Category: Childcare Enrolment

FREE Kindy in 2025!

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Continuing FREE Kindy for 2025!

It has been announced FREE Kindy for all Queensland children will be available in 2025.

 

Kindergarten at LEAD Childcare is much more than a long day care service, we pride ourselves on delivering the same Government Approved Kindergarten Program as a stand-alone community Kindergarten.

Our Early Childhood Teachers are dedicated to delivering inspiring learning opportunities, building on and supporting school readiness in each of their pupils. Enrol in the 15 hours of FREE Kindergarten per week with the option to extend your child’s learning journey beyond regular Kindergarten hours at the same LEAD Childcare service; benefit from a consistent educational environment and dedicated team, fostering a strong sense of stability and security in your child’s routine.

Our Kindergarten programs at LEAD Childcare are designed to prepare your child for a successful future, as well as aiding a smooth transition into Prep. Throughout the year, we focus on fostering skills such as making friends, building independence, boosting self-confidence and developing early literacy and numeracy abilities. Assisting with a smooth transition into ‘big school’ our Kindergarten classes start visits to their local schools. These visits help our children develop new friendships, build on their social skills and foster a familiarity with their future school environment.

Around this time of the year we work with our families and children in preparing them for their next stage in life; the transition from Pre-Kindy to Kindergarten. As our Pre-Kindy children look forward to their first day of Kindergarten, we are here to support them every step of the way.

Kindergarten is delivered in different ways at different services. For some services, 15 hours of FREE Kindy may be delivered over two or three days, with additional care paid for separately. If a child attends Kindy in a long day care setting, additional care may be covered in part by the Australian Government Childcare Subsidy. Follow this link to the Kindy age calculator here.

For more information on the Free Kindy for all, talk to your LEAD Childcare Family Support Leader, Service Manager or visit the Queensland Government website.

 

Making Life Easier with Kidsoft

Posted on by leadchildcare-admin

Make life easier and download the ‘Kidsoft – Made for Families’ app today.

At LEAD Childcare we use the ‘Kidsoft – Made for Families’ software app, allowing our families to manage their childcare bookings and accounts. Below are our in-depth features and tips on how this app will help streamline your childcare bookings and accounts.

UPDATING PROFILE & DETAILS

Create your family profile, update your child’s details and add or remove emergency contacts.
How to navigate the family portal.

MANAGING PAYMENTS

Update your payment details, set up direct debit schedules and make one off payments, it’s that easy.

MAKING & ALTERING BOOKINGS

Use your family portal to make new bookings or alter existing bookings.
How to create bookings for a child.
How to create casual bookings in the family portal.

First Nations Children get more hours of subsidised care

Posted on by leadchildcare-admin

First Nations children can get more hours of subsidised care

If you want to use child care, the Australian Government helps cover the costs. It’s called Child Care Subsidy, or CCS. The government pays child care services, who pass the subsidy on to you as cheaper fees. 

You can get at least 36 hours of CCS per fortnight for each Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander child in your care. This is regardless of the amount of activity you do, such as work, training, study or volunteering.

  • This may make your child care fees cheaper.
  • Young ones can prepare and be ready for big school.
  • You have more access to child care if you need it.

You can find out more about how to apply at First Nations activity test.

You do not need to do anything if you already get more than 36 hours of subsidy. A family’s CCS rate will continue to be based on their income.

Guide for Families on CCS

Posted on by Alex Macpherson

Our Guide for Families navigating the Child Care Subsidy (CCS)

Australian families receive assistance with the cost of child care through the Child Care Subsidy (CCS).

To receive the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) you must:

  • care for a child 13 or younger who’s not attending secondary school, unless an exemption applies
  • use an approved child care service
  • be responsible for paying the child care fees
  • meet residency and immunisation requirements.

Read the full conditions under who can get it.

Did you know your activity level affects your Child Care Subsidy (CCS)?

The hours of subsidised care you can get each fortnight depends on your activity level.
There are a range of activities that count towards your activity level, including:
  • paid work
  • volunteering
  • studying
  • looking for work
  • unpaid work in a family business.
Read the step-by-step guide from Services Australia on how to update your activity test to make sure you get the correct amount of CCS.
You can check your type of activity and hours:

Do you have more than one child in care?

If you have more than one child aged 5 or under in care, you may get a higher Child Care Subsidy (CCS) for your second child and any younger children.

You may get a higher subsidy for one or more of your children if all these apply:

  • you get or will be eligible for CCS
  • your family’s combined income is under $365,611
  • your family has more than one CCS eligible child aged 5 or younger.

Services Australia will automatically work out if you’re eligible. If you are, they’ll automatically apply a higher subsidy to any eligible children in your family.

If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, you can check your CCS percentage online.

Find out more about how your number of children in care can affect your Child Care Subsidy on the Services Australia website.

Changes to CCS from 8 July 2024

Family income Subsidy rate
Up to $83,280 90%
More than $83,280 to below $533,280 Decreasing from 90%
The percentage decreases by 1% for every $5,000 of income a family earns
$533,280 or more 0%

What do Families need to do?

A family’s CCS percentage is the amount the government will subsidise.
Read more about how much CCS a family can get on the Australian Government|Department of Education website.

Families already getting CCS don’t need to do anything to get the new rates. Services Australia will apply the changes from Monday 8 July 2024.
Families who haven’t claimed CCS, should lodge a claim with Services Australia.

Some families already using care may currently be assessed for CCS and get 0% but will be eligible for an increased rate from Monday, 8 July 2024. These families should check that their income estimate is up to date through their Centrelink online account. For more information, visit childcaresubsidy.gov.au.

Did you know your activity level affects your CCS?

The hours of subsidised care you can get each fortnight depends on your activity level.
There are a range of activities that count towards your activity level, including:

  • paid work
  • volunteering
  • studying
  • looking for work
  • unpaid work in a family business

Read the step-by-step guide from Services Australia on how to update your activity test to make sure you get the correct amount of Child Care Subsidy (CCS).

You can check your type of activity and hours:


First Nations children can get more hours of subsidised care

If you want to use child care, the Australian Government helps cover the costs. It’s called Child Care Subsidy, or CCS. The government pays child care services, who pass the subsidy on to you as cheaper fees.

You can get at least 36 hours of CCS per fortnight for each Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander child in your care. This is regardless of the amount of activity you do, such as work, training, study or volunteering.

  • This may make your child care fees cheaper.
  • Young ones can prepare and be ready for big school.
  • You have more access to child care if you need it.

You can find out more about how to apply at First Nations activity test.

You do not need to do anything if you already get more than 36 hours of subsidy. A family’s CCS rate will continue to be based on their income.

Share this post with families at your service.


Families using child care must pay the gap fee using electronic means from 1 July 2023.

The gap fee is the difference between the provider’s fee and the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) amount. Find out more about gap fees and Child Care Subsidy.

Electronic funds transfer, or EFT, is when a customer pays a bill using electronic means. Typical EFT payment methods include:

  • bank or credit card, including mobile wallets
  • direct deposit or bank transfer, including PayID
  • online payment systems through third party software
  • BPAY or Centrepay.

 

EOFY 2022-2023

We’ve created a Parents Guide to CCS Changes, as we know how confusing and stressful the end of financial year planning can become, especially for families in 2022 looking to be smart and savvy with their money to ensure they are getting the most bang for their buck!
We also know how confusing it can be for families when it comes to Child Care Subsidy Changes to ensure Childcare is working the best for them and for families to know what they are entitled to. We have created a list of all of the changes coming to CCS (Child Care Subsidy) and where families can find more information about the changes ahead.

Balancing Child Care Subsidy

Families must confirm their income each financial year to ensure they are paid the correct amount of Child Care Subsidy.
Before each financial year begins, families inform Services Australia what they estimate they will earn that year (income estimate). Services Australia uses this estimate to work out how much CCS to pay families.

If an estimate is not provided, Services Australia estimates a family’s income using information from the current financial year. Families can update their estimate at any time during the year if their circumstances change.

Once each financial year comes to an end, families are required to confirm what they actually earned that year. This is how Services Australia ensures that families are paid the correct amount of CCS.

Families can confirm their income by either lodging their tax return or advising Services Australia they are not required to lodge a tax return. Families must complete an Advise non-lodgment of tax return using their Centrelink online account through MyGov. This will need to be completed for Services Australia even if the ATO has been advised that the family does not need to lodge a tax return.

Families have one year to confirm their income. If their income is not confirmed within 12 months after the end of the financial year their CCS will stop, and they will have to pay full fees for child care.

For more information on CCS Balancing, please visit Department ESE-Balancing CCS

CCS Eligibility: 26 Week Rule

From July 11, a child who hasn’t used care at least once within the previous 26 weeks will no longer be eligible for CCS. Families will need to submit a new CCS claim if the child re-commences care.

For more information, please visit Services Australia

Child Care Subsidy Rates Increase

Child Care Subsidy rate increase will take effect from July 11, which is the start of the first CCS fortnight in the new financial year.

For a breakdown of the percentages and more information on family eligibility and entitlements, please visit Department ESE Family Eligibility and Entitlement

Did you know?

Families with more than one child aged 5 or under in care can get a higher CCS for their second child and younger children. Combined families will automatically start receiving the higher CCS from July 1 2022.

For more information or to find out if you are eligible for the Higher Child Care Subsidy, please visit Department ESE Higher CCS

 

Getting back to Nature

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Get back to Nature at LEAD Childcare

Bush Kindy or Nature Play is an amazing way for our children to truly connect with nature and extend their learning experiences.
At LEAD Childcare we are so grateful our Educators encourage Bush Kindy or Nature Play within their services.

Catering for all age groups from the Nursery to Kindy enjoy the unique immersive experience that Nature play offers. Bush Kindy / Nature Play provides many benefits for children’s development, such as supporting physical and mental health. It aids in building resilience, creativity and emotional intelligence and environmental awareness.

The earlier we share nature with our children, the more likely they are to develop a lifelong love of the outdoors. We don’t even have to travel far to enjoy nature, our Educators choose to connect with nature in their local parks, local nature reserves, the centre’s outdoor environments, garden beds and tough tray activities using natural elements from the environment around them.

Bush Kindy / Nature Play activities that engage our children include and not limited to: excursions to local parks and nature reserves, where children explore the environment around them, planting native trees, building cubbies with fallen branches, nature based magic potions using flowers, seeds, leaves and grass, observing insects and other fauna in their natural environment, the possibilities are endless.

As each LEAD Childcare service has its own unique philosophy and culture reflective to its specific location, children, families, employees and community – check with your local LEAD Childcare service to see if they offer Bush Kindy or Nature Play as part of their service based learning.

FREE Kindy for all!

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Introducing FREE Kindy!

From 1 January 2024, Kindy is FREE for all Queensland children.

 

We all want our children to have a strong start to their education, it’s exciting to announce that the Queensland Government is making Kindy FREE in 2024.

What this looks like for our families, Kindergarten or Kindy is 15 hours per week, 40 weeks per year and is FREE for eligible Queensland children.

Who is eligible for FREE Kindy? Children aged at least 4 years of age by 30 June in the year before they attend Prep. Children attending an approved Kindergarten Program, delivered by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher will be eligible for FREE Kindy, including approved Kindergarten Programs within a long day care setting.

Follow this link to the Kindy age calculator here.

Kindergarten is delivered in different ways at different services. For some services, 15 hours of free Kindy may be delivered over two or three days, with additional care paid for separately. If a child attends Kindy in a long day care setting, additional care may be covered in part by the Australian Government Childcare Subsidy.

Kindy is a place where your little one will make friends, explore new environments, build confidence and have fun learning. Kindy offers meaningful experiences and interactions that support your child’s early learning, wellbeing and development, now and into the future.

There are so many benefits you will see your child gain through attending Kindy, an opportunity for your child to build independence and a sense of identity through a range of fun and challenging experiences. By interacting with others, exercising agency and engaging in life’s complexities and joys, children learn how to meet challenges encountered in everyday life.

For more information on the Free Kindy for all, talk to your LEAD Childcare Family Support Leader, Centre Manager or visit the Queensland Government website.

 

Celebrating Big Hearts

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Educators’ Day at LEAD Childcare
– it takes a big heart to shape little minds

Every year in September we celebrate the commitment and the hard work of our Early Childhood Educators. Our industry dedicates one day a year to recognising the work that our Educators do on a daily basis. At LEAD Childcare we like to dedicate the entire month of September to our Educators. Showering them in gifts and appreciation each week to show them how much we appreciate and value the work that they do for our youngest generation.

We admire our Educators tireless effort in educating and shaping the minds of our children throughout their most important years of learning. Their passion and commitment is inspiring. Educators, we cannot thank you enough for your hard work, commitment and patience. You are the bone of our communities, preparing our next generation to lead the world towards a brighter future. You are loved and appreciated beyond measure.

 

Note from our CEO, Dr. Nina Hefford.

Dear Educators,
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I want you all to know, how grateful, proud and appreciative I am of everything you do, day in, day out!
We see you, we hear you, we value you!

You are LEAD Childcare!

 

A message from our General Manager, Shar Tukaokao.

We want to thank you for all the hard work you do everyday.  The work that is seen and the work that is less apparent.

Committed and passionate Teachers and Educators are irreplaceable hero’s in our Children’s lives. The appreciation is a lifelong reward that not only comes from this ‘Thank You’ message but in the memories your children will have about the time they have spent with you when they are grown. Conversation’s they will share with their own children as they remember the positive impact you have had on their life journey.

 

Murrumba Village Now Open!

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LEAD Childcare Murrumba Village

Now Open!

LEAD Childcare is expanding once again! The newest addition to our family is open and now taking enrolments!

Our dedicated Centre Manager Cathy has been working tirelessly to ensure that this brand-new addition is perfect for our foundation children.

This brand-new, purpose-built service offers engaging and inspiring learning environments for children from 6 weeks of age to school age. LEAD Childcare Murrumba Village features age-appropriate environments within light filled rooms and large outdoor environments for children to explore and play. Our spaces are filled with engaging resources to encourage children to use their imagination and ignite curiosity.

Murrumba Village will also feature a specialised art studio, heated swimming pool with AUSTSWIM Accredited swimming instructors for year-round swimming lessons, indoor/outdoor piazza for mixed age interaction and meal times as well as a large welcoming reception area for our team to engage with our families.

We have an onsite children’s cook to provide our children with nutritious, home style meals which include breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and a late snack. To view images of the Centre, further information or to Book a Tour click here.

 

Introducing our Centre Manager, Cathy!

“I started working within the Early Education Industry when I was 17 years old and have always had a passion for the early years. I have worked with children of all ages and in many roles, from Assistant Educator to a General Manager.

I am married with three children and have two dogs. When I am away from the Service I love fishing, going to the beach and camping!

I am passionate about creating stimulating learning environments and maintaining high quality care and education across the service. Working in the Early Education Industry provides an opportunity to make a real difference in the way a child approaches learning for life. You can encourage, nurture and support positive outcomes for children’s health, well-being and learning during the most important developmental years of a child’s life.

I am most excited about building a community at Murrumba Village. A community where children have the opportunity to learn and grow together!”

Interested in enrolling? Send our friendly Centre Manager Cathy an email at [email protected] or submit an enquiry through the website.

We are searching for the perfect team for our brand-new Service. If you are interested in a position with us, email your cover letter and resume to [email protected].

Kindy Uplift Program

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Introducing the Kindy Uplift Program

At LEAD Childcare we are passionate about providing high quality programs and learning, especially for our Kindergarten Children.

Our Kindergarten programs are unique to each Service location. Our dedicated Early Childhood Teachers take pride and passion in providing our Kindergarten children with the fundamental skills and tools to be able to take on Prep as equipped and prepared as they can be.

In addition to our already established Kindergarten programs within our Services Mango Hill, Caboolture and Toowoomba have been privileged to be invited to be apart of the Queensland Government Kindergarten Uplift Program. This program enables our Services to respond to the educational and developmental needs of our Kindergarten Children.

This program funds programs, resources, supports and provides professional development to build Educator capability, support inclusion and improve children’s learning and development. The funding will also be used to strengthen access to, and meaningful participation in, the full range of Kindergarten experiences.

The Queensland Government along with LEAD Childcare is committed to ensuring every child has a great start, setting strong foundations for learning and life.

Why choose LEAD Childcare in 2023?

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Why choose LEAD Childcare in 2023?

LEAD Childcare has set a precedent over the last 14 years for being every child’s “home away from home”. We offer high quality early education and care in a true home away from home environment for children to enjoy, whilst they are in our care.

Flexibility for Families

We believe from as young as 6 weeks old our children are learning and adapting to the world in which they live. We also recognise how important it is for children to feel safe and secure, as they would at home.

To allow all families access to high quality early education and care we offer five different sessional bookings. These sessional bookings assist with the unpredictable nature of life. We offer 6, 8, 9, 10 and 12 hour sessions to suite many types of working households.

The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home

Our LEAD kitchen coordinator works closely with the Children’s Cook at each Service to develop individual nutritional menus for our children to enjoy five days a week. We ensure that our menu options are inclusive and respectful of all cultures and dietary requirements as well as implementing suggestions to menu changes made by our children and families.

We provide breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and a late snack, plus milk and water throughout the day. Our children are also involved in planting, growing, harvesting, and preparing seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables from our very own vegetable gardens throughout each Service.

Positive and Welcoming Spaces

We pride ourselves on creating enriching environments that inspire every child’s wonder and creativity. Our environments are based on our children’s learnings and interests, which differ throughout each room in each individual LEAD Childcare Service.

Industry Professionals

Across all LEAD Childcare Services, we have passionate teams of Educators who are dedicated to ensuring that every child gets the most out of their experience with us. From the moment your children are welcomed into our Services they become part of our LEAD Childcare family. Every one of our Educators are dedicated to ensuring that your children gain lifelong skills and experiences whilst being in a safe and homely environment throughout their day.

Queensland Government Kindergarten Program

Preparing your child for school through a recognised Kindergarten program can be an extremely positive stage in their educational and social development.

All LEAD Childcare Services offer a Government Approved Kindergarten program, delivered by qualified Early Childhood Teachers.

Outside School Hours Care – OSHC

All LEAD Childcare Services cater for children up to 12 years of age in our OSHC Programs. Offering extensive and inclusive programs for school aged children, to feel they have the freedom to explore and interact with children their own age, whilst being in a safe and secure environment.

The Educators that provide OSHC are equipped with the knowledge and experience to allow the children to create their own program whilst providing our children with open-ended environments and experiences.

Each of our Services offers a bus service available for all families to utilise helping reduce the hustle and bustle of before and after school pick up and drop off.

Swimming Program

We are lucky enough to have onsite swimming pools at four LEAD Childcare Services – Burpengary, Rothwell, Mango Hill Village and Mango Hill.  Our learn-to-swim lessons are 30 minutes, and we can keep the children engaged with fun, skill-based swimming, and water safety experiences. We offer 1:1 lessons for all children under the age of 3 years old, this encourages a strong development of confidence and comfort in the water. Lessons offer a positive and encouraging atmosphere where children can learn from each other while learning from our caring, qualified swim teachers.