Policies, Procedures and Common Questions

Maraylya Early Learning Centre is a fully licensed child care facility, highly accredited by the National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC). The rigorous process we regularly go through to maintain our license and accreditation means that you can be assured of the highest quality services, facilities and programs.

It also means that we are constantly reviewing our policies and procedures to maintain our high standards and to make sure that our activities reflect best practice when it comes to looking after your children.

At MELC we pride ourselves on the fact that we continually seek the input of parents when it comes to developing and reviewing policies. As a parent of a child at the Centre, your feedback will be sought and your ideas and opinions are important to us – if you think we can improve on any area or policy then please let us know at any time.

Our Current Policies

MELC has a wide range of documented policies, covering lots of different areas. We have listed the major policy areas below for your reference.

If you would like to obtain a copy of any MELC policy, or just want to find out more about a certain area, then we invite you to contact our Director of Teaching, Debra Cross. Debra has a wealth of skills and experience in childcare and is responsible for making sure that all of our policies here at MELC are the best they can be.

General policies

These policies relate to most of the day-to-day activities that take place at MELC and are designed to ensure that all children receive the same level of care and basic rights.

For example, they include Orientation of New Families, Programming, Outdoor Policy, Sun Protection Policy, Rest time Policy, Behaviour Management Policy, Complaints Policy, Nutrition Policy, Dietary Guidelines/Allergies Policy

Health and Safety Policies

These policies relate to the responsibilities of staff and parents when dealing with basic hygiene factors and illness.

They include: Dental Health Policy, Illness Policy, Headlice Policy, Infectious Diseases, Medication Policy, Immunisation Policy, First Aid and Hygiene Procedures, Hand Washing Policy, Nappy Change Procedure, Toilet Training Policy, Accident Procedure

Occupational Health and Safety Policies

These policies ensure the safety of staff at the Centre and are designed to encourage safe work practices and a safe environment.

Examples of the policies include: Lifting of Children and Heavy Objects Policy, Storage and Handling of Hazardous Substances Policy, Clean Air Policy, Evacuation Plan

Child Protection

Finally, we have a number of policies relating to the safety of our children and our legal responsibilities as carers, such as reporting suspected child abuse and so on.

Common Questions

At MELC we often receive questions about the same things from a number of parents or find the need to speak to parents about the same basic “housekeeping issues”. To make things easier for parents, we’ve included the more common questions here on this website. For instance:

Do you celebrate my child’s birthday?

We view birthdays as a very special occasion in a child’s life. As a parent, you are welcome to bring a birthday cake to the Centre for your child. Small individual patty cakes (cupcakes) are a great idea. Please inform staff when bringing cakes and we will fit them into the daily routine.

What happens to lost property?

Please check your child’s bag and locker each day before leaving to ensure that they have not lost or misplaced their belongings. It is much easier for the staff to look for missing items on the day that they are misplaced. Items that are found when cleaning up etc are placed in the general “lost property” bin at the end of each day or week.

Can we bring in his/her favourite toy from home?

At MELC we provide activities according to each child’s individual interests and needs and therefore there is no need to bring toys in from home (except for the child’s special comforter for rest time, or “cuddlie”). Toys from home are special and at day care, with lots of other children, we often find that toys from home get lost, damaged or broken.

What are News Days?

In the pre-school (Rainbow) room each child has a News Day. Please check on the board or ask a staff member when your child’s News Day occurs. News time is where the children can share some special news or share their special toys/clothes/photos. News time encourages confidence in speaking in front of a group and enhances listening skills for the children.

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