Everything you need to know

We’re here to help!

A hand to hold

We understand that a childcare centre is an important decision -

one that can also feel overwhelming. We’re here to listen to you and your family’s needs, as well as your child’s, answer any questions you may have, and make the transition as easy as possible. Whether you’re coming from another centre or this is your first childcare experience, here’s some information that’ll help you feel more prepared for Ascolta.

Extra information for families

Please refer to each centre for opening hours. Children can be dropped off and picked up at any time during opening hours. However, just remember that you’ll pay per day, so even if your child is only with us for half a day, you’ll still pay for a full day.

You’re welcome to choose the days best suit your family’s lifestyle and day-to-day arrangements — we’ll always do our best to accommodate the days you need. We also offer casual days as we know circumstances can change and you may find yourself requiring extra help. If you’re unwell, have an appointment, or just feel like having a child-free day, simply get in touch to book an extra day.

Face-to-face communication with our Educators, is part of our daily ritual. We love talking to families in person, however, we can also communicate via what works best for you, phone, email, or our App ‘Early Works’.

Throughout the day, you’ll receive pictures or videos of your child, and we’ll share some of the things they have been learning on the ‘Early Works’ App. Our parents love seeing their children having a great time with their friends and trying new things!

Your child will need a hat, change of clothes and a drink bottle. If your child sleeps with us please provide a sleeping bag or blanket for nap time. If your child has a special comfort toy or dummy you are welcome to bring every day. For children who drink either formula or expressed milk please pack what they need each day. It is important you inform staff on arrival how much they drink and at what times they take it. All your child’s personal items must clearly named.

We provide nappies, cot sheets, morning and afternoon tea, lunch, and sunscreen.

We provide delicious, healthy food that fuels children’s bodies and promotes optimal growth and development. Our menu exposes children to a variety of flavours and textures, and helps educate them on the importance of eating healthy food.

We work with Nourished Beginnings to ensure we provide a well-balanced menu that caters to every child and team member. To keep things exciting for our children, the menu changes every week — see this week’s menu here.

Let’s get started!

Ready to enrol?

It’s easy to enrol online. Once you register, we’ll contact you to arrange a personalised tour and guide you through the next steps towards enrolment completion. We can’t wait to meet you and your family!

Helpful resources

Let’s get started!

Childcare Subsidy FAQs

Ascolta Early Learning and Care is a government approved childcare provider, which means you could be entitled to a Government subsidy. The initiative is designed to enable more low and middle-income families to access affordable, flexible and high-quality childcare. Here’s some of the questions we get asked about the subsidy.

There are a few criteria you must meet. Your child must be under thirteen, not attending secondary school and meet immunisation requirements. Additionally, you or your partner, claiming the Childcare Subsidy, must meet residency requirements and also satisfy the Childcare Subsidy activity test.

For families earning up to $353,305 per annum, the table adjacent indicates how many hours of subsidy you will receive, per hour of activity, per fortnight.

Hours of Activity	Hours of Subsidy
8 to 16 hours	36 hours
16 to 48 Hours	72 Hours
Over 48 Hours	100 Hours

Childcare Subsidy (CCS) is calculated using your combined family income, the level of ‘activity’, and your childcare provider’s hourly rate.

Low income families on annual incomes of $70,015 p.a. or less who don’t meet the activity test, can access 24-hours of subsidised care per fortnight without having to meet the activity test. Families who previously used the Budget Based Funded system will also be eligible for childcare fee assistance.

If you’re looking to apply for the childcare subsidy for the first time, visit the Australian Government website for more information.

Yes — studying or volunteering works your favour towards increasing your childcare subsidy. Taking some extra time to follow your interests or develop new skills, even from your home through online learning platforms, will count as activity towards your subsidy. Activities here include:

Paid work, including being self-employed.
Paid or unpaid leave, including paid or unpaid parental or maternity leave.
Doing an approved course of education or study.
Doing training to improve work skills or employment prospects.
Unpaid work in a family business, unpaid work experience or an unpaid internship.
Actively looking for work.
Actively setting up a business.