Childcare

[Guest mark&rachel]

Hi all,

im hoping to come over next year.

I will have one in school and the other 2 aged 3 and 1. Are nurseries expensive and is there a system in place where children get free nursery at 3 like there is in the UK?

How does the system work???

 

Regards

Mark and Rachel

[Guest Allybinoz42]

Govt funded childcare begins at 4 at Kindergarten, they are entitled to 2 days or 4 sessions (am). Until school at 5.

Otherwise you put your children in childcare and pay approx $60-70 a day per child. However there are rebates for low earners and child care rebates up to 50% of costs. So it works out much cheaper than Uk childcare.

[Guest andrena]

Hi all,

im hoping to come over next year.

I will have one in school and the other 2 aged 3 and 1. Are nurseries expensive and is there a system in place where children get free nursery at 3 like there is in the UK?

How does the system work???

 

Regards

Mark and Rachel

 

Hi guys, the system is quite different, all children start kindy at aged 4, they start what is called pre entry (which is basically 1 morning a week for a term before they turn 4) after this term they start kindy which is 4 sessions either morning or afternoons. There is a small fee per term. Childcare on the otherhand is expensive but you will recieve a reduction in costs depending on what your income is! There is a service available at the kindy called occasional care and this is 1 session a week when available costs vary but th one i use is $5 for a few hours but it can be difficult to get in. Hope this helps you, andrena:)

[Guest nurse sue]

can i jump into the thread and ask if there is any provision for older kids? childminders or afterschool care?

[Guest andrena]

Hi, yes most schools have a before and after school service usually until 6.30pm, again costs vary and there will be reductions depending on earnings. There is usually vacation care at most schools public and private for school holidays.

[Guest The Pickles]

Depends what Visa you're on whether you get any assistance with costs... we're on a Temp (3 year) 475 Visa and don't get any assistance with anything until we're residents. We're looking at full time nurseries now for our 4 year old and all children (as everyone has said) is entitled to the 4 free/cheap sessions but as we need full time day care, it's costing $70 a day.

 

From what we've found, full time day care is much harder to come by than in the UK because so many of them just offer sessions a day particularly the council systems.

 

I hope that's helped!

 

Marilyn

 

 

Hi all,

im hoping to come over next year.

I will have one in school and the other 2 aged 3 and 1. Are nurseries expensive and is there a system in place where children get free nursery at 3 like there is in the UK?

How does the system work???

 

Regards

Mark and Rachel