2015
Three year old programs and four year old
preschool
Central Registration Scheme
Information Booklet
Table of contents
1. Introduction
a)
b)
c)
d)
What is four year old preschool and three year old program?
When is my child eligible to attend four year old preschool?
How do I know if my child is ready for preschool?
When is my child eligible to attend three year old program?
2. The programs
a) Participating preschools
b) Universal Access / timetable options
3. Fees
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
Registration fee
Preschool and three year old program term fees
Payment options
State Government Kindergarten Fee Subsidy for four year old preschool
Child Care Benefit (CCB)
Non payment of fees
4. The enrolment process
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
Priority of access criteria
Registration timelines
Supporting documentation required
Responding to an offer
Late registrations
Modifications to your existing registration
Cancellations
Transferring between preschools
Accept and wait for preferred preschool
5. Children with additional needs or high support needs
a) Preschool Field Officer service
b) Second year of funded preschool
c) Early entry
6. Additional information
a) Privacy information
2
1. Introduction
Moonee Valley City Council promotes and provides four year old preschool
services and three year old programs across the municipality. In conjunction with
community based preschool services, Council manages the Central Registration
Scheme for the allocation of four year old preschool and three year old program
places for participating services in accordance with key guidelines.
This information booklet is provided to assist you through the process of enrolling
your child for preschool or three year old programs in 2015. Further information
is available on Council’s website mvcc.vic.gov.au/preschool or by contacting the
Preschool Central Registration Officer on 9243 8888 with any enquiries.
a) What is four year old preschool and three year old program?
Four year old preschool is a fun, play-based environment that encourages
learning through experimenting, trial and error, watching, listening and
participating.
Preschool programs are designed to improve your child’s development in the
following key areas:
• independence and self-confidence
• social skills, like how to play with other children in a calm,
sharing and rewarding way
• self-awareness and respect for others
• emotional skills, such as understanding their own feelings and those of
others
• language, literacy and numeracy skills, such as reading stories and
counting objects
• a joy for learning and group activities, such as talking, singing,
dancing, drawing and making things together with other children their
own age
• ability to make new friends
• exposure to new ideas and concepts
Three year old programs are planned and delivered in accordance with the
above, however, three year old programs are not State funded, and are only
offered in two or three hour sessions.
3
b) When is my child eligible to attend four year old preschool?
Children are eligible for a State funded year of preschool in the year before they
go to school. In Victoria, a child cannot attend more than one State Government
funded preschool program at the same time.
Your child must be four years of age by 30 April in the year that they are to attend
preschool.
Eligible year to attend preschool
Child’s date of birth
Eligible year
01/05/10 – 30/04/11
2015
01/05/11 – 30/04/12
2016
01/05/12 – 30/04/13
2017
01/05/13 – 30/04/14
2018
c) How do I know if my child is ready for preschool?
Preschool is not compulsory. Your child does not have to attend preschool as
soon as they are eligible if you feel they might not be ready.
Some indicators you may wish to consider when thinking about sending your
child to preschool include:





Are they able to actively join in other children’s play?
Can they separate easily from me?
Are they able to express needs clearly and be understood?
Are they able to manage the equipment and playground at preschool?
Do they have the stamina to attend a full preschool session?
d) When is my child eligible to attend three year old program?
Your child must be three years of age by 30 April in the year that they are to
attend three year old programs.
2. The programs
Four year old preschool and three year old programs are planned and
implemented by a trained early childhood teacher, with the support of a qualified
co-worker. The centre based preschool program aims to extend the child’s
development and education, using routines and play-based experiences
appropriate for children’s unique and holistic development.
4
Group sizes within preschool services may also differ, with the average group
size for four year old preschool being 28 children. The average group size for
three year old programs is 21 children. Some preschools may also offer more
than one group, with varying hours and session times for each group.
The curriculum content is developed using the interests and developmental
needs of each child as its prime focus. The curriculum is guided by the approved
Early Years Learning and Development Frameworks and the National Quality
Framework to achieve the five key learning outcomes of:
 children have a strong sense of identity
 children are connected with and contribute to their world (community)
 children have a strong sense of wellbeing
 children are confident and involved learners (learning)
 children are effective communicators (communication)
These outcomes provide a shared language for all early childhood professionals
and families to use when planning for children’s learning and development,
which allows for continuity when children transition from preschool to school.
a) Participating preschools
NB. Information is current at time of print and is subject to change
Currently, there are 18 preschools offering 960 four year old places, and 515
three year old places in the Moonee Valley Central Registration Scheme. A list of
participating preschools is provided in this booklet.
Funded preschool places are also provided in many childcare centres. These
centres should be contacted directly for enquiries.
Council managed
preschools
Address
Phone
Airport West Kindergarten
97 McNamara Avenue,
9338 1516
Airport West
Avondale Heights Community
Precinct Early Years Centre
2A Clarendon Street,
Beaver Street Kindergarten
13A Beaver Street,
9243 1622
Avondale Heights
9337 9788
Essendon
Coronation Kindergarten
34 Roseberry Street,
9370 5895
Ascot Vale
5
Cooper Street 3 year old
program
Cnr Cooper & Spencer Street,
Essendon
9243 1075
Hopetoun Children's Centre
Cnr Racecourse Road and Victoria
Street, Flemington
9376 6576
Keilor East Kindergarten
31 Mark Street,
9336 2958
Keilor East
Lincolnville Kindergarten
Devon Avenue,
9337 2106
Keilor East
Milleara Gardens Kindergarten
Park Drive,
9337 6514
Keilor East
Montgomery Park
Kindergarten
2a Hilda Street,
North Essendon Kindergarten
51 – 53 Kerferd Streets,
9370 5145
Essendon
9379 6802
North Essendon
Strathmore Community
Kindergarten
50 Loeman Street,
Strathmore Heights
Kindergarten
148 Mascoma Street, Strathmore
9379 8642
Strathmore
9338 3669
Community Managed
Preschools
Address
Phone
Ascot Kindergarten
1 West Street,
9375 3548
Ascot Vale
Ave Maria Kindergarten
35 Fawkner Street,
9337 7286
Essendon
Progress Kindergarten
11 Brown Avenue,
9375 3409
Ascot Vale
St Andrew's Anglican
Kindergarten
29 St Kinnord Street, Essendon
9337 4050
St Brendan's Kindergarten
25 Bryant Street, Flemington
9376 6305
6
b) Universal Access / Timetable Options
The Victorian State Government, through a National Partnership on Early
Childhood Education with the Commonwealth Government, has committed to
providing 15 hours of preschool each week until the end of 2014. This is known
as Universal Access.
NB. Please note that the current Government funding for 15 hours of Kindergarten under the
Universal Access model has not been confirmed by the State and Federal Governments
beyond 2014, which may result in timetable or fee changes.
Preschool programs within the Central Registration Scheme offer a range of 15
hour timetable options throughout the 18 preschools participating in the Service.
Please refer to the 2015 timetable available on the Council’s website at
www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/preschool.
Information on current preschool and three year old programs and operations is
indicative only. All preschools reserve the right to review and implement changes
to program hours, session times, group sizes, fees and all aspects of the
service’s operations. Where changes are made, families will be notified as soon
as possible.
3. Fees
a) Registration fee
Families are required to pay a non-refundable registration fee of $30 when
submitting their Central Registration form, including registrations for a second
year of preschool.
b) Preschool term fees
Preschool fees are compulsory and payment must be made by the due date. If
fees are not paid by the due date, the preschool place may be suspended or
forfeited.
The preschool fee schedule for 2015 can be found on Council’s website at
www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/preschool. Fees are payable on receipt of the invoice sent
to families each term.
7
c) Payment options
Term fees can be paid in the following ways:
 In person (EFTPOS, cash, credit card, cheque, money order) at the Civic
Centre
 By mail (cheque or money order made payable to Moonee Valley City Council)
with a copy of the invoice addressed to the Preschool Central Registration
Officer
 Via Bpay, phone or internet where available
d) State Government Kindergarten Fee Subsidy for four year old
preschool
Each year, the State Government provides Council with an annual Kindergarten
Fee Subsidy (subject to availability of funds) towards reducing fees for families
with children in four year old preschool who meet the following criteria:
The child individually holds, or has a parent or guardian who holds one of the
following:







Health Care Card
Pensioner Concession Card
Temporary Protection/Humanitarian Visas 447, 451, 785 or 786
Asylum Seekers on Bridging Visas A – F and Refugee and Special
Humanitarian Visa holders 200 – 217
Resolution of Status (RoS) Visa, Class CD, Subclass 851
Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card or White Card
or the child:

is identified on the birth certificate as a triplet or quadruplet, and the other
two or three children on the birth certificate are attending preschool in the
same year
or the child:
is identified by a parent, carer or legal guardian as being Aboriginal or

Torres Strait Islander
and the family

does not have ‘approved’ Commonwealth Child Care Benefit applied
to the fee paid for the time spent in the funded preschool program
8
Eligible families can apply for the subsidy by completing the relevant sections
on the registration form. An invoice will not be issued to families who receive the
Kindergarten Fee Subsidy. Subsidy card holders must provide a copy of their
current Health Care Card, Pension Card, approved visa or other relevant
documentation with their registration form.
Council must have a current copy of your card to process the subsidy rebate.
Please ensure you provide a copy of your new card as soon as your old one
expires to ensure you are not invoiced for the full term fees. Any parent or child
who becomes eligible for a Health Care Card or Pension Card at any time
throughout the year should immediately provide a copy of the new card to gain
approval to receive the government rebates.
Three year old programs do not receive Government funding and are provided
on the basis of user fees.
e) Child Care Benefit (CCB)
All Moonee Valley City Council managed preschools are registered with the
Family Assistance Office as a Registered Care Provider. This is an Australian
Government incentive to pass on a Child Care Benefit (CCB) to families as a
reduction in fees. Families should check their eligibility with Centrelink prior to
requesting a receipt from Council, which can be issued at the end of Term 2 and
Term 4. Families receiving the Kindergarten Fee Subsidy are not eligible for the
CCB.
f) Non payment of fees
If fees are not paid by the due date, the preschool place may be suspended or
forfeited.
4. The enrolment process
1. Download a Central Registration form from mvcc.vic.gov.au/preschool (or
collect a form from the Civic Centre or any preschool participating in the
Central Registration Service)
2. Complete one Central Registration form per child.
NB. Only parents or legal guardians can sign the Central Registration form. Proof of
legal guardianship must be provided with the form.
3. Select your first preference of preschool on the Central Registration form,
and also nominate two other preferred preschools that you are willing to
accept. Please note that Council cannot guarantee your first
9
preference of preschool, and as such, you may be offered one of your
other preferences.
4. Lodge your completed Central Registration form with the $30 registration
fee and proof of date of birth, proof of residency and other supporting
documentation as required:
a. In person at the Moonee Valley Civic Centre, 9 Kellaway Avenue,
Moonee Ponds
b. By mail to the Preschool Central Registration Officer
Central Registration Scheme
Moonee Valley City Council
PO Box 126
MOONEE PONDS VIC 3039
c. Via email to kinderenrol@mvcc.vic.gov.au
d. The Central Registration form must be submitted by 27 June 2014 to
be considered in the allocation round. Registrations received after
this date will be considered as late. Late registrations will be
processed and be placed on a waiting list, according to the priority of
access criteria, then allocated when a place is available at their
nominated preschool/s.
e. The Central Registration Service allocates places according to
Council’s priority of access criteria (see overleaf for criteria).
f. The round of preschool offers will be mailed to families by the end of
September. Families must respond to their offer within 10 days to
accept the place, or notify the Preschool Central Registration Officer
if you would like to wait for a place in another preschool or group.
g. If there are no suitable vacancies, your child will remain on a waiting
list until a place becomes available at one of your preferences.
h. Attendance at preschool in the first week confirms the uptake of your
child’s place at that preschool. Failure to attend preschool, failure to
contact the preschool in your child’s absence, or being not
contactable by the preschool may result in your child’s place being
cancelled.
10
a) Priority of access criteria
In accordance with the Kindergarten Guide 2014, the Department of Education
and Early Childhood Development’s (DEECD) funding criteria, Council has
developed a Central Registration Scheme that:
 promotes fair and equitable access to preschool programs
 supports all eligible children to access a preschool program, including
those who face barriers to participation
 does not inadvertently present barriers to participation
A points based weighting system is used to allocate places. Preference will be
given to registrations received prior to the registration closing date in the
following order:
1. Moonee Valley resident / ratepayer – children of residents and / or
ratepayers of the City of Moonee Valley.
2. The family is known to Child Protection and / or ChildFIRST.
3. Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander – the child is identified by a
parent, carer / legal guardian as being of Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait
Islander descent.
4. Child with complex additional needs or complex medical needs.
5. The child individually holds, or has a parent who holds one of the following:
- Health Care Card; or
- Pensioner / Concession Card; or
- A temporary protection / humanitarian / refugee visa.
6. Proximity to the service – preferred preschool is the closest service to
family’s primary residence.
7. Non resident with municipal link – work / study / formal or informal care for
two days or more within Moonee Valley.
8. Sibling attending in the same year – multiple births / three year old and four
year old siblings enrolled within the same year.
9. Past association with service – sibling has attended the service in the past
three years.
11
b) Registration timeframes
The Central Registration Scheme will set timeframes each year when
registrations will be received. The registrations for three year old programs and
four year old preschool for 2015 will open on 25 March 2014 and close on 27
June 2014. The Central Registration form must be submitted by 27 June to be
considered for the allocation round.
A letter of offer will be mailed to families by the end of September. Families must
respond to this offer within 10 days to confirm whether they wish to accept the
place or would rather wait for a place in another preschool or group.
NB. Parents or guardians must be contactable by Council at all times. Failure to
respond may result in the offer being cancelled.
c) Supporting documentation required
The following documentation must be provided with your Central
Registration form:
Proof of date of birth
One of the following legal forms of proof of date of birth must be
provided:
 a copy of your child’s birth certificate
 a copy of your child’s passport
Proof of residency
For residents, proof of residency in Moonee Valley must be provided in one of
the following ways:
- copy of a current rates notice
- copy of the relevant building permit if you are moving into Moonee Valley
- copy of a tenancy agreement / utility bill (issued within the last three
months)
- copy of a current Health Care Card displaying current address
12
Proof of working, studying or using childcare in Moonee Valley
For non-residents of Moonee Valley, registrations can be submitted with some
proof of working, studying or using childcare in Moonee Valley. Proof can be
provided in the following ways:
- copy of a payslip / letter from employer
- copy of a school or university enrolment
- copy of a childcare payment receipt or Child Care Benefit letter from
Centrelink
NB. Other families may register, but should note that residents, ratepayers or
families who work, study or use childcare in Moonee Valley will be given priority
to access preschool places.
Other relevant documentation
The following forms of documentation may be provided for ‘high priority children’
or ‘special circumstances’:
- referral or letter from Child Protection, ChildFIRST, Family Services or
Maternal Child Health Nurse
- proof of attendance at Early Start KIndergarten
- approval for a Kindergarten Inclusion Support package
- referral or letter from a doctor, early intervention service, other
specialist agencies or an Enhanced Home Visiting Nurse in regards to
additional needs or significant medical conditions
- Child Disability Health Care Card
d) Responding to an offer
The Central Registration Scheme allocates places according to the priority of
access criteria. If you are allocated a place at one of your preferences, you will
receive a letter of offer or a phone call with a request for one of the following
confirmation options:
- Accept – if you are happy with the offer, simply choose to accept it
- Accept and wait – if you receive an offer for a lower preference, you may
wish to accept the place and remain on the waiting list in case a place
becomes available at one of your higher preferences
- Decline and wait – if you do not wish to accept the place you are
offered, you may decline the place and remain on the waiting list for
your other preferences
- Cancel – if you decide you do not wish to attend a preschool listed in the
Central Registration Scheme, you may cancel your registration and you
will be removed from the waiting list altogether
13
e) Late registrations
Registrations submitted after 27 June are considered late registrations and
will not be included in the first round of allocations. As places become
available, further allocations will be made, with a higher priority (or points
value) given to registrations received by the closing date of 27 June.
f) Modifications to an existing registration form
Families may advise the Preschool Central Registration Officer in writing or
via email at kinderenrol@mvcc.vic.gov.au to make changes to their original
registration details. It is the responsibility of the family to ensure all contact
and other details are correct.
Changes to preferences of preschool can be made at any time prior to the
allocation.
g) Cancellations
Families must notify preschool staff and the Preschool Central Registration
Officer via email at kinderenrol@mvcc.vic.gov.au of their intention to leave a
program. If the Preschool Central Registration Officer is not informed, fees will
continue to be generated for the child’s place.
h) Transferring between preschools
Families wishing to transfer to another preschool participating in the Central
Registration Scheme can contact the Preschool Central Registration Officer to
enquire about vacancies across the services.
i) Accept and wait for preferred preschool
When accepting a preschool that was not your first preference, you have the
option to keep this place and wait for your preferred choice of preschool. If a
place becomes available at your preferred service, the Central Registration
Scheme will allocate the place to you, provided you are next in line on the
waiting list, in accordance to the priority of access criteria.
If you have not been allocated a place at your preferred choice by mid
December you will be placed at the preschool you accepted in the first
instance, ready to commence at the start of 2015.
Please contact the Preschool Central Registration Officer on 9243 8888 or email
kinderenrol@mvcc.vic.gov.au if you have any questions about this process.
14
5. Children with additional needs or high support needs
Families should provide details of any diagnosed additional needs or medical
requirements in the relevant sections of the registration form, and are
encouraged to attach any supporting documentation.
The Kindergarten Inclusion Support Subsidy (KISS) offers supplementary
assistance to preschools to support the inclusion of children with additional
needs into the preschool program. Subsidy applications are made by the
preschool teacher in consultation with parents, early childhood intervention
agencies and Preschool Field Officers.
Applications are made in September of the year prior to the child starting
preschool and a strict criterion exists for an application to be made.
a) Preschool Field Officer Service
The Preschool Field Officer (PSFO) service is an advisory role that provides up
to 11 hours of care (one unit) to eligible children attending a State funded
preschool program. The PSFO service is funded through the State Government
and delivered by Council at no additional cost to families.
The service is designed to assist children with:
 additional needs
 challenging behaviours
 a diagnosed disability
 social and emotional difficulties
NB. Children receiving Early Intervention Services cannot simultaneously access
the PSFO service.
b) Second year of funded preschool
It is recognised that some children may benefit from a second year of funded
preschool prior to commencing school, and teachers will use guidelines to
assess children who may benefit. Children who have been assessed by the
teacher as having delayed development in two or more of the five developmental
areas (for example, speech and social relationships) may be eligible for a second
year of funded preschool.
15
Applications are sent to the DEECD for second year funding approval. DEECD
will write to parents during Term 4 advising whether their application has been
approved.
Where an application for a second year of funded preschool is not approved by
DEECD, the child will not be eligible for a second year of funded preschool.
NB. Should your child meet the criteria for a second year, a new Central
Registration form must be obtained, approved, dated and signed by the teacher
for the following year. In order to obtain a second year, parents / guardians must
complete the form, provide proof of date of birth and pay the registration fee.
This form must be submitted by the registration closing date in that year for
allocation.
c) Early entry
Families of children who are less than four years of age by 30 April in the year
they are to attend a four year old preschool program may lodge a Central
Registration form if a request for early entry to school has been submitted to the
DEECD regional office or to the relevant non-government school. A copy of the
written request must be attached with the application. It is important for parents /
guardians to note that most applications for early school entry are unsuccessful.
Children granted early entry to preschool are not eligible for a second year of
funded preschool in the following year, if the child does not attend school, as
specified in the DEECD funding criteria.
5. Additional information
a) Privacy information
Moonee Valley City Council collects information for the purpose of registering
your child for three year old programs or four year old preschool. The
information gathered through the registration process will be used for
administration purposes for this Central Registration Scheme. Once a place has
been offered and accepted, this information will be forwarded to the preschool so
they can complete the enrolment process.
For more information regarding Council’s Privacy Policy please contact the
Preschool Central Registration Officer on 9243 8888 or visit Council’s website at
mvcc.vic.gov.au
16