Parent Handbook.

This page is a hub. It points you to the parts of our site that cover what families need to know in their first few weeks with us. For the full Parent Handbook PDF, please ask the office and we'll email you the most current version.

Hours and rooms

The centre is open 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. We're closed on NSW public holidays and for two weeks at Christmas.

Children move through four age-grouped rooms as they grow, usually around their birthday rather than all at once each January:

• Joeys Room - 0 to 2 years
• Jungle Room - 2 to 3 years
• Star Room - 3 to 4 years
• Rainbow Room - 4 to 6 years (school readiness)

See more about each room →

What to bring on day one

The centre provides every meal, sunscreen, and disposable nappies for children in the Joeys and Jungle rooms. From you, we ask for:

• A change of clothes (more than one if your child is toilet training)
• A labelled water bottle
• A comforter, dummy or sleep companion if your child uses one
• A wide-brimmed sun hat (Cancer Council recommends bucket or legionnaire style)
• Closed-toe shoes that are easy for your child to put on
• For babies in the Joeys Room: any specific bottles or formula your baby uses, clearly labelled

Please label everything with your child's name. We do our best to track lost items but a labelled water bottle is much easier to return to you than an unlabelled one.

Meals and dietary requirements

Five meals a day, all cooked on site by our chef Lorna in the centre's kitchen: breakfast for early arrivals, morning tea, a hot cooked lunch, afternoon tea, and a late afternoon snack before pickup. We cater for vegetarian diets and a wide range of allergies and intolerances directly in the kitchen.

The centre is nut aware. Please don't bring any food containing nuts into the centre.

See the full menu page → · Read the food policy →

Sleep and rest

Sleep at the centre follows your child's home routine, especially for babies in the Joeys Room. We have safe sleep procedures aligned with Red Nose recommendations: babies are placed on their back to sleep, in a cot with a firm flat mattress, with no soft toys or loose bedding.

For older children, rest time is offered after lunch. Children who don't sleep have quiet activities available in the same room.

Read the sleep and rest policy →

Sun safety and clothing

We follow the Cancer Council's SunSmart program. Children must wear a sun hat outdoors when UV is 3 or higher. Please send your child in clothing that covers shoulders and back. We provide and apply sunscreen (SPF 50+ where available) before children go outside in the morning, and educators reapply during the day.

Illness, exclusion and immunisation

For your child's safety and the safety of every other child at the centre, we follow NSW Health's exclusion guidelines for infectious illnesses. Please keep your child home if they have:

• A fever (temperature 38°C or higher)
• Vomiting or diarrhoea (return after 48 hours symptom-free)
• Conjunctivitis with discharge until treatment has started
• Hand, foot and mouth disease until blisters are dry
• Some other illnesses that NSW Health says must be reported; we can tell you which

If a child becomes unwell at the centre, we'll contact you to collect them. Children who are too unwell to participate in the day's activities should be at home.

Immunisation: NSW law requires children attending early childhood education and care services to meet the immunisation requirements of the No Jab, No Play legislation. We need a current immunisation history statement before your child can start.

Behaviour guidance

Our approach to children's behaviour is built on the idea that children are learning, every day, how to manage feelings, share space, and resolve conflict. We focus on positive guidance: helping the child name what they're feeling, helping them calm down, and rebuilding the relationship after a difficult moment. We never use any form of physical punishment, isolation, or shaming.

Read the positive behaviour guidance policy →

Fees, CCS and payment

Daily fees vary by room. The fee covers all meals, sunscreen, the education program, and (for Joeys and Jungle rooms) disposable nappies. We're Child Care Subsidy approved, so most families pay much less than the full daily fee.

Fees are charged for the days your child is enrolled, including public holidays and absences. This is the standard arrangement for long day care services and the basis on which CCS is calculated.

A holding deposit of $500 is payable on enrolment, applied to your final invoice when you leave (provided four weeks' written notice has been given).

See current fees → · Estimate your CCS gap fee →

Changes and withdrawal

Family circumstances change, and we understand that sometimes you need to adjust your child's days or end the enrolment. We ask for four weeks' written notice for any change to permanent days or for withdrawal. Notice can be sent by email to director@westrydeldc.nsw.edu.au or admin@eikoh.nsw.edu.au.

If you'd like to talk things through first, please call us. Most families' situations have a workable answer that doesn't require giving up the enrolment entirely.

Privacy and photos

Daily photos and observations of your child are shared only with you, through the OWNA app. Photos that include your child are not used for marketing, our website, or social media without specific written consent. You can update or withdraw photo consent at any time by emailing the director.

Personal information you provide at enrolment is held in line with the Australian Privacy Principles. We share information with Centrelink, the Department of Education, and our state regulator only as required by law.

Child safety and complaints

Child safety is the foundation of everything we do. Every educator and staff member holds a current Working with Children Check. Educators are trained in child protection every year. Children are taught they can speak up about anything that doesn't feel right, here or elsewhere, and we take what they say seriously.

If you have a concern about how something is being handled, please speak with the room leader first. If the matter isn't resolved, please speak with the director on 02 9858 5333. If you wish to take a concern further, the NSW Department of Education's Early Childhood Education Directorate is the regulator and can be contacted on 1800 619 113.

Contact us

The fastest way to reach us during the day is by phone on 02 9858 5333. For administrative matters, please email director@westrydeldc.nsw.edu.au. For payment and invoicing, email admin@eikoh.nsw.edu.au.

For day-to-day messages with your child's room, the OWNA app is the best channel. Educators check it during the day and respond when they are not busy with the children.