Priority of Access Guidelines

Our Centre will give preference to providing a place for children who currently attend Normanhurst West Public School, followed by children attending local primary schools. Other children, e.g. older siblings attending secondary school in Year Seven, may only attend for the Summer Vacation Care period immediately after finishing year 6 and subject to management committee approval and available places.

Access to attend the service is not available for children attending secondary school in Year Eight or above.

Non-school aged children (preschool aged children) are eligible to attend the summer vacation care program from January, once they are enrolled to begin school that year.

Where care is being provided for a child outside School age, they may be asked to vacate their position first.

No one will be discriminated against on the basis of his or her cultural background, religion, sex, disability, marital status or income.

The Centre will provide notices in various languages, where possible, that reflect the community for schools in the local area regarding the Centre.

The Centre will try to meet any specific needs of the families in the local community.

The Centre will ensure that access is given to children and families with special needs, however; children with specific needs beyond the ability of the Centre will be assessed and may be referred to another service with more appropriate facilities to cater for their needs.

Normanhurst West OSHC intends to cater for all families requiring care, and where possible, will source the extra spaces required to enable acceptance of all families. Families will be informed about the criteria for allocating places on enrolment via the parent handbook.

 

First Priority: A child at risk of serious abuse or neglect

Second Priority: A child of a single parent who satisfies, or of parents who both satisfy, the CCS Activity Test through paid work or study.

Third Priority: Any other child

 

Within these main areas, priority will then be given to families based on the time and date their Enrolment was approved.

A Wait List will be developed and updated regularly, should it be required, which identifies:

  • Priority of access eligibility
  • Date placed on list
  • Required days of care

Preference on the Wait List is also determined by siblings already in care.

Parents are able to access their status on the waiting list upon request.

The Centre may require a child to vacate a place in the service in the event that a child with a higher priority needs care. Families will be first notified of the above Priority of Access Procedure upon enrolment in the parent handbook and then given 14 days’ notice of the need for their child to vacate.  Where a parent has not been informed of the possibility of a lower priority child being asked to vacate a place on enrolment, the Centre cannot enforce this requirement.

 

If a child at the Centre does not attend Normanhurst West Public School, they may be asked to vacate a place in the service in the event that a child attending Normanhurst West Public School requires care.