Before and After School Care

Helping Hands Out of School Hours (OOSH) services at St Ives Park Public School

Helping Hands Network works in partnership with St Ives Park Public School to provide Out of School Hours services to the school community.

Location

The Helping Hands OOSH facility is located in St Ives Park.  All children attending the service must be dropped off in the morning or collected in the afternoon by an authorised person and signed in and out of the OOSH room each day.

Programs

Helping Hands Network tailors their programs to meet the local school community needs, providing much more than child minding.

Their programs are designed to develop stronger, healthier, happier children and to provide an environment that is like a "home away from home".

Programs are developed in consultation with children, parents, the school community and Helping Hands Educators. They are tailored to cater to the children's age, skill, interests and abilities through a variety of challenging and recreational activities.

Before and after school care

Care is available 5 days per week during term time. Before school, the service operates from 7.00am – 9:00am. After school, the service operates 3:10pm to 6.30pm. Children can walk straight to and from their classrooms. Educators pick up and drop off the Kindy and Year 1 students and escort them to the OOSH room.

Food

Helping Hands Network provides a healthy breakfast at Before School Care and a healthy afternoon tea at After School Care. Breakfast, morning tea, and afternoon tea are all provided at Vacation Care.  In addition to these meals the children also have the opportunity to participate in cooking activities and the occasional special treat.

Government subsidies

There are a number of schemes available to parents including;

Child Care Benefit (CCB) – CCB is a means tested benefit available to parents accessing Outside School Hours Care. The percentage benefit available to a family is determined by criteria including the number of children in care and household income. Helping Hands Network automatically lodges claims on behalf of parents, and only bills for the difference.

Child Care Rebate (CCR) – This rebate is available to all families, and entitles families to receive 50% of their out-of-pocket child care costs up to $7,500 per child per year. This can be claimed as a rebate paid quarterly. Alternatively, you can now arrange to have it paid direct to Helping Hands to reduce your upfront fee payment. If you would like to take up this second option, please contact Centrelink in the first instance, to make these arrangements.

Cost to parents after CCB and CCTR

To get a quote, or to make an enquiry to use the service, please contact the Coordinator of the service directly on mobile 0475838226, or by email at stivespark@helpinghandsnetwork.com.auor the Helping Hands Help Desk between 8.30am and 6.00pm by phoning 1300 612 462 or on email at  accounts@helpinghandsnetwork.com.au.

Currently, places are available in Before School Care, and After School Care.

For more information on Helping Hands Network, or information on enrolling at the service: please visit the Helping Hands Network website atwww.helpinghandsnetwork.com.auand select Our Schools/Families, and follow the prompts.

Parents handbook

A copy of the parent handbook is available on request from the service coordinator, or by contacting the Helping Hands Help Desk on 1300 612 462.