City of Greater Shepparton

Take a Break Occasional Care Centres

Greater Shepparton City Council offers many occasional care services across the municipality. Each service has different operating hours see below for further information on session times.

Tallygaroopna and Gowrie Park

These centres are open to receive children between 9.00am and 3.00pm on Fridays during school term.

• Children over three years may attend for either the full six hours or a shorter three hour session
• Children under three may attend for three hours only.
• Bookings for three hours are to be between 9.00am - 12.00pm.

Colliver Road Children's Centre

This centre offers care between 9am and 2pm on Fridays during school terms.

• Children over three years may attend for either the full five hours or a shorter three hour session.
• Children under three may attend for three hours only.
• Bookings for three hours are to be between 9.00am - 12.00pm.

Toolamba

This Centre offers sessions for 4.5 hours between 9am and 1.30pm on Fridays during term time.

Katandra West Childhood Centre

This Centre is offering a five hour session between 9am and 2pm on Thursdays.

Fees

All programs:

• $10.50 per child per 3 hour session
• $15.75 per child per 4 ½ hour session
• $17.50 per child per 5 hour session
• $21.00 per child per 6 hour session

Occasional care is a great opportunity for your child to interact with children in a fun and relaxed environment and is also a great way for families to meet new people. Following is some helpful information that will assist you in using Occasional Care for the first time.

Enrolment Forms

An enrolment form must be completed before your child is left at the program. This form will cover your child for the current year. Please notify the Program Leader of any change of address, doctor, work place or emergency contact/s.
Please come prepared with:

• the name of your child's doctor
• an emergency contact phone number
• proof of age
• details of any allergies/special needs
• ambulance subscription number
• immunisation details  

Bookings/Cancellations

It is advisable to make a booking to ensure a place (generally one week in advance). If payment is made in advance, there will be no refund if the child does not attend.

Staff at the program need to be notified by 9.00 am on the day of care booked if care is to be cancelled for that day, otherwise parents will be charged the full fee.

School Holidays

Occasional care will not be available during the school holiday periods.

Attendance, Delivery and Collection

The attendance book must be signed on arrival each day - with child's name, arrival time, age and parent/guardian signature. Staff must be notified if a person other than a parent/guardian is to collect your child. Departure time and signature of collecting person must again be documented in the attendance book when leaving the centre. When delivering a child to the program, please bring him/her into the playroom and ensure a staff member knows your child is present.

If this is the first time you are leaving your child in a care situation, please feel free to spend some time getting to know the centre and the staff. In the first weeks of commencing care, parents/guardians are encouraged to contact the Centre as often they feel necessary. Staff will provide you and your child/children with assistance and support as needed.

All programs operate under child care regulations. Therefore if one child is in the centre, there must be two staff present. The late fee will be charged to parents at $2.00 per child for every minute after the nominated collection time to meet the cost of providing staff to supervise the child.

If you are unavoidably delayed, please phone the centre to let staff know and try to arrange for someone else to pick up your child at the specified time. Children become anxious if you are later than they expect.

Clothing

Children need to bring a change of clothes in case of accidents (i.e. toileting, spills etc.).
Babies also need:

• four nappies
• two pairs of plastic pants
• two plastic bags to return nappies home
• All clothes need to be clearly named.
  

Each family will need to supply:

• Winter: coat and hat
• Summer: one hat per child for outdoor play and sunscreen (Hats should be wide brim or legionnaire style for best protection)
• Soft toy, dummy for rest time.

Food

Each child is to bring their own snack for the session. Water will be available throughout all sessions.
All food and drink must be prepared for the child to eat individually and containers need to be clearly labelled.
Parents of babies on formula need to provide an adequate supply of made up bottles for the day in clearly labelled bottles.

Illness and Infectious Diseases

When a child becomes ill at the centre, we will contact the parent/guardian or emergency contact immediately. Arrangements will be made for the child to be collected as soon as possible. All staff and families will be notified of any infectious disease occurring in the program.

Any child suffering from an infectious disease should be kept at home for the period outlined in our exclusion list.

Medications that need to be administered must be entered and signed in the Accident/Illness/Medication Book. A staff member will assist with this matter. Please note that children can only be administered medication that is clearly labeled with the childs name and prescribed dosage.

If your child has an accident or is injured the Program Leader will notify the parent/guardian or emergency contact immediately. Enrolment forms include a section for parents to give permission for an ambulance and/or necessary treatment in emergency circumstances.