Tadpoles (0-1) $225
Nippers (1-2) $225
Stingrays (2-3) $210
Sailors (3-4) $200
Whales (4-5) $200

Included in the fees: Morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, nappies, wipes, sheets for the bed, extra curricular activities which change seasonally. These may include Soccer, Mighty Mites, Art Classes or Yoga.

Regular events are held at the service. These are planned annually in line with children’s interests and development or feedback from the families. These might include a one off presentation by a local presenter like ‘Bush to Bowl’ or ‘The Drumming Man’ or regular weekly events like ‘Munch and Move’ or 'Mighty Mites'.

We are open from 7.30am - 6pm Monday to Friday. We are open 51 weeks per year, closing for a week between Christmas and New Year. We are also closed for all Public Holidays.

There is no fee to go on our waitlist.

We warmly invite you to visit our us for a tour. To arrange a visit, please book on the contact page of our website. If you can't find a suitable time, or are having any issues booking, please get in touch - director@saltwaterpreschool.com 

Please bring your children along for the tour, we would love to meet them too!

We recommend a minimum of 2-3 days for your child to settle in and start to build relationships with their peers and educators. This will give them a sense of belonging. We currently don’t offer 1 day enrolments.

We require a two week bond to secure your enrolment. This will be allocated to your fees or refunded to you when you exit the service.

Saltwater Preschool utilises a communication tool called Kinderloop to communicate daily with families. We use photographs to share your child’s experiences, learning and development. We are also happy to communicate via phone, email, our weekly communication emails and personal meetings.

We love parent participation and encourage our families to share their unique interests or skills with the children. Our program will be enriched through collaboration with families.

We ask that all families keep their children at home when they are ill and they notify the centre of any illnesses. This way we can keep all of our families up to date with any illnesses that may be circulating. If your child falls ill at Saltwater Preschool we will call you immediately and keep your child in a comfortable state until they can be collected.

We aim to prepare children not just for school, but for life. Our program lays the foundation for lifelong learning by fostering curiosity and a love for discovery. At the heart of our approach is investigation, problem-solving, and teamwork. We integrate literacy, mathematics, and science concepts through play, discussions, and interactions with children, books, peer learning, and community involvement. Equally important is nurturing social skills and emotional maturity, ensuring children are well-prepared for their future educational journey.

Yes! Casual days are available to permanently enrolled children, subject to availability. Please email our Centre Director if you require a casual booking.

Additional days can be picked up (subject to availability). If you are looking for any additional days, please contact the Director as soon as possible so we can start looking for any vacancies.

We ask families to give four weeks written notice to the Director. The bond will be allocated to your fees and the Centre administrator will be in touch to finalise your account.

To help you with the cost of your child care, the Government via Services Australia provides financial assistance through the Child Care Subsidy (CCS).

The amount of subsidy that families will receive will be based on these things:

1. Your family’s income
2. The hourly capped rate. For Long Day Care, the rate is $14.29/hour
3. The hours of activity you and your partner do.
4. The number of children in your care.

CCS Rates Per Income Band

• Up to $83,280- 90%
• More than $83,280- $533,280- Decreasing from 90%. The % decreases by 1% per five thousand dollars increase in income
• $533,280 – 0%

If you have more than one child aged 5 or younger, you may get a higher rate for one or more of your children.

Services Australia has more information that will help you calculate how much subsidy you may be personally eligible for.

We recommend you apply for your rebate prior to commencing at Saltwater Preschool, as it usually takes up to four weeks for the rebate to be processed and the subsidy will only be backdated up to 28 days.

To secure your position, you will be sent a link to complete the online enrolment form and upload documents. The following documents will be required:

• Online child enrolment form completed and signed by both parents (unless sole custody).
• Copy of your child’s birth certificate.
• Any relevant documents relating to sole parenting documentation, medical plans, custodial orders etc.
• Current immunisation record from Medicare or the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

Parents must provide a copy of one or more of the following documents to enrol at Saltwater Preschool :

• an AIR Immunisation History Statement which shows that the child is up to date with their scheduled vaccinations; or
• an AIR Immunisation History Form on which the immunisation provider has certified that the child is on a recognised catch-up schedule; or
• an AIR Immunisation Medical Exemption Form which has been certified by a GP.

The NSW Immunisation Schedule sets out the age-appropriate vaccines for children and the ACIR Immunisation History Statement will indicate if the child is up to date with their vaccinations.

Do parents still have a choice to vaccinate their children?

Unless the child is on a recognised catch up schedule; is up to date on immunisation or has a medical exemption, they are not able to enrol.

Are unimmunised children able to enrol at Saltwater Preschool?

Yes. Children who are unimmunised due to medical reasons are able to attend child care provided that the appropriate documentation has been provided.

Children who are behind with their immunisation schedule are able to access child care once the appropriate documentation has been provided that shows they have either caught up or are on a recognised catch-up schedule.

Unimmunised children may be asked to stay at home if there is an outbreak of a vaccine preventable disease at Saltwater Preschool.

Unfortunately we are not able to accept records from overseas. Children who were vaccinated overseas need to have their immunisation records assessed by an immunisation provider who will transfer the information to the ACIR. An ACIR Immunisation History Statement will subsequently be issued to parents/guardians upon request.

Before your child starts at Saltwater Preschool, we invite you and your child to come and spend some time with us. Please phone us in advance to arrange a mutually convenient time, mornings or afternoons are usually the best.

This can help to make your child’s first day less daunting, particularly if they are new to formalised childcare.

In our experience, it is best to not place too much emphasis on starting at Saltwater Preschool as this could make your child anxious. Perhaps routinely mention it to your child and perhaps read some stories to them about starting preschool.

During your child’s first days it is perfectly understandable for you to be interested to know how they have settled in, and so we invite you to phone the centre at any time to check in on their progress. Our Educators will do their very best to settle your child in as quickly as possible and you can rest assured that they are well trained in helping new children adapt to our service. If, however, we feel that your child is too upset to stay all day, we will call you suggesting that you come in to collect your child early.

An important part of orientation is a meeting between parents and the educators from your child’s assigned room. It is a good way for us to get to know your child better and ensure a smooth transition from home to Saltwater Preschool. Our goal is for every child to settle into the environment quickly and happily.