Armidale and District Family Day Care
Independent Fee Setting Policy
Purpose:
Child Care fees in Family Day Care are deregulated and Educators, as self employed people, are able to determine their own fees for service and conditions.
Principles:
Educators are responsible for making decisions about their own fee setting practices, and for informing Management and Families about their fees and the conditions under which they will provide care.
Procedure for Fee Setting:
1. Educators will develop an independent fee schedule applicable to their service. The fee schedule should:
-Identify the Educator to whom it applies
-The Educator’s address and contact telephone number
-The Educator’s Australian Business Number
-The date upon which the Fee Schedule becomes effective
-An hourly rate for booked hours of care during core hours (8am-6pm)
-An hourly rate for before and after school care and vacation care
-An hourly rate for weekend and out of core hours care
- An hourly rate for casual and emergency care, and
-Minimum bookings taken for non-school aged and school aged children
2. All Educators’ fees shall include the Scheme’s Administration Levy, which will be reviewed annually by the Board of Directors, in accordance with budgeting requirements.
3. Independent fees must be equitable for all families for whom the Educator provides the same service (Footnote 1)
4. It is the responsibility of Educators to provide families with a copy of their Independent Fee Schedule prior to the commencement of care.
5. Educators should give four weeks notice of fee variations to families and Management in writing via a new Fee Schedule
6. Educators may determine suitable penalties for early arrivals and late pickups, providing the payment is equitable across all families within the Educator’s service. Receipting should identify the penalty portion as a separate payment item.
7. Educator’s Independent Fee Schedule must not bear the Scheme’s logo.
8. There should be no collusion between Educators in the setting of Fee Schedules. (See Footnote 2)
9. It is the responsibility of the Coordination Unit to ensure that families are aware of the entitlement of Educators to adopt independent fee setting practices.
10. The Coordination Unit will not enter into discussions relating to the value of an individual service in comparison to other services in terms of fee setting practices.
11. If the family refuses care due to the costs involved in an independent fee schedule, the Educator involved will be informed of this decision.
Alternative Relief Care
1. It is the responsibility of the Alternative Relief Educator to inform families using their care of the Relief Educator’s Independent Fee Schedule. This should be done when the relief care is being organized.
Footnote 1 Child Care Services Handbook
Footnote 2 Trade Practices Act, 1974
Source: Child Care Services Handbook, 2010-2011
Dated: April 2007
Reviewed: June 2011
To be reviewed: June 2012
The following is a Fee Schedule template to assist Educators in the types of care and the corresponding fees that may be charged .
Carer/Educators Name or their Service Name.
Address.
Phone Numbers
ABN: Number
Enrolment Fee: $30.00 per family per annum (Scheme Fee).
Administrative Levy: The Scheme’s Administrative Levy is .70 cents per hour per child for the financial year 2010-2011.
Child Care Fees:
· This fee schedule is based on a 50 hour week.
· Core hours are between 8am and 6pm.
· The Child Care Benefit ceiling (for care within core hours) for children not enrolled in school is $180.00.
· The Child Care Benefit for children who are enrolled in school in $153.00.
· A part time loading of 33 1/3% will apply to all child care fees when care is provided for 37 ½ hours or less.
Booked Hours of care (between 8am-6pm)
Cost per hour pre child = $ -----
Before and After School & School Holiday Care
Cost per hour per child = $ -----
Weekend & Out of Core Hours Care
Cost per hour per child = $ -----
Public Holiday Care Cost per hour per child = $ -----
Casual & Emergency Care Cost per hour per child = $ -----
If a family has an existing contract with another Carer/Educator and their usual Carer/Educator has closed their service the booking will be calculated at the normal rate and a casual rate if additional days of care are required.
· These hourly fees do not include the Administrative Levy.
Minimum Bookings: Non School Aged Children =
Minimum Booking of 4 hours per day.
School Aged Children =
Minimum Booking of 1 hour before & after school.
Holding Fees: Calculated on 75% of the normal fee
Early/Late Fees: $ ---- per half hour or part thereof where no prior arrangements have been made.