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Dear Parents,

We welcome you and your children to Building Futures Care. We hope that you will find your

time with us valuable and rewarding.

We believe that providing care and education for children is one of the most rewarding

industries in which to have a business. We work with you to provide an environment for children

which is welcoming, friendly and safe with a high standard of quality care. We aim to ensure

each child is respected and nurtured as they form secure attachments with their Educator.

We aim to continually develop our skills and explore new ways to enrich each child’s learning

experience and development. We respect that as parents, you play the most important role in

your child’s life and we look forward to working beside you on your child’s journey.

Building Futures Care participates in the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood

Education and Care. The website www.acecqa.gov.au provides further information.

Thank you for choosing our scheme. This handbook provides general information about the

scheme and on some of our basic policies and/or procedures. Please read and retain for future

reference.

Regards,

The Coordination Unit

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1.1 Mission Statement: Building Futures is our name and our focus.

1.2 Slogan: Education for Life

1.3 Goals:

1.3.i. We will provide a safe, well-supervised environment that caters to the child’s

needs.

1.3.ii. Our minimum standard of operation will be above the standards of Government

Regulations

1.3.iii. We will provide qualified, caring and enthusiastic Educators who will nurture

each child’s learning and development.

1.3.iv. We will respect the parent’s rights and opinions in providing quality care for

their child.

1.3.v. We welcome and encourage parent participation in all aspects of the program.

1.3.vi. We will endeavour to settle each child happily and contentedly into the groups

and programs of the centre.

1.3.vii. We will provide a program that fosters each child’s development in the areas of

sensory, practical life-skills, language, spatial/geometry, logic/mathematics,

movement, music, inter/intrapersonal and environment. This will be delivered in

accordance with Montessori principles, practices, philosophy and materials.

1.3.viii. We will provide an inclusive program that recognises the valuable contribution

all people can make to their community and endeavour to draw a variety of influences

to within our centre.

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1.4 Philosophy

Montessori is an education for life – An individualised learning program that encourages and

fosters the children to develop at their own pace; in and a part of a natural and caring

environment. Maria Montessori believed that from the ages of birth – 6, the children enter a

plane of development known as the “Absorbent Mind” to take in the world and all of its

offerings. It is this that Building Futures Montessori offers through the “Children’s House”.

A prepared environment is one of the main educators of the children. It is designed to welcome

them and encourage them to interact and develop within the curriculum areas of Practical life

and Grace and Courtesy, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language and the Cultural curriculum. By

using concrete materials and methods, a process rather than product system is emphasised.

At Building Futures we believe, as Maria Montessori did, that the Directresses should focus on

the child as a person, not on a pre-planned program. Our Montessori Directress nurtures and

inspires the human potential; leading children to ask questions, think for themselves, explore,

investigate and discover. (This is reflected through the individual characteristics of Safe, Smiling,

Smart and Multicultural.)

The Directress actively strives to build bonds with families to share knowledge and utilise each

other’s skills, thus creating a sense of belonging for both the child and the family. A part of

Building Futures Montessori “community” is the inclusiveness that is embedded within it and

the wider world. Our ultimate objective is to foster and facilitate children to become

contributing citizens of the world.

The application of this philosophy within our Family Day Care service will be to promote and

inspire the educators in their professional development in the direction of understanding and

implementing a Montessori approach. This may vary from educator to educator.

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Building Futures Care Educators have a range of accredited early childhood qualifications and

experience which are in line with the National Regulations 2011. All educators hold a current

police record check and a Working With Children Check. In accordance with regulations we

endeavor to recruit Educators who already hold a minimum of a Certificate III in Early Childhood

Education and Care or who are currently studying towards this qualification.

Educators are able to care for up to a maximum of 7 children between the ages of 6 weeks to 13

years. No more than 4 children under school age (including the educator’s own children) may be

in care at any one time. The number of children to be cared for is at the discretion of the

Coordination Unit depending on the physical space available and the experience of the educator.

At times your child’s regular educator may be absent for reasons such as illness or personal

circumstances. We may be able to provide alternative educators or support educators at these

times and will endeavor to provide your child with familiar educators.

Educators are professional, caring people who up their home environments to promote and

support children’s learning and development. They spend time making observations of each

child’s interests and development and using the Early Years Learning Framework curriculum plan

a program to meet the needs and interests of each child.

Educators provide quality care and a secure attachment for your child in a warm and safe

environment. If you wish to discuss any with your educator they are only too willing to make time

available. To provide the best care possible educators need to have a good understanding of your

child. Please take the time to chat with your educator about any changes or experiences

happening in your child’s life. This shared knowledge and understanding is very beneficial to your

child.

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We encourage you to discuss any concerns or questions about your child, their development, and

our programs and procedures with your educator. If parents have any complaint or concern with

the service we recommend you discuss this with educator involved or the Building Futures Care

coordinator. Please see our Grievance Policy for further details.

Here is some information you may find useful to help prepare your child for family day care

Think of any information about your child that your educator should know, things like

your child’s interests, cultural background, fears, security items or any special routines.

Ensure your enrolment form is complete and handed to the Building Futures Care office

by appointment before your child begins care (This is a regulatory requirement).

Photos are taken by educators and the coordination unit to use with programming.

Written permission is required before photographs can taken or used for promotional

reasons.

Environments are smoke free – please refrain from smoking on the premises.

A full change of clothing (include extras if your child is learning to use the toilet)

Nappies if required

A wide brimmed or legionnaire style hat

Apply sunscreen before leaving your child

In Winter – a jumper/jacket, suitably warm clothing

Suitable footwear

Your child’s food for the time they are in care (please see our Nutritional Policy for

guidelines)

Ensure you notify your educator if your child has a special diet or cultural dietary

requirements

A special comforter if your child has one

A drink bottle filled with fresh water, educators will top it up as required

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Please sign in and out. This information on your child’s Timesheet is required by our

regulatory body and is used to ensure correct ratios and support evacuation procedures.

Ensure your educator is present at drop off. Do not leave your child with the educator’s

family members.

Please close the front door and any gates securely behind you as and enter and leave.

This helps to ensure the safety of children in case.

Think about any relevant information you would like to share with your educator about

what has been happening at home prior to care eg, how your child slept, etc. this

information can help educators respond to your child’s needs.

Some children may be anxious when you leave, please discuss this with your educator to

develop a strategy that will help your child feel calmer on separation. In most cases your

child will calm down quickly after you leave. If not the educator will notify you.

Please make sure you arrive on time to collect your child according to your booked hours

Children can only be collected by parents/guardians or persons authorized on the

enrolment form. You must provide written authorization if another person is collecting

your child.

Please let your educator know if someone other than then regular person is collecting

your child. Educators will ask to see ID such as a driver’s license.

If you are unable to collect your child you must give written permission to allow an

Authorised Person to collect your child. Please see our Acceptance and Refusal of

Authorisations policy for more information.

A person must be over 18 years old to collect the child.

Please notify your educator if you are running late, a late fee may apply.

If a child is not collected on time and we have not heard from you the following steps will

be taken:

▪ Educator will attempt to contact parent/guardian and continue regularly.

▪ If parent/guardian unable to be contacted, educator will attempt to contact the

authorized persons listed on the enrolment form.

▪ The coordination unit will be notified and will decide on further action.

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Educators understand that children and parents might feel anxious when starting care. Where

possible a gradual approach to introducing children and their family to Family Day Care can help

children develop appropriate attachments to their Educator. This enables children to feel safe and

secure in their new environment. Educators will support parents through this process by:

Providing written and verbal information to parents

Listening to parents concerns and providing reassurance

Encouraging parents to visit the care environment with their children before care

commences. This helps parents to get to know the educator and the children to familiarize

themselves with the environment.

Encouraging parents to call or email their educator as often as needed.

The Commonwealth Government has established priority of access guidelines for all Children’s

Service, these are:

Priority one – a child at risk of serious abuse or neglect.

Priority two – a child of a single parent who satisfies, or of parents who both satisfy the

work/study/training test under Section 14 of the Family Assistance Act.

Priority three – any other child

Normal fees will apply for any sick leave or annual leave when your child does not attend care. If

you educator is unavailable, fees will not apply.

Your child’s health and wellbeing are important to us. We have a range of policies that cover all

aspects of our operation and quality of our service. We invite you to review these and to discuss

them with your educator to provide feedback.

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Building Futures Care educators conduct a daily safety inspection of the indoor and outdoor play

environments. Any hazards are removed or made inaccessible to children.

Educators are required to have a first aid kit at their home as well as a travel first aid in their car.

Emergency evacuation procedures are displayed in the care environments. Emergency evacuation

procedures are regularly practiced with the children. In the event of an emergency evacuation the

procedures outlined in the displayed information will be followed. Parents will be notified as soon

as practicable to collect their child.

Emergency contact out of hours is via the Building Futures Care phone: Centenary Nannies – Head

Office:

07 3376 4349

**Please note our office number is diverted to our work mobiles for emergency bookings e.g. you

need a babysitter that day and you are calling after hours. ALL other phone enquiries can be made

Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm or via email in which we will respond during working hours.

Any after hours emergency babysitting bookings will also incur a higher booking fee.

Building Futures Care and our educators and coordinators have a duty of care and ethical

responsibility to protect children from any form of abuse and/or neglect. A referral to the

Department of Child Safety will be made whenever there are reasonable grounds to believe that

a child has or is like to suffer harm or a child’s safety and/or wellbeing is at risk. Please refer to our

Providing a Child Safe Environment policy for further information.

All educators have a visitor’s sign in/out book. For the security of children, parents and staff, all

visitors are required to sign in and out of this book. This includes any maintenance staff, council

employees, government representative, BFE representatives, specialist, volunteers, etc. The

visitor’s book provides a record of visitors in the event of an emergency evacuation.

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There will likely be occasions when your child may require transportation in the Educator’s vehicle.

These may include providing for the educator to deliver and collect school-aged children,

attendance of the educator and the children in care at playgroup and other excursion

opportunities to enhance the children’s life experience and education. All trips will require

written permission from parents for regular or once-off outings. Building Futures values the

experiences and the ability to support care for others that transport in the educator’s vehicle

provides, and therefore will not accept an enrolment which has a permanent opt out of transport.

Each of our educators sets their own hourly fees in accordance with our Fee Policy. Fees will apply

for all booked days including days of non-attendance (illness, holidays, etc) Fees also apply for all

public holidays.

A refundable fee bond is required before your child commences care to hold the child’s place. This

bond is $100 per child and will be held by Building Futures Care until your child ceases care with

their Educator. If all fees are up to date this bond will be refunded to you.

With guidance from the coordination unit, each educator is responsible for setting their own fees.

Fees are payable directly to Building Futures Care. Please see our Fee Policy for further

information.

Building Futures Care is registered with the Family Assistance Office as an approved service. If you

meet the eligibility criteria Childcare Subsidy may apply. For further information please call the

Family Assistance Office on 136 150.

Parents are to provide their educator with two weeks written notice of cancellation of care. Fees

will continue to apply until written cancellation is received. If your child does not attend on their

last day of care Childcare Subsidy may not be paid and you will therefore be charged full fees.

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Childcare Subsidy is paid for up to 42 absent days for each child per financial year without the

need to provide documentation such as medical certificates. Absences exceeding the first 42 days

will only be paid for “additional absences” if documentation, evidence or certificates are provided

for the following circumstances:

Illness of a child, parent or sibling supported by a medical certificate

Non-immunisation

Temporary closure of a service

Period of local emergency

Exceptional circumstances

Your child’s health and wellbeing is very important to us. Please refer to our policies available at

your educator’s home and our office for details of our health policies and procedures. There are

some tips below that you may find helpful.

If your child requires medication while in care, please inform your educator of the dosage

requirements and complete a medication permission form.

All medication requires parent authorization including prescribed eye drops, asthma

puffers and nappy rash creams.

No medication will be administered until written authorization has been given.

Educators cannot administer Panadol or Nurofen unless a child has a temperature higher

than 38 C. In this circumstance parents will be required to collect their child as soon as

possible.

Medication must not be left in children’s bag or in reach of children.

Further information is available in the Dealing with Medical Conditions policy.

We follow procedures to promote health and minimize the spread of infection. Please keep your

child at home if they are unwell. Children with the following symptoms must be kept at home until

they are completely better:

High temperature of 38 C or above

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Vomiting or loose bowel motions (24 hours after last episode)

Rashes

Conjunctivitis (red, swollen or discharging eyes)

If your child seems ill for example is lethargic, irritable, nor eating or drinking.

You will be asked to collect your child if they show any of the above symptoms or is ill. An ill child

will be kept comfortable and be monitored until their parent/authorised person collects the child.

Please inform your Educator as soon as possible if your child is diagnosed with an infectious illness.

Educators are required to alert all families at their service. Confidentiality will be respected at all

time.

Please fill in the immunization details on your child’s enrolment form and provide us with any

changes to your child’s immunization. In the event of an outbreak of an infectious disease, a child

or adult who has not been immunized in accordance with the National Immunisation Schedule will

be excluded from the service for the recommended period of exclusion.

Please let your child know of any allergies or health issues your child may be experiencing. Ongoing

communication between parents and educators is essential to ensure the health of all children.

Our educators will support you to safely and effectively manage these matters. If your child has

been diagnosed with a health issue or allergy you may be required to complete on of our action

plans:

Action Plan for Allergic Reactions

Action Plan for Anaphylaxis

Asthma Action Plan

Action plan for any other Health Condition (eg. Diabetes, epilepsy )

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If your child has been diagnosed as anaphylactic you must complete an Action Plan for Anaphylaxis.

The plan must be signed by your doctor. If your child has an EpiPen it must be available at the

Family Day Care at any time your child is in attendance. To maintain a safe environment for all

children it is important for all families to be “allergy aware.” Some children may have allergies to

food that are potentially life-threatening. In this instance some foods may be excluded in order to

provide a safe environment. Please contact your educator before bringing food, drink or recycled

materials (eg. Egg cartons) into the Family Day Care home.

If your child has been diagnosed as asthmatic you must complete an Asthma Action Plan which

must be signed by your doctor. Your child’s prescription asthma medication must be available at

the Family Day Care home any time your child is in attendance. Please discuss your child’s

requirements with your child’s educator.

Due to regulations there are specific procedures which educators and coordination staff are

required to follow in the event of a child sustaining an injury. Upon enrolment, parents must sign

an authority for educators to seek emergency medical assistance if necessary. All educators hold

up to date first aid and CPR qualifications.

If a minor incident occurs (eg. A child tripping over) educators will comfort your child, assess their

condition, apply any basic first aid required and monitor the child’s wellbeing. The details of the

incident will be recorded on an Incident Form which you will be asked to read and sign upon

collection of your child.

In the event of a more serious accident (such as a child bumping their head) Educators will also

contact you by phone to inform you of the incident. You may be required to collect your child and

seek medical advice.

In the event of a medical emergency staff will administer first aid as required, call emergency

services and you will be contacted. Educators will be directed by the paramedics We will endeavor

to keep you informed of all actions until you are with your child.

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Please contact us

If you have any queries or concerns please don’t hesitate to speak with your educator or contact

our Coordination Unit.

Email: headoffice@bfcare.com.au

Phone: 33764349