FEE POLICY: LONG DAY CARE AND OCCASIONAL CARE INTRODUCTION Goulburn Region Preschool Association (GRPSA) is committed to keeping fees affordable for all families. Fees will be set at an amount that balances: The capacity of parents to pay The provision of a high quality service The financial viability of the service PURPOSE The aim of this policy is for families to pay their fees on time and ensure the financial viability of the service. CORE POLICY The Australian Government has a set of priority access guidelines for all children s services eligible for Child Care Benefit. Families meeting these guidelines within the following priority categories receive priority access to a service: A Child at risk of serious abuse or neglect A Child of a single parent who satisfies, or of parents who both satisfy, the work, training, study requirements Any other child Enrolment may not be accepted if the child or family members (siblings) have outstanding childcare and/or kinder fees RESPONSIBILITIES: Goulburn Region Preschool Association is responsible for setting and reviewing the fees. Parents will be given 28 days notice of any change. Guidelines: All families will receive a copy of the Fees Policy upon enrolment and will be required to sign on their child/ren s enrolment forms their commitment to pay in accordance with the policy. Communication regarding fees and accounts will be discussed in accordance with privacy requirement, cultural inclusiveness and support of family s individual requirements. Goulburn Region Preschool Association is committed to ensuring there are no financial barriers for families to access an early childhood program for their child/children. Families having difficulty paying their fees should talk to the educators or call the GRPSA office. We will endeavor to establish a suitable arrangement for payment of fees by Direct Debit Authority Form (Appendix 1) particularly in relation to outstanding accounts. All accounts not paid by the due date will be deemed outstanding and the fee collection process will be implemented. If care is ceased due to non-payment of fees, the service is under no obligation to resume care unless a vacancy exists. All long daycare fees must be paid in full by the end of each year. Care will not be available in the following year if not paid in full, and the vacancy will be offered to the next family on the waiting list. The Service will keep families informed of any changes in regulations regarding fee subsidy and have information on services available that may be of assistance to them. Page 1 of 7
1. ENROLMENT AND FEE PAYMENT AGREEMENT FORMS A Bond of $50.00 is payable per family on enrolment into Long Day Care. All families must complete and sign a Fee Payment Agreement Form prior to commencement. Payment plans can be implemented on request. 2. FEES: Current fees are set out in the Fee Schedule available at your centre. Child Care Benefit is not payable on late fees. 3. LATE FEES: A late fee of $15.00 for each 15 minute block is incurred when a child, for any reason, is collected after hours or session. Please refer to the Delivery and Collection of Children policy (available at www.grpsa.com.au or at your centre). 4. PAYMENT OF ACCOUNTS Invoices will be issued weekly. They will be placed emailed or placed in the family pocket at the service for collection by the parent/guardian. Fees are to be paid in full within fourteen days of the invoice. All fees not paid within this time frame will be deemed outstanding. 5. PAYMENT METHODS Direct Deposit: Bank account details will be printed on invoices. BPay: Bank details will be printed on invoices. EFTPOS/Credit card payment can be made at service. Credit Card Payments: Payment by phone on 58262780 at the Goulburn Region Preschool Office. Cheque: Please put cheques in an envelope and place in the fees box at the service. Direct Debit: Please contact a staff member or phone 03 5826 2780 to arrange a Direct Debit Authority agreement. Centrepay: Please contact a staff member or call 03 5826 2780 to arrange Centrepay from your Centrelink payment. Note: Direct Debit payment arrangement is a signed agreement between GRPSA and parent/guardian stating the amount to pay, when payment will be deducted from your account and your bank details. Changes or defaults on plans will be documented and parents /guardians contacted. Direct Debit payments and cheques that are declined will incur additional fees associated with that transaction. 6. FEE COLLECTION PROCESS - OUTSTANDING ACCOUNTS 1. Fees that are not paid within 14 days of the invoice are deemed to be outstanding. Parents/guardians with outstanding fees will be contacted by phone or in person and given a verbal reminder and offer of establishing a payment plan. If we are unable to contact in person the Overdue Account Letter (Appendix 2) will be emailed and posted to the parents/guardian. 2. If the fee has not been paid in full within 28 days of the invoice date a Cease Of Care/Direct Debit Authority Form (Appendix 3) will be emailed and posted to the parent/guardian. Full payment of the account or a direct debit authority is required within five (5) working days of issue of the cease of care letter. Page 2 of 7
3. Failure to comply with the terms of the direct debit authority will result in cease of care for your child. 4. The Bond will be allocated against a final account and families will be responsible for any additional outstanding debt. 5. Parents/guardians will receive a Debt Collection Letter from a Debt Collection Agency. 6. Debts that remain outstanding will be referred to a Debt Collection Agency for further action. 7. ABSENT DAYS All fees are charged for each day that the child is enrolled, not on actual attendance. Fees are charged when your child is absent due to sickness or other reasons. Please note your child is entitled to 42 absences per financial year. Entitled absences means the Child Care Benefit (CCB) will still be applied for these days, any gap will be the responsibility of the family. Once the child has reached 42 absence days, CCB will no longer apply on the days the child is absent from the centre and the full fee rate is applied. Please also note the CCB cannot be claimed on the child s first or last day of care if they are absent; if this is the case families are responsible for paying the full fee rate. 8. NON ATTENDANCE Non-attendance at the Service without notification will result in your child being removed from the Service roll. You will also be liable for the following two weeks as your notice period. 9. PUBLIC HOLIDAYS Normal fees will be charged for all statutory public holidays excluding Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year s Day. 10. ANNUAL CLOSURE No fees will be charged when the Service is closed for approximately a fortnight over the Christmas period. The dates for the closure are determined annually in August by Goulburn Regional Preschool Association Inc. Goulburn Regional Preschool Association Inc. may review and change the closure date if the financial viability of the service is at risk. Parents will be given 28 days notice of any change. 6. CHILD EXITING THE SERVICE Parents must give two weeks written notice cancelling childcare. A final account for childcare fees will be issued upon receiving a two week written notice of cancelling childcare and must be paid in full prior to the child terminating the service. Childcare rebate is not applicable on the last day of care if the child is absent. Full fee applies. FEE POLICY: OCCASIONAL CARE Goulburn Regional Preschool Association Inc. offer Occasional Care in addition to permanent bookings. Occasional care offers professional care for children on a casual basis. This service is suitable for families who do not need child care on a regular basis but would like someone to look after their children occasionally, for example when they have a medical or other appointment. Families are able to access up to 5 hours a day of care, 15hours per week. This care is booked on an occasional basis and cannot be a permanent booking. Page 3 of 7
Payment for Occasional Care is to be made on the day unless otherwise arranged with staff. Nonpayment of fees will result in care not being available to families, and the implementation of the Fee Collection Process (see item 5 above) ATTACHMENTS Attachment 1: Direct Debit authority form AUTHORISATION This policy was adopted by Goulburn Region Preschool Assoc. Inc. Amended by Board Motion October 2017 REVIEW DATE: NOVEMBER 2018 Page 4 of 7
APPENDIX 1: DIRECT DEBIT AUTHORITY FORM Goulburn region Preschool Association Inc. 4/23 Impey Street, Murchison, Vic, 361 Ph: (03) 58262780 email: admin@grpsa.com.au Request and Authority to debit the account of: Surname: Given Name: Amount:. Occurrence: Goulburn Region Preschool Association will determine the debit amount and how frequently it will be debited from your account to ensure your debt is paid by the end of each year. If you do not agree to the amount and frequency, please contact Goulburn Region Preschool Association directly to discuss the arrangement. You hereby authorise Goulburn Region Preschool Association Inc. (User I.D, 467379) to arrange through its own financial institute, a debit from your nominated account based on the provided information in this form. This debit will be made through the Bulk Electronic Clearing System from your nominated account and will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Direct Debit Request Service Agreement as found below. Bank Name:... Account Name: BSB:. Account Number: By signing this form and providing us with valid instruction to debit your account, you have understood and agreed to the terms and conditions governing the direct debit arrangements between you and Goulburn Region Preschool Association. Signature: Date: Address: Second Signatory (if applicable): Date: Address: Page 5 of 7
DIRECT DEBIT SERVICE AGREEMENT This is your Direct Debit Service Agreement with Goulburn Region Preschool Association, ABN 96 908 082 460, User I.D 467379. It explains what your obligations are when undertaking a Direct Debit arrangement with us. It also details what our obligations are to you as your Direct Debit provider. Please keep this agreement for future reference. It forms part of the terms and conditions of your Direct Debit Request (DDR) and should be read in conjunction with your DDR authorisation. Definitions: Account: means the account held at your financial institution from which we are authorised to arrange for funds to be debited. Agreement: means this Direct Debit Request Service Agreement between you and us. Banking Day: means a day other than a Saturday or a Sunday or a public holiday listed throughout Australia. Debit Day: means the day that payment by you to us is due. Debit Payment: means a particular transaction where a debit is made. Direct Debit Request: means the Direct Debit Request between us and you. Us or we: means Goulburn Region Preschool Association Inc. (the Debit User) you have authorised by requesting a Direct Debit Request. You: means the customer who has signed or authorised by other means the Direct Debit Request. Your financial institution: means the financial institution nominated by you on the DDR at which the account is maintained. 1. Debiting your account 1.1 By signing a Direct Debit Request or by providing us with a valid instruction, you have authorised us to arrange for funds to be debited from your account. You should refer to the Direct Debit Request and this agreement for the terms of the arrangement between us and you. 1.2 We will only arrange for funds to be debited from your account as authorised in the Direct Debit Request. or We will only arrange for funds to be debited from your account if we have sent to the address nominated by you in the Direct Debit Request, a billing advice which specifies the amount payable by you to us and when it is due. 1.3 If the debit day falls on a day that is not a banking day, we may direct your financial institution to debit your account on the following banking day. If you are unsure about which day your account has or will be debited you should ask your financial institution. 2. Amendments by us 2.1 We may vary any details of this agreement or a Direct Debit Request at any time by giving you at least fourteen (14) days written notice. 3. Amendments by you You may change, stop or defer a debit payment, or terminate this agreement by providing us with at least fourteen (14) days notification by writing to: 4/23 Impey Street Murchison, Vic, 3610. or by telephoning us on (03) 5826 2780 during business hours; or Page 6 of 7
arranging it through your own financial institution, which is required to act promptly on your instructions. 4. Your obligations 4.1 It is your responsibility to ensure that there are sufficient clear funds available in your account to allow a debit payment to be made in accordance with the Direct Debit Request. 4.2 If there are insufficient clear funds in your account to meet a debit payment: (a) you may be charged a fee and/or interest by your financial institution; (b) you may also incur fees or charges imposed or incurred by us; and (c) you must arrange for the debit payment to be made by another method or arrange for sufficient clear funds to be in your account by an agreed time so that we can process the debit payment. 4.3 You should check your account statement to verify that the amounts debited from your account are correct 5. Dispute 5.1 If you believe that there has been an error in debiting your account, you should notify us directly on (03) 5826 2780 or email admin@grpsa.com.au and confirm that notice in writing with us as soon as possible so that we can resolve your query more quickly. Alternatively you can take it up directly with your financial institution. 5.2 If we conclude as a result of our investigations that your account has been incorrectly debited we will respond to your query by arranging for your financial institution to adjust your account (including interest and charges) accordingly. We will also notify you in writing of the amount by which your account has been adjusted. 5.3 If we conclude as a result of our investigations that your account has not been incorrectly debited we will respond to your query by providing you with reasons and any evidence for this finding in writing. 6. Accounts You should check: (a) with your financial institution whether direct debiting is available from your account as direct debiting is not available on all accounts offered by financial institutions. (b) your account details which you have provided to us are correct by checking them against a recent account statement; and (c) with your financial institution before completing the Direct Debit Request if you have any queries about how to complete the Direct Debit Request. 8. Notice 8.1 If you wish to notify us in writing about anything relating to this agreement, you should write to Goulburn Region Preschool Association Inc. 4/23 Impey Street Murchison, Vic, 3610 or email admin@grpsa.com.au 8.2 We will notify you by sending a notice in the ordinary post to the address you have given us in the Direct Debit Request. 8.3 Any notice will be deemed to have been received on the third banking day after posting. Page 7 of 7