Our Team

T

o  be an innovative provider of quality care and learning, and to strive beyond excellence in all we do.

To promote good health and fitness to children, provide a warm, caring environment in which to grow, and to encourage children of all ages, abilities, nationalities and cultures to play and learn in harmony. 

To instil in our children a love of learning to take through life, and a sense of respect for themselves, others and the planet they share.  To represent them as an advocate for the importance of quality early education for all children.

To have integrity in all of our dealings, and at the core of our success.  To be a responsible and engaged member of our community, and an asset to it. 

To attract people with talent and heart, inspire them through our passion and authenticity, and be a company in which they can be proud.

We believe in the precious value of children and the significant role that we play in the early and most important part of their lives. 
This belief is the foundation of our values, and underpins our commitment to our children, their families, our people and our community.

We believe that the single most important part of our offering is our team.  We have a core focus on our people, value them for their passion, commitment and personal contribution, and recognise them as our greatest asset.   We cherish our reputation and are unrelenting in the delivery of our expected standard, and as a service business the quality of our product is its delivery.  We know that as our representatives, the qualities of our people will always be the true measure of our success.

We put the child at the centre of everything we do, and understand that it can be stressful for families to engage outsiders to care for and nurture their child.  They entrust us and bring us into their families.  We consider this trust as a privilege, and we are ever-mindful of it.  We wish for meaningful and supportive relationships with our families based on respect, open communication and shared goals, and we value the family's role in our program.  We ask that this respect is reciprocated.  We celebrate diversity of nationalities, cultures and beliefs, and embrace it as an educational resource.  We also support the integration of children with additional needs and diverse lifestyles.

As well as catering for the nurturing and educational needs of each individual child, we feel a responsibility for the health and fitness of the little minds and bodies that are in our care.  Attitudes to healthy eating and fitness can be carried forward from childhood; therefore it is our aim to assist efforts at home by placing our children on the right path to a long and healthy life.  Trends away from outdoor play have also contributed to the rise of childhood obesity, and we believe that children should be encouraged to reconnect with nature and the outdoors, and use our outdoor program to emphasise the importance of outdoor play, sustainability, caring for our environment and engaging with nature.   We believe that our outdoor environment enhances children's spiritual, emotional and physical development, creative problem solving skills, and sense of wonder.  By learning more about the environment it encourages children to want to protect it, and this reconnection with nature and the outdoors will reap benefits not only to children's health, but also to the planet that we all share.

We endeavour to provide a variety of opportunities that encourage children to develop at their own pace, to fulfil their potential in all areas of their development and to create an environment where children can learn through their own initiated play.  We know that play is essential to the successful development of children.  We acknowledge and support children's interests and strengths to enhance and facilitate their learning process.  We aim to develop a high level of self-confidence and self-esteem in our children by providing them with a non-discriminatory, creative program and a relationship with us based on respect, consideration and kindness.

We understand the value and importance of being an engaged and positive member of the community and being an asset to it.  Wherever possible we will support local schools, charities and community groups in their endeavours, and through our open door policy we encourage them to visit and engage with us, share their interests and contribute to our program.

We acknowledge that the needs of children, families, staff and the community are ever changing and that ongoing review and evaluation is paramount to building a business which rises above the ordinary.  This way we can continue to improve in everything that we do, as is our goal. 

We hope that you will welcome us into your family, as we will you into ours.

he Fit Kidz Philosophy emphasises the importance of our team as follows:  

We believe that the single most important part of our offering is our team. We have a core focus on our people, value them for their passion, commitment and personal contribution, and recognise them as our greatest asset. We cherish our reputation and are unrelenting in the delivery of our expected standard, and as a service business the quality of our product is its delivery.
We know that as our representatives, the qualities of our people will always be the true measure of our success.

At Fit Kidz we employ a professional, dedicated team of staff with a variety of qualifications and experience. All staff work together to provide your child/ren with the best possible early learning environment and experience. We understand that you expect extremely high standards from us, and so we must demand the same from our staff. As a result, we believe we have the very best team in the business.

We are continually trying to provide our Team with the very best work conditions and environment that we can, and to give them all of the resources they need to succeed, and to do the terrific job that you expect. We work hard at these principles, so that we can continue to attract and retain the very best staff to care for your children.

When considering where to enrol your child, we welcome you to visit our Centre and meet our people, our greatest asset.

		0 – 2 Baby Program –	2 x Blue ‘Happy Hippos’ Rooms
		2 – 3 Toddler Program –	1 x Green ‘Cheeky Monkeys’ Room
		4 – 6 Pre-School Program –	1 x Orange ‘Leaping Leopards’ Room

Each of the four groups have their own huge and specifically resourced playroom. Feel free to visit each room by clicking on the relevant graphic to the left. On their individual room pages you can meet the Team leader, take a video tour of the room, and see "what to expect" in each group and basically how the room runs each day.

o make preparing for Fit Kidz as trouble free as possible, we provide virtually everything to meet your child’s daily needs, including all meals, disposable nappies, sheets, sunscreen and so on.  The only request is that you pack a spare set of clothes and a sunhat into a bag for your child’s belongings.

ur Centre is open from 7.00am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, 52 weeks per year.  The Centre is closed on all declared public holidays.

We ask parents to collect their children by 6:25 pm, which allows for a smooth transition for children, and time for staff and parents to liaise about their child’s day before closing at 6.30 pm.

A
t Fit Kidz, we understand that it can be stressful for parents to have to leave their children with new faces, especially in the early stages. For this reason, we have a very strong emphasis on communicating with our parents, and whilst we would ALWAYS welcome the opportunity to talk with you personally, we also employ several different methods to ensure that we are always available to you, and that you and we are always well informed. 

• PHONE:   Fit Kidz is equipped with a highly sophisticated phone system with voicemail in each room, and the ability to call any individual phone directly from outside the Centre.  We encourage you to call at any time to discuss your child’s day.
  
  
• EMAIL:   Each and every Team member at Fit Kidz has their own individual email address.  Our email system is heavily used internally by management and staff, and we encourage parents to communicate with us via email if they choose to.  Please ask us for an email list or simply request the address for the Team member/s you want to email.
  
  
• PORTFOLIOS:   Staff develop and maintain an individual Portfolio for each child in the Centre throughout the year.  This is a large folder, which contains unique information about your child’s activities and development through photos, samples of artworks, pictures, staff observations and developmental checklists, and provides you with an overall picture of your child’s time in care with us.  You are welcome to view this at any time, and it will be our gift to you at the end of each year.  It is a lovely keepsake to share with friends and family.
  
  
• DAY BOOKS:   The "daybook" is a Powerpoint slide-show presented on the computer in each Playroom to provide you with information about the day “at a glance”, and contains photos of the children and details about activities and the day’s focus of the group.  Our Team take great pride in the presentation of these, and hope that it will provide you with some valuable conversation with your little one each day.  They can also be emailed in pdf format to parents during the day if requested.
  
  
• COMMUNICATION BOOKS:   Each child in our baby groups, and toddlers on request, is issued with a book to provide an important link between parents and carers.  We understand that you do not always have a lot of time on drop-off or collection, so these books allow messages to be shared between you and us.  Amongst other things, we will note meals, sleeps and toilets through the day (most appropriate for babies and toddlers), and in case these things are not discussed on collection, you can refer back to it once you get home.
  
  Please use this valuable resource.  As far as we know, they are unique to us, and they have proven very popular with families and effective as a means of keeping in touch.
  
  

F

ees are payable two weeks in advance, and are calculated as follows:

		'Happy Hippos' Rooms	$96* per day
		'Cheeky Monkeys' Room	$86* per day
		‘Leaping Leopards’ Room	$81* per day

Don't forget that "government approved" care like ours is heavily funded by the Commonwealth in two major ways:

• Child Care Benefit (CCB) - means tested and not available to all families. 
  If you have already been given your percentage by the FAO, we can discuss the exact "out-of-pocket" expense with you.

• The 50% Child Care Rebate - not means tested, and available to ALL families who meet the work/study test.
  
  

* The day rates shown are total, before the application of any government assistance, some of which is paid directly to us resulting in lower "out of pocket" expense to you, and some is refunded back to your bank account quarterly, or as part of your tax return.

For more information please see the next topic "Funding, CCB, rebates and the FAO".

F

inancial assistance with fees is available to families through the Family Assistance Office (FAO).

Many parents are entitled to some level of CCB subsidy, which is means tested.  The required form will be contained in your enrolment pack.  Anyone receiving CCB has two choices as to how they receive it:

1. Pay a reduced fee to us, and have us collect the CCB amount from the FAO; or
2. Pay the whole fee to us and receive a lump sum from the FAO.

All families who meet the work/study test are also entitled to the 50% Child Care rebate, which covers 50% of your out of pocket costs, up to $7500 per child per year.  Your Accountant can advise you on these matters, or you can contact the FAO on  13 6150* (between 8am and 8pm) Monday to Friday.

To visit the FAO website in a new window click here.

Below are two fact sheets which may help you to establish your entitlements, or at least further inform you prior to contacting the FAO.

Child Care Benefit Fact Sheet (see page 6)

50% Child Care Tax Rebate Fact Sheet

* Please note that we are qualified as "approved care" for the 50% rebate, but we are NOT qualified to give you financial advice!

The Centre has a full time qualified chef and provides all meals, consisting of a nutritionally balanced menu of breakfast, morning tea, cooked lunch with dessert, afternoon tea and a late snack to tide their little tummies over until dinner time.  Soy milk, whole milk and juice are served to suit the daily menu, and water is available throughout the day.  Breakfast is provided for children arriving before 8.00 am.  

We also happily cater for children with allergies and special dietary requirements.

There is a daily menu board located in the entry, and the weekly menus are displayed within every room. 

We put a huge amount of emphasis on providing quality nutritious food, and welcome all feedback and suggestions as well.

Please feel free to visit our kitchen and meet the chef using the link below.  You can even grab some terrific "tried & tested" recipes that your kids will love.

B
efore your child commences with us, orientation visits are encouraged, when you can visit together with your child to familiarise yourselves with the surroundings and our program. This is to assist you and your child in settling into the Centre, and can help to make your child’s first day less daunting. Each child and family is unique in their needs for orientation, you may need one day or you may need 2 weeks. 

During your child’s first day(s) it is perfectly understandable for you to be keen to know how they have settled in, and as always we invite you to phone the Centre at any time to check on your child’s progress.  You can phone the room directly or call and speak to the Director.

The staff will do their very best to settle your child in as quickly as possible, and you can rest assured we will try to make this transition time as smooth and happy as possible.  Every child is unique and settling in times can vary dramatically from child to child.  We ask you to be patient and keep the lines of communication open with your child’s carers.  We are willing and available to support you and your child through this process.

On your child’s first day please bring the following items, which are to remain at the Centre:

• An appropriate hat to protect from the sun (either broad brimmed or legionnaires)
• Preferred style of drinking cup (the Centre provides “Tupperware” drinking cups and sipper cups for all children but if your child’s is different or you would prefer them to use their own, please bring it.)

When dropping your child in each day please bring the following where appropriate:

• Comforters for bed, eg. dummy, soft toy, blanket.
• We provide cows milk for children's bottles, but we request that you provide a well labelled bottle to remain at the Centre.  For children still on formula bottles, we request that the formula come in pre-measured portions where possible, with all bottles clearly labelled, and with legible graduations please.

For many children, entry into preschool will be the first experience of being separated from their parents or family.  Most children will experience some anxiety leaving their parents for the first time and it will be important that both parents and staff work together to build the special relationship necessary for successful adjustment.

Even if your child has been at play group or in child care, they will still need time to adjust to new staff, environment, routines and to make new friends.

You can help your child adjust by:

• Bringing your child to visit the Centre a few times prior to leaving them.  Always feel welcome to do this.
• If possible, collecting your child a little earlier the first few times.
• Being confident yourself  (if parents are anxious they can easily influence the way a child feels)
• Ensuring that the child has his or her special “security object” such as a teddy or a blanket etc
• Always telling a child when you are going and that you will be back (this will be reiterated by staff also)
• If a child is having difficulty settling into the Centre, discuss this with the Director or your child’s carer

Most importantly, be patient with your child.  Some children will adjust readily, others take time. 

For more information, visit the relevant room using the graphic to the left, and check out the "what to expect" flyer. 

Remember that we are here to support both parents and children, and we have lots of tissues for teary Mummies as well!

P
rior to enrolment, parents are encouraged to come to the Centre for a tour and to meet with our Team.  Please feel free to call anytime to make an appointment with the Director for a tour.

The Centre Director will advise you when you visit if there are places available for the days you need or want.  If not, we will notify you when a position does become available.  On acceptance of this position families will generally visit the centre to collect all required paperwork, or we can send it to you if preferred.

For administration reasons all forms (sorry there are quite a few!), your Enrolment Agreement, and copies of Birth Certificate and Immunisation Records need to be returned to the Centre at least a day before commencement, so that we can process them and distribute to our relevant people in time for your child’s arrival.

Please don't hesitate to ask for our help if you need it.