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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