You are welcome to bring your child at any time, however we recommend bringing children a little before our first group experience of the day (9:00am), so that they can settle into their day with a little free play.

1) A backpack bag (into which you can place the following items) 2) A water bottle from which your child can easily drink. 3) Two sets of spare clothes. Some learning experiences can get messy, and children’s clothes can become wet during water play and during toilet training. 4) Any comforters and sleeping bag/blanket the child might need to make them feel more settled during rest, if needed. NB) No other items (i.e. no sunscreen, medications, food or drink) are allowed in the bags, as these can pose a risk to children, if they ingest them.

1) All meals – morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea (and a small late snack for children who stay late). To protect the health and wellbeing of the children with allergies, we do not permit food to be brought into the centre. As we rent our spaces from North Shore Temple Emanuel, we do not offer pork nor shellfish. Our centre is also nut free. 2) A brightly coloured bucket hat 3) Sunscreen. A protective sun hat must be worn every day when playing outside and sunscreen must be applied. 4) Bedding/sheets and blankets for children who still have naps - children are set up on individual beds. The younger children (3-4 years), who no longer nap, have a rest each day after lunch. The older children (4-5 years) have a quiet time each day after lunch.

When you arrive, press the Apples and Honey button at the gate to tell us your and your child’s names. If you have received your access card during orientation, you can use it to access the campus carpark. When you arrive at the building entrance press the Apples and Honey button for us to open the door and welcome you into the foyer. We’ll show you how to sign your child in, answer any questions, and support your little one during their transition inside.

From 2024, the NSW government will be trialling Start Strong Fee Relief for children turning 3 years old on or before 31 July 2024 and who are enrolled in an eligible long day care service or Multifunctional Aboriginal Children's service. The fee relief for this age group will be up to $500 per child per year. The trial is planned to take place for two years. This builds on the existing NSW Start Strong program, which provides fee relief to families with children aged 4 on or before 31 July 2024. The amount of fee relief remains the same as in 2023 (up to $2110 per year per child). As Apples and Honey is open 50 weeks in 2024, this amount is $42.20 per week over the 50 weeks. Families may only claim the Fee Relief at one centre. The Fee Relief is paid to Apples and Honey for the child and deducted from fees. A child who commences enrolment in the middle of the year and is enrolled for about 6 months, will receive approx. half the amount in Fee Relief i.e., $1,055

The Federal government provides (CCS) to eligible families. The funding reduces the fees that eligible families pay for approved childcare. The Child Care Subsidy percentage you’re entitled to depends on your family’s income. Once approved CCS is paid directly to Apples and Honey for the child. Apples and Honey charges the family only the Gap Fee that is left after CCS has been deducted. The maximum amount of CCS is 90% for families earning up to $80,000. Families earning over $80,000 and under $530,000 may get a subsidy starting from 90%. Depending on their income, the subsidy will go down by 1% for each $5,000 of income they earn. To learn more about claiming the CCS, you can log into your MyGov account and complete an assessment task. You’ll need your registered CRN to do this.

Yes. The fee relief will have no impact on the amount of CCS families receive. See the case studies for a practical example of how the fee relief can be calculated.

If your child is upset during their transition inside, an educator will stay with them, guide them through the regular routine and support them as they work through their emotions. This may involve distracting them, while reassuring them that you will return, and helping them to express their feelings and listening to their needs in that moment (eg. if they would like to hold onto a special comforter from home). Generally, children settle during the morning. For children who need a little more support in the first few days, we may be in touch with you during the day if we think that your child would benefit from being picked up a little earlier. Our goal is to support the children as they take this big step on their own and become accustomed to their new learning environment, children and educators.

Make sure you have plenty of time at drop off (and at home when preparing to leave for preschool). If you are feeling at peace and express positivity about your child’s first day, they are more likely to transition more easily. When the moment for your child to transition inside comes, you can tell them reassuring things such as: - you’ll come pick them up after lunch, after their sleep, or at a specific time (following through on this promise is also important) - you love them very much - they’ll have a fun day playing with new toys - you look forward to them telling you about their favourite new toy or activity.

The first day (and first few weeks) is all about building relationships between educators and other children. We will support your child in getting to know their new environment, encouraging them to engage in fun and creative experiences which are of interest to them.

Our Educational Program and Practice is rated as "Exceeding" in the National Quality Standard. When a centre is assessed they are assessed under 7 Quality Areas as listed by the National Quality Framework as devised by ACECAA (Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority). The NSW Department of Education assesses a centre and rates them as Working Towards, Meeting or Exceeding under each quality area. When considering a centre always ask about this rating.