The Newlands Times

OOSHC

OOSHC_NoticetoFamlies_0922.docx

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR ALL FAMILIES FROM NEWLANDS OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS CARE PROGRAM

 

This is a message from the OOSHC Sub-committee of the School Council with important information about:

  1. The different kinds of places available in OOSHC 
  2. The importance of advising the service of absences – and how to do it
  3. Your input on the service
  4. Any plans you currently have to use the service in 2023

THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF PLACES AVAILABLE

 

There are two distinct types of places in before- and after-school care. The first is permanent places. These are days your student is enrolled in the service every week. They are generally arranged by submitting a request through My Family Lounge and receiving a formal offer from the service. The second is casual places for those who might use OOSHC now and then and will make a booking in My Family Lounge for the specific day they need.

 

Permanent places: operate similarly to childcare (for those with that experience). You pay based on your enrolment, and standard fees apply if your child is absent on one of their enrolled days. 

 

Casual places: are pay-as-you-go. To avoid fees, your booking must be officially cancelled by 2 pm the day before for both before- and after-school care bookings. Please note that you can still book casual places on the same day you need them (if they are available), but you will be charged if your child does not attend that booking.  

 

The following section provides a reminder on how to cancel bookings or mark your child absent from a permanent booking. 

 

  1. WHY AND HOW TO ADVISE THE SERVICE OF ABSENCES

It is essential to the service's smooth running and financial viability that you advise us formally if your child will not be attending a session they are booked in for. There are three reasons for this:

  1. The safety of your children: When a child is expected at OOSHC (particularly After Care) and does not arrive, the staff must ensure that the student has left the school grounds safely by contacting you – which leads to the next point
  2. Unrecorded absences have implications for staffing. Confirming the location of children who do not arrive takes staff attention that would otherwise be directed to supervising and working with the children in care that day. It also means that staffing levels are set for the number of enrolled children; if those children don’t arrive, the service runs the risk of being over-staffed, with long-term implications for financial viability. 
  3. The OOSHC service is now very popular, and we have reached our maximum number of enrolments on many days. If your child is enrolled for a space they are not using; it may prevent another family from accessing the service.

Please DO NOT make a phone call or send a text message or email to advise the service that your child will be absent from care (or to cancel your casual booking). Please use the MY FAMILY LOUNGE APP. More information on accessing the app can be found here: https://newlandsps.vic.edu.au/parents/#basc, but once you have the app, marking an absence is very straightforward.

  1. Open the app