CENTIPEDE NEWS
20 March 2020
Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope that you are all well, and that the current COVID-19 is not directly impacting you.
COVID-19 is having an impact on Centipede, and like all small business and charities we are looking at how to survive. This week around 30-40% of children that normally use the service are not attending.
For those of you who have already withdrawn your children, or are considering it, under our current policy rules with 24 hour notice there are no fees associated with absence.
As Centipede is a Not-For-Profit Centre and a Charity and many of our educators are casuals what this means is that if we don’t have children in the service then we don’t have the money to pay staff. Unfortunately in the long term a likely consequence is that our casuals may seek employment elsewhere.
Due to these exceptional circumstances we are requesting and advising the following:
1) that if your child is not attending Centipede currently due to COVID-19 concerns and social distancing measures, or that this is likely to be the case shortly, that you please advise us of such as soon as possible so that we can distinguish these from other absences, which will make our budgeting and planning easier at this time.
2) to provide the high level of care that you are used to we now need 1 weeks (7 days) notice before allowing your child to re-attend/re-enrol at Centipede. This policy will be effective as of the 27th of March and is to ensure we can meet rsotering and ratio requirements.
3) we also need to let you know that if your child is not using the service and we lose our workforce we might not be able to immediately reoffer a place after the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided. There are laws and rules around staffing ratios, and if we break these the centre can be closed down.
If you wish to continue your enrollment and ensure you retain your child’s place we encourage those who are able to continue payment (as is standard practice in preschools and day-cares). Currently the government’s Child Care Subsidy (CCS) continues to be paid for up to 42 days of absences each financial year. Obviously it is hard to estimate how long this situation will continue. For those worried about exceeding the allowance of absences we note there is a special circumstances/disaster relief fund that means additional absences may be granted, if requested under certain criteria. We will be looking further into this and are happy to provide information to those parents and carers who wish to continue to hold their place and are concerned about exceeding 42 absences before 30th June 2020.
If your child is not attending due to financial reasons created by COVID-19 please let us know, so we can look at options to assist.
We are sorry if this has caused any stress, but the care of our children and Centipede staff is the number one priority of the committee.
Contact Details:
To advise Centipede of intention to take absence (and remain enrolled) or to withdraw your placement/s please contact the Centre Co-ordinator, Shakra Farrell, by email at centipede.glebe@yahoo.com.au
To discuss any financial concerns please phone Shakra for a confidential chat on 0407 668 657
To discuss or ask questions about Centipede policy and the changes outlined above please email Anna at president@centipede.org.au
Regards,
The Management Committee
Centipede at Glebe School Inc.
Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope that you are all well, and that the current COVID-19 is not directly impacting you.
COVID-19 is having an impact on Centipede, and like all small business and charities we are looking at how to survive. This week around 30-40% of children that normally use the service are not attending.
For those of you who have already withdrawn your children, or are considering it, under our current policy rules with 24 hour notice there are no fees associated with absence.
As Centipede is a Not-For-Profit Centre and a Charity and many of our educators are casuals what this means is that if we don’t have children in the service then we don’t have the money to pay staff. Unfortunately in the long term a likely consequence is that our casuals may seek employment elsewhere.
Due to these exceptional circumstances we are requesting and advising the following:
1) that if your child is not attending Centipede currently due to COVID-19 concerns and social distancing measures, or that this is likely to be the case shortly, that you please advise us of such as soon as possible so that we can distinguish these from other absences, which will make our budgeting and planning easier at this time.
2) to provide the high level of care that you are used to we now need 1 weeks (7 days) notice before allowing your child to re-attend/re-enrol at Centipede. This policy will be effective as of the 27th of March and is to ensure we can meet rsotering and ratio requirements.
3) we also need to let you know that if your child is not using the service and we lose our workforce we might not be able to immediately reoffer a place after the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided. There are laws and rules around staffing ratios, and if we break these the centre can be closed down.
If you wish to continue your enrollment and ensure you retain your child’s place we encourage those who are able to continue payment (as is standard practice in preschools and day-cares). Currently the government’s Child Care Subsidy (CCS) continues to be paid for up to 42 days of absences each financial year. Obviously it is hard to estimate how long this situation will continue. For those worried about exceeding the allowance of absences we note there is a special circumstances/disaster relief fund that means additional absences may be granted, if requested under certain criteria. We will be looking further into this and are happy to provide information to those parents and carers who wish to continue to hold their place and are concerned about exceeding 42 absences before 30th June 2020.
If your child is not attending due to financial reasons created by COVID-19 please let us know, so we can look at options to assist.
We are sorry if this has caused any stress, but the care of our children and Centipede staff is the number one priority of the committee.
Contact Details:
To advise Centipede of intention to take absence (and remain enrolled) or to withdraw your placement/s please contact the Centre Co-ordinator, Shakra Farrell, by email at centipede.glebe@yahoo.com.au
To discuss any financial concerns please phone Shakra for a confidential chat on 0407 668 657
To discuss or ask questions about Centipede policy and the changes outlined above please email Anna at president@centipede.org.au
Regards,
The Management Committee
Centipede at Glebe School Inc.
