2015
Three year old programs and four year old preschool
Central Registration Scheme
Information Booklet
14
Table of contents
1. Introduction
a) What is four year old preschool and three year old program?
b) When is my child eligible to attend four year old preschool?
c) How do I know if my child is ready for preschool?
d) When is my child eligible to attend three year old program?
2. The programs
a) Participating preschools
b) Universal Access / timetable options
3. Fees
a) Registration fee
b) Preschool and three year old program term fees
c) Payment options
d) State Government Kindergarten Fee Subsidy for four year old preschool
e) Child Care Benefit (CCB)
f) Non payment of fees
4. The enrolment process
a) Priority of access criteria
b) Registration timelines
c) Supporting documentation required
d) Responding to an offer
e) Late registrations
f) Modifications to your existing registration
g) Cancellations
h) Transferring between preschools
i) Accept and wait for preferred preschool
5. Children with additional needs or high support needs
a) Preschool Field Officer service
b) Second year of funded preschool
c) Early entry
6. Additional information
a) Privacy information
1. Introduction
Moonee Valley City Council promotes and provides four year old preschool services and three year old programs across the municipality. In conjunction with community based preschool services, Council manages the Central Registration Scheme for the allocation of four year old preschool and three year old program places for participating services in accordance with key guidelines.
This information booklet is provided to assist you through the process of enrolling your child for preschool or three year old programs in 2015. Further information is available on Council’s website mvcc.vic.gov.au/preschool or by contacting the Preschool Central Registration Officer on 9243 8888 with any enquiries.
a) What is four year old preschool and three year old program?
Four year old preschool is a fun, play-based environment that encourages learning through experimenting, trial and error, watching, listening and participating.
Preschool programs are designed to improve your child’s development in the following key areas:
• independence and self-confidence
• social skills, like how to play with other children in a calm, sharing and rewarding way
• self-awareness and respect for others
• emotional skills, such as understanding their own feelings and those of others
• language, literacy and numeracy skills, such as reading stories and counting objects
• a joy for learning and group activities, such as talking, singing, dancing, drawing and making things together with other children their own age
• ability to make new friends
• exposure to new ideas and concepts
Three year old programs are planned and delivered in accordance with the above, however, three year old programs are not State funded, and are only offered in two or three hour sessions.
b) When is my child eligible to attend four year old preschool?
Children are eligible for a State funded year of preschool in the year before they go to school. In Victoria, a child cannot attend more than one State Government funded preschool program at the same time.
Your child must be four years of age by 30 April in the year that they are to attend preschool.
Eligible year to attend preschoolChild’s date of birth / Eligible year
01/05/10 – 30/04/11 / 2015
01/05/11 – 30/04/12 / 2016
01/05/12 – 30/04/13 / 2017
01/05/13 – 30/04/14 / 2018
c) How do I know if my child is ready for preschool?
Preschool is not compulsory. Your child does not have to attend preschool as soon as they are eligible if you feel they might not be ready.
Some indicators you may wish to consider when thinking about sending your child to preschool include:
· Are they able to actively join in other children’s play?
· Can they separate easily from me?
· Are they able to express needs clearly and be understood?
· Are they able to manage the equipment and playground at preschool?
· Do they have the stamina to attend a full preschool session?
d) When is my child eligible to attend three year old program?
Your child must be three years of age by 30 April in the year that they are to attend three year old programs.
2. The programs
Four year old preschool and three year old programs are planned and implemented by a trained early childhood teacher, with the support of a qualified co-worker. The centre based preschool program aims to extend the child’s development and education, using routines and play-based experiences appropriate for children’s unique and holistic development.
Group sizes within preschool services may also differ, with the average group size for four year old preschool being 28 children. The average group size for three year old programs is 21 children. Some preschools may also offer more than one group, with varying hours and session times for each group.
The curriculum content is developed using the interests and developmental needs of each child as its prime focus. The curriculum 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
· children are connected with and contribute to their world (community)
· children have a strong sense of wellbeing
· children are confident and involved learners (learning)
· children are effective communicators (communication)
These 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 children transition from preschool to school.
a) Participating preschools
NB. Information is current at time of print and is subject to change
Currently, there are 18 preschools offering 960 fouryear old places, and 515 three year old places in the Moonee Valley Central Registration Scheme. A list of participating preschools is provided in this booklet.
Funded preschool places are also provided in many childcare centres. These centres should be contacted directly for enquiries.
Council managed preschools / Address / PhoneAirport West Kindergarten / 97 McNamara Avenue,
Airport West / 9338 1516
Avondale Heights Community Precinct Early Years Centre / 2A Clarendon Street,
Avondale Heights / 9243 1622
Beaver Street Kindergarten / 13A Beaver Street,
Essendon / 9337 9788
Coronation Kindergarten / 34 Roseberry Street,
Ascot Vale / 9370 5895
Cooper Street 3 year old program / Cnr Cooper & Spencer Street, Essendon / 9243 1075
Hopetoun Children's Centre / Cnr Racecourse Road and Victoria Street, Flemington / 9376 6576
Keilor East Kindergarten / 31 Mark Street,
Keilor East / 9336 2958
Lincolnville Kindergarten / Devon Avenue,
Keilor East / 9337 2106
Milleara Gardens Kindergarten / Park Drive,
Keilor East / 9337 6514
Montgomery Park Kindergarten / 2a Hilda Street,
Essendon / 9370 5145
North Essendon Kindergarten / 51 – 53 Kerferd Streets,
North Essendon / 9379 6802
Strathmore Community Kindergarten / 50 Loeman Street,
Strathmore / 9379 8642
Strathmore Heights Kindergarten / 148 Mascoma Street, Strathmore / 9338 3669
Community Managed Preschools / Address / Phone
Ascot Kindergarten / 1 West Street,
Ascot Vale / 9375 3548
Ave Maria Kindergarten / 35 Fawkner Street,
Essendon / 9337 7286
Progress Kindergarten / 11 Brown Avenue,
Ascot Vale / 9375 3409
St Andrew's Anglican Kindergarten / 29 St Kinnord Street, Essendon / 9337 4050
St Brendan's Kindergarten / 25 Bryant Street, Flemington / 9376 6305
b) Universal Access / Timetable Options
The Victorian State Government, through a National Partnership on Early Childhood Education with the Commonwealth Government, has committed to providing 15 hours of preschool each week until the end of 2014. This is known as Universal Access.
NB. Please note that the current Government funding for 15 hours of Kindergarten under the Universal Access model has not been confirmed by the State and Federal Governments beyond 2014, which may result in timetable or fee changes.
Preschool programs within the Central Registration Scheme offer a range of 15 hour timetable options throughout the 18 preschools participating in the Service.
Please refer to the 2015 timetable available on the Council’s website at www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/preschool.
Information on current preschool and three year old programs and operations is indicative only. All preschools reserve the right to review and implement changes to program hours, session times, group sizes, fees and all aspects of the service’s operations. Where changes are made, families will be notified as soon as possible.
3. Fees
a) Registration fee
Families are required to pay a non-refundable registration fee of $30 when submitting their Central Registration form, including registrations for a second year of preschool.
b) Preschool term fees
Preschool fees are compulsory and payment must be made by the due date. If fees are not paid by the due date, the preschool place may be suspended or forfeited.
The preschool fee schedule for 2015 can be found on Council’s website at www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/preschool. Fees are payable on receipt of the invoice sent to families each term.
c) Payment options
Term fees can be paid in the following ways:
· In person (EFTPOS, cash, credit card, cheque, money order) at the Civic Centre
· By mail (cheque or money order made payable to Moonee Valley City Council) with a copy of the invoice addressed to the Preschool Central Registration Officer
· Via Bpay, phone or internet where available
d) State Government Kindergarten Fee Subsidy for four year old preschool
Each year, the State Government provides Council with an annual Kindergarten Fee Subsidy (subject to availability of funds) towards reducing fees for families with children in four year old preschool who meet the following criteria:
The child individually holds, or has a parent or guardian who holds one of the following:
· Health Care Card
· Pensioner Concession Card
· Temporary Protection/Humanitarian Visas 447, 451, 785 or 786
· Asylum Seekers on Bridging Visas A – F and Refugee and Special
· Humanitarian Visa holders 200 – 217
· Resolution of Status (RoS) Visa, Class CD, Subclass 851
· Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card or White Card
or the child:
· is identified on the birth certificate as a triplet or quadruplet, and the other two or three children on the birth certificate are attending preschool in the same year
or the child:
· is identified by a parent, carer or legal guardian as being Aboriginal or
Torres Strait Islander
and the family
· does not have ‘approved’ Commonwealth Child Care Benefit applied
to the fee paid for the time spent in the funded preschool program
Eligible families can apply for the subsidy by completing the relevant sections on the registration form. An invoice will not be issued to families who receive the Kindergarten Fee Subsidy. Subsidy card holders must provide a copy of their current Health Care Card, Pension Card, approved visa or other relevant documentation with their registration form.
Council must have a current copy of your card to process the subsidy rebate. Please ensure you provide a copy of your new card as soon as your old one expires to ensure you are not invoiced for the full term fees. Any parent 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 the new card to gain approval to receive the government rebates.
Three year old programs do not receive Government funding and are provided on the basis of user fees.
e) Child Care Benefit (CCB)
All Moonee Valley City Council managed preschools are registered with the Family Assistance Office as a Registered Care Provider. This is an Australian Government incentive to pass on a Child Care Benefit (CCB) to families as a reduction in fees. Families should check their eligibility with Centrelink prior to requesting a receipt from Council, which can be issued at the end of Term 2 and Term 4. Families receiving the Kindergarten Fee Subsidy are not eligible for the CCB.
f) Non payment of fees
If fees are not paid by the due date, the preschool place may be suspended or forfeited.
4. The enrolment process
1. Download a Central Registration form from mvcc.vic.gov.au/preschool (or collect a form from the Civic Centre or any preschool participating in the Central Registration Service)
2. Complete one Central Registration form per child.
NB. Only parents or legal guardians can sign the Central Registration form. Proof of legal guardianship must be provided with the form.
3. Select your first preference of preschool on the Central Registration form, and also nominate two other preferred preschools that you are willing to accept. Please note that Council cannot guarantee your first
preference of preschool, and as such, you may be offered one of your other preferences.
4. Lodge your completed Central Registration form with the $30 registration fee and proof of date of birth, proof of residency and other supporting documentation as required:
a. In person at the Moonee Valley Civic Centre, 9 Kellaway Avenue, Moonee Ponds
b. By mail to the Preschool Central Registration Officer
Central Registration Scheme
Moonee Valley City Council
PO Box 126
MOONEE PONDS VIC 3039
c. Via email to
d. The Central Registration form must be submitted by 27 June 2014 to be considered in the allocation round. Registrations received after this date will be considered as late. Late registrations will be processed and be placed on a waiting list, according to the priority of access criteria, then allocated when a place is available at their nominated preschool/s.
e. The Central Registration Service allocates places according to Council’s priority of access criteria (see overleaf for criteria).
f. The round of preschool offers will be mailed to families by the end of September. Families must respond to their offer within 10 days to accept the place, or notify the Preschool Central Registration Officer if you would like to wait for a place in another preschool or group.
g. If there are no suitable vacancies, your child will remain on a waiting list until a place becomes available at one of your preferences.