FAQ'S ON OUR EARLY LEARNING CENTRES

Yes, at our Bambini Early Learning Centres we have funded three and four year old kindergarten programs and employ a kindergarten teacher who holds a Bachelor of Education. Our Kindergarten programs are the same as a council run kindergartens and private schools. The only difference is we operate an integrated Kindergarten program in our long day settings. We are open all year round including school holidays, providing flexible care arrangement catering for all family and work situations.

At our Bambini Early Learning centres we group children based on their ages and according to current regulations on child to educator ratios. We believe that children learn best when they are surrounded by peers of similar ages and stages of development and growth.

Age groups from 3 months to 12 months are placed in rooms accommodating 8 children and 2 educators. From 12 months to 36 months, room sizes accommodate 8 to 12 children with a maximum of three educators per room.

Our 3 and 4 year old age groups are designed to accommodate a minimum of 10 children to a maximum of 22 children with two educators.

At Bambini we have a minimum two-day enrolment requirement per child. Attending Bambini for two-days or more per week allows your child to settle in quickly, build strong relationships with other children and Educators and enables them to get the most benefit from our curriculum and programs.

The ratios of educators to children are regulated by the Department of Education. We always ensure these ratios are met or exceeded.

• 0-3 year olds, 1:4
• 3-5 year olds, 1:11

Bambini Early Learning Centres provides play-based, emergent learning curriculums and embrace the philosophy of Reggio Emilia. Our educators are constantly updating their programs based on the children’s interests.

We also embrace the Victorian and National Early Years Learning Frameworks.

Bambini Early Learning Centres aim to be an allergy aware service. Our cooks cater for all dietary requirements, vegetarian and vegan for example. We take all dietary requirements very seriously.

All educators have a Level 2 First Aid Certificate and are trained in anaphylaxis management and the administration of adrenalin auto-injection devices.

Bambini Early Learning Centres have a comprehensive Food Safety Policy, our cooks are Food Safety Supervisors and educators hold a Food Handlers Certificate.

We believe that children learn best when in groups of peers, we use this strategy with vegetables and other foods as well. Our centres celebrate the importance of food and sharing meals together.

Our cooks are important members of our team and we have designed our open kitchens to allow children access to communicate and interact with them every day. Building these relationships, increases & encourages the children explore new tastes and textures.

Often what they don’t eat at home they will eat at Bambini. We encourage the children to have a taste of new and different foods In extreme circumstances a meeting is held with the families to discuss your child’s nutritional needs.

Yes, provided it is purchased from a shop (commercial kitchen) and is in its original packaging which contains a list of ingredients. No birthday cakes can contain nuts.

You will need to give the cake to our cooks on arrival to Bambini so it can be stored correctly. Birthday cakes are generally served to the children with afternoon tea.

We are sorry but that is no, because at Bambini Early Learning Centres we supply all food. Our Centres are Allergy aware, providing morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and supper which are all prepared by our fabulous cooks.

Due to Food Safety Regulations and our comprehensive food safety program in place families are not permitted to bring any food into our Centres.

This ensures we maintain our high standards and mitigates risk to children & team members who may have allergies.

Yes, we are a registered childcare provider which means you are able to claim the Government benefits you are eligible for.

From July 2nd, 2018, the new Child Care Subsidy (CCS) scheme was implemented and replaced the previous Child Care Benefit (CCB) and Child Care Rebate (CCR) scenario.

The Child Care Subsidy is a Government Initiative that subsidises families incurred childcare expenses. Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is a means-tested subsidy paid directly to your Bambini Early Learning Centre, reducing the fees you pay. Families then pay Bambini Early Learning Centre (the Service Provider) the difference between the full fee charged and the subsidy amount.

To be eligibility for the Child Care Subsidy you will need to meet the following requirements:

• care for a child 13 or younger who’s not attending secondary school, unless an exemption applies
• use an approved child care service
• be responsible for paying the child care fees
• meet residency and immunisation requirements.

Some families may be elgiblae for additional support, known as ACCS. This is an additional subsidy that is paid on top of your Child Care Subsidy, providing extra support with childcare expenses.
There are 3 different types of Additional Child Care Subsidy that you can apply for. You can apply if you’re either:

• a grandparent
• transitioning to work
• experiencing temporary financial hardship.

Bambini Early Learning Centre’s are defined as a Long Day Care Service and are an approved Service Provider.

To find out more about how to apply for the latest subsidy arrangement, please visit:
https://www.education.gov.au/child-care-package-families