Nowadays, gauging readiness depends on a lot more factors. Each child needs to be appraised in several key areas. But primarily, the question comes down to whether they are socially and emotionally ready to start school. Are they able to make friends easily? Can they communicate and act independently, especially in matters of self-care?

While writing their name and knowing the letters of the alphabet are important things, these are only part of the range of new information to be internalised by a child before entering a school environment.

The competence to think reasonably, communicate clearly and connect with peers is considered vital in any child’s success in school. Then on top of that, the child’s level of physical development needs to be taken into account too.

Typically, not all children are competent in all areas. For instance, some who are considered mentally advanced might be deemed emotionally unprepared. In the same way, someone physically adept might be considered slow in terms of language or social development.

So it is important that we ask:Is your child ready for school?

You can assess this for yourself, or with the help and input of your Kindy or Child Care Centre educators, by considering the following pivotal questions:

• Can your child understand instructions and follow them? The ability to comprehend instructions is a necessary skill needed to keep up with peers and function efficiently in class.
• Is your child self-sufficient? Are they able to go to the bathroom on their own and do simple things like do up a shoe or put on a jumper or coat?
• Can they count and recite the alphabet? Teachers often expect children to have a fundamental knowledge of the numbers and the ABCs, even if these will still be covered by the curriculum.
• Can they cut with scissors or hold a pencil? These motor skills will come in handy when learning how to write and keep up with classroom activities.
• Are they interested in books? Does your child try to tell a story based on the pictures found in books? Often, this is a clear sign that language development is on a par with other children of similar age. It’s also an obvious indication that your child is nearly ready to learn how to read.
• Are they receptive and curious about learning new things? If you notice your child’s curiosity is stronger than the fear to try something unfamiliar, then chances are they’ll do very well in school.
• Do they socialise well with other kids? Having good social skills (like, for instance, being willing to share knowledge and knowing how to take turns) goes a long way towards more effective learning, especially when the child is the company of other children all day.
• Is their emotional competence sufficient? Can your child work well with others in a group? If they are able to compromise and join in a consensus with others, then that is a good indication of readiness for school.

If you responded ‘yes’ to most of the questions, then it would be safe to assume your child is ready for school. Otherwise, another year of preschool might be beneficial.

In our next article, we will help you discover the basic things you need to know and ask about child care.

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Clues that your child is ready for potty training

In general, children will show subtle and not-so-subtle signs that they are ready and willing to begin the process of potty training. For example, when they:

• walks and sits for short periods of time
• is generally more independent in completing tasks
• is interested in looking at adults go to the toilet
• has dry nappies for several hours
• tells you before going to pee or poop
• starts not to like wearing a nappy and tries to pull it off when it’s soiled
• pulls pants up and down
• follows rudimentary instructions like “hand the toy to Mummy”

All these signs need not be present when your child is ready, but the general trend will let you know it’s time to begin the training.

The participation of carers and teachers in the toilet training process can be valuable, considering that these early educators will be often the first to notice when your child is developmentally ready to toilet train. When that day comes a good child care centre will communicate with you about effective toilet training techniques and practices for your child.

Below are some of the advantages of toilet training in child care:

Healthy Habits

Most children start toilet training at the same age they start to learn basic personal hygiene. The routine involvedwith toilet training can help your child apply a similar approach to brushing their teeth and bathing. This means that toilet training is a stepping stone that will help your child begin to take more accountability for their own self-care.

Learning Opportunities

When your tot is no longer wearing nappies, they’ll discover a new whole world opens up for them. So too for the parents, who no longer have to worry about soiled or wet nappies, especially when going out or taking a holiday. Most early education and child development centres only accept children that are fully toilet trained.

Confidence and Independence

Toilet training is a major phase of kids focused in preschool. A child who succeeds or masters it may feel just as thrilled as a student who aced a test. Praising and acknowledging the child during potty training will most likely boost their self-esteem and build self-trust in their ability to achieve goals. The moment your child begins to regularly use the potty on their own,they are well on the way to using the bathroom and cleaning afterwards without any help from you.

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What is Child Care Benefit?

In order to understand what the government child care rebate is, you first need to know what a Child Care Benefit or CCB is.

Child Care Benefit is a form of government assistance implemented in 2000 to help working, training or studying parents or guardians pay for child care fees.This financial support depends on the family’s income, so it is not the same for everyone.

Child Care Rebate (CCR), on the other hand, is a financial assistance applied in 2004 to supplement CCB qualified families’ out-of-pocket expenses, provided that they enrol their child in government-approved service providers. Out-of-pocket costs refer to charges minus the Child Care Benefit allowance. Unlike Child Care Benefit, Child Care Rebate is not based on income.

How to claim a rebate?

The first step is to find out if you are eligible for the Child Care Rebate. You would have to meet the following requisites:

• You use a Child Care Benefit approved child care service.
• You are eligible for the Child Care Benefit, even if you earn too much to receive payment.
• You and your partner meet the Work, Training, Study test or are exempt from it.

You also need to read the information booklet about your Claim for Family Assistance.

Once you have determined that you are eligible to claim a rebate, you may claim your rebate in any of the following ways:

• Online
• Via phone
• In person

For more detailed instructions on each option, visit the official Human Services website.

Typical rebate process for most child care centres

Most centres in the country can start the rebate process for you, from checking for eligibility to sending in an application.

Once they have determined your eligibility, they will provide you with payment options to choose from. Typical options include:

• Direct payment to the centre
• Direct payment to your bank account

If it’s paid directly to the service, the service will receive the payment every week and that amount will be taken off your child care fees. So you will pay the gap fees. If it’s paid directly to the family, you can decide to have it paid into your bank account either every fortnight, every quarter or at the end of the financial year.

For further information as well as answers to frequently asked questions, click here.

In our next blog post, we will explain what a School Readiness Program is. Parents and guardians will learn about this critical period and understand the value of proper transition from home to preschool to formal education.

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Inclusions

Child care fees can range from upfront fees to be put on a waiting list, to enrolment booking fees and extra charges such as nappies, food and a bond. A bond is an amount you pay to secure a placement in a centre, which you will later get back once you cancel your child’s enrolment. But there are centres that do not refund the bond if the child does not go to care on the agreed starting date. That’s why it’s important to ask about the bond payment and policy upon registration.

Most centres collect the bond payment two weeks before the child goes to class or care. But the bond fee, terms, and deadline may vary from centre to centre. Some centres ask parents to pay a bond based on the number of days your child will attend while some will ask you to pay a flat fee. That’s why you need to ask the childcare service provider what the exact costs are as well as how and when they must be paid.

Child Care Cost Calculator

In addition to the bond, you have daily charges. The centre should publish these daily charges. If they are not readily available, you should contact them and ask what their exact daily charges are. You will then need to find out about their payment options and schedule.

If you don’t want the child care costs to put a great strain on your family’s finances – plan well. Knowing the exact payment details and key deadlines will help a lot. Also, consider asking the centre where you want to enrol your child the following questions:

• When do you expect to receive the fees: is it on weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis?
• How can I pay you?Can I pay through bank transfer, EFTPOS facilities or direct debit?
• What are your policies about paying fees on public holidays?
• Do I pay any fees when my child is absent from the centre due to sickness or a family holiday?

These questions will help you clarify the total child care costs you need to prepare for. But remember too that each centre has different policies. We will have a separate discussion about child care fee subsidies in our next blog post. In particular, we will explain how child care benefit and rebate can reduce the total amount you need to pay for.

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Once your child is enrolled in a child care centre, one of the things probably upmost in your mind is how he/she is going to be ready for this transition in their lives. Here are a few tips about settling children into childcare, which we know can have a significant impact on you and your child, to make this new step a positive one.

Preparing your child for their first day

When your little one is coming to a child care centre for the first time, there are many factors you should take into consideration. High on the list is the need to introduce her/him to the centre before starting their first day there. The purpose of this is to get your child accustomed to the environment they will be in while separated from you. It also helps if your child accompanies you to the enrolment interview so that they can meet the staff and other children. Familiarity reduces anxiety.

Having your child undergo an orientation session at the centre can also be a big help. This will provide you and your child an opportunity to meet the educators, gain better understanding of the routine and learn what makes the centre better than the others. Also, this will allow your child to feel comfortable and encourage them to start building a bond and relationship with their carers. If your child

You may ask your chosen childcare centre to conduct orientations that you think are necessary for your child, and you, to feel comfortable about staying at the centre on the first day.

What to expect for the succeeding days

During their first few days, it is best to leave your child at the centre for a shorter of period of time. The first few days can be quite stressful for most children, especially for those who haven’t been away from their parents for long periods of time. A slow transition, therefore, could prevent the scenario where your child doesn’t want to go back to the centre.

After a few days, children will begin to not just feel comfortable about being in day care but would come to enjoy it as well, allowing you to leave them for longer periods of time.

The bottom line

While we have mostly discussed about how to get a child settled into a centre, we can’t rule out that parents need to consider their own views on the matter as well. Your anxieties and worries about leaving your child to the care of others, often strangers, at first, could sometimes be the biggest factor. It is therefore important that you pick a childcare centre that you feel can trust, one where you feel confident that your child won’t be just a number but will be well taken cared of.

We hope this article covered your basic questions about settling your child into a day care centre. If you want to know more about typical costs of sending your child to day care, watch out for our next blog post entitled Child care costs: What you should know.

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