Does Newtown Kids Cottage have vacation care?
Newtown Kids Cottage (NKC) does not provide vacation care. There are a range of services in the area providing care for school age children. NKC will endeavour to provide relevant information before the school holidays.
Why doesn't Newtown Kids Cottage have vacation care?
For NKC to be an approved service provider of vacation care they cannot jeopardize the viability of surrounding services (these include Australia Street Infant School and Camdenville Public School). Past enquires into Newtown Kids Cottage running vacation care has found that it would put these services at risk, as they rely on Newtown Public School children attending their vacation programs.
In the past we have put out an expression of interest into a vacation care program and there was not enough interest for this to take place.
What is the usual availability of spaces?
NKC often has spaces available on some days, but not all, and generally in before care (from 7:30 to 8:30am). We endeavour to accommodate all families, however, our capacity is regulated by the amount of space we can provide, especially when it rains. We enlarged the cottage in 2008 and increased child to staff ratios in 2011 and have explored other options. This includes shared arrangements with other nearby facilities. However, those facilities are currently full or have waiting lists. The management committee reviews all options annually.
What is the staff to child ratio?
Newtown Kids Cottage aims to operate at staff to child ratios that are better than the national standard. The recommended ratio for out of school care is 1 staff to 15 children. We aim to work on the ratio of 1 staff to 13.5 children (including casual care) to provide the highest quality care possible.
What type of food will my child eat?
Before school care children will be given breakfast of a range of cereals, toast, etc. Afternoon tea will consist of nutritious snacks and is provided around 4pm each day. Snacks vary each day and are on the family notice board. Examples of what your child may have is pasta, frittata, fresh fruit and sushi.
Does the centre cater for children with special dietary requirements?
Yes, we work with families on their dietary requirements. It is the parent's responsibility to make sure that the centre is aware of any food allergies or restrictions your child may have.