If you happen to be living in Townsville, Queensland, then you should count yourself lucky because of the various range of kindergarten or childcare centres that one can choose. Putting your kid or child in a childcare centre or kindergarten helps him or her to build emotional, social, and learning skills by interacting with other children and exploring the world. In Townsville, Queensland, every child has access to quality education. No matter where the child lives or stays, or whatever their situation may be, they will have access to quality childhood education. Kindergarten services provide care for kids up to 9 hours a day for more than 48 weeks in a year, and some can look after children right from birth. Parents can, however, decide to let their child attend for just one day per week for socialisation. They can also allow their child to attend up to four or five days for parents who are back to a full-time job or part-time.
You should enrol your kid in a kindergarten program in the year he or she will clock age four by 30th June. The kindergarten program is a combination of deliberate play-based education and child-initiated learning that assists them to be well prepared for their progression to prep the following year. Kindergarten services or program are provided via both devoted kindergartens and childcare centres. Generally, kindergartens usually offer their programs for six hours a day (for instance, from 9:45 am to 3:45 pm) for five days a fortnight in a school term. It generally operates two days a week, three days the following week with a fixed start time and end time. So, parents must be ready to make themselves available to drop their child off and pick up their child at the fixed or set time.
However, childcare centres that offer the kindergarten program make theirs available during their daycare period/day. This implies that your kid can be taken care of or looked after for long periods that the centre is open and still be acquiring this essential education. If you still want your child to begin the kindergarten program, make sure whenever you enrol your kid in a kindergarten in Townsville, that you select a childcare centre that provides the Queensland Government endorsed kindergarten program. This is to prevent moving your child from one to another. Getting to know that your child is at a childcare centre that offers the approved kindergarten program and that you can trust will make you feel at ease. It can also be an emotional moment for your child and you as well. Many kindergartens and childcare centres often invite parents to come to look around at their centre to see the level of care they can provide and the facilities they have. Now, let’s have a look at some facts about kindergarten services in Townsville and other places.
Some Facts About Kindergarten Services
- They usually open during school hours/periods in each school term. Most of them offer kindergarten programs for 6 hours per day, five days biweekly during a school term.
- Each of the kindergartens has its fee structure.
- Non-state schools and independent government schools can manage them.
- They are meant for children who are more than age four by 30th June in the year they enrol.
- They’re mostly nonprofit institutions led by a volunteer parent administrative committee.
- Most kindergartens provide approved kindergarten programs which are instructed by professional early childhood teachers.
- The kindergartens have to comply with a certain number of government requirements. Requirements as regards the physical environment (equipment, facilities, and extent/space) and staff requirements as regards the number of staff and so on.
Requirement For Your Child’s Enrollment
Most kindergarten services take enrollments throughout a particular year. Some take in children at any period, while others might have a waiting list. You can have your child’s name on the kindergarten’s shortlist before they reach the age to attend. Based on the kindergarten service, you may be required to enrol your kid six months or more before the commencement of the kindergarten year. When enrolling your child, the following will be asked from you:
- Gender, address and the full name of your child
- The child’s parents’ details
- Details of any parenting order or arrangements
- The cultural background of your child, the language usually spoken at home
- A request for a birth certificate or visa
- Immunisation status or health status of the child
- Details about the persons that should be permitted to pick up the child, including who to contact in case of an emergency.