided by the Central Registration Team does not appropriately respond to the complaint, then upon advice from the family, this will be escalated to the Team Leader. The Team Leader will investigate the complaint which could include, but is not limited to, discussions with others and observations, application form, communication to and from the family, updates to applications.

Step 3: If the response provided by the Team Leader fails to resolve the issue, or if the family feels that the issue has not been dealt with adequately or appropriately, then upon advice from the family, this will be escalated to The Coordinator.

Moonee Valley Language Line

Arabic 9280 0738 Ελληνικά Greek 9280 0741 Español Spanish 9280 0744

廣東話 Cantonese 9280 0739 Italiano Italian 9280 0742 Türkçe Turkish 9280 0745Hrvatski Croatian 9280 0740 Somali Somali 9280 0743 Viêt-ngu Vietnamese 9280 0746

All other languages 9280 0747 National Relay Service 13 36 77 or relayservice.com.auThis publication is available in alternative accessible formats on request.

9243 8888 | mvcc.vic.gov.au/kinder /mooneevalleycc