Frequently Asked Questions

Children can start at Birralee from 2.5 years of age however there are only a handful of positions available each day for children under 3.
If you need to terminate your child’s enrolment before the end of the year, in accordance with our policies and procedures, you are required to give Birralee 2 weeks notice in writing over which time fees are also payable.
At Birralee Extended Hours Preschool we are very proud of our team who have a variety and an extensive history in the Early Childhood Sector. Lorna Hughes heads up our amazing team as the Director and Owner of Birralee. She has worked in management within Family Day Care and Community Preschools, been a Director at many Long Day Care Centers, and Child Care Advisor for the National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC). In her role at NCAC, Lorna traveled extensively throughout Australia doing presentations and training family day care and outside school hours care in meeting and exceeding the standards for quality assurance. Throughout her life, Lorna has also had extensive experience working with children with disability. She has also been guest speaker and lecturer at many events, universities and at TAFE and has been awarded an Australia Day Achievement Award for Service to Children. To top it off her passion for childcare goes far and beyond all our expectations and the Birralee Team adores working with her and at her preschool.
We are open 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday, 50 weeks a year. We are closed for two weeks over the Christmas and New Year Period each year and we are also closed on NSW public holidays.
Yes we encourage and welcome tours of our service – that way you can see our service in action and ask our educators any questions you might have. Please call us on 9528 6975 to book a tour.
To go onto our waitlist, we recommend visiting our service for a tour. Please call us on 9528 6975 or via email to arrange a tour to see our service in action (anytime between 9.30 am and 11.00 am) and discuss our program and curriculum with our friendly educators. If you are interested, you will receive an Application for Enrolment Form during the tour. Interested families must complete and return the Application for Enrolment Form along with your child’s standard birth certificate and up-to-date immunisation history statement. Once these documents are submitted, your child’s name will be added to our waitlist. Y When a family has been offered and accepts a placement at Birralee, a confirmation fee of $100 per family is required to secure the placement. The enrolment period is from January to December each year. 
Birralee is an approved childcare provider with the Australian Government and as such entitles you to apply for the Child Care Subsidy. Your eligibility is determined by the Australian Government and it is the family’s responsibility to register with the Department for rebates.  For more information visit: http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/subjects/assistance-with-child-care-fees
Fees must be paid on the first day of care each week and remain in advance throughout the time your child is enrolled at the service. Fees are paid by direct debit through HubHello.
We have a daily menu for morning tea and afternoon snacks. At morning tea we provide wide range of fresh fruit and/or vegetables along with gluten free crackers. We also provide healthy snacks and sometimes we may have an ice block or frozen oranges as an extra treat.
The daily fee includes morning tea and an afternoon snack. Families are required to provide a packed lunch for their child each day.
The short answer is ‘Yes’. Birralee offers an excellent school readiness program that prepares your child academically, socially and emotionally for the challenges of starting school. We follow the Early Learning Years Framework (ELYF) and use play based learning to extend, develop and nurture your child and their learnings. We document your child’s Learning Portfolio using Storypark and encourage family input and communication. Birralee also has a wonderful relationship with the Primary Schools in our area – so we work together to support Birralee children as they grow and become ready to transition to BIG SCHOOL.  We are always happy to discuss our program and your child’s interests, learning and development so please feel free to have a chat to any of the Birralee Team.
The staff ratio at Birralee is at a higher expectation than that of National Quality Standards. We have a maximum of 32 children at Birralee each day and we have a minimum of 5 Educators working with the children at any one time.
If your child becomes unwell during the day staff will call families and ask them to pick their child up as soon as possible/within the hour for the comfort of the unwell child. Children that are unwell including colds, high temperatures etc will be advised by the staff member the period of time that the child will need to be excluded from the service. This information is available in our Hygiene and Infectious Disease Policy and Procedure. Please notify Birralee if your child is unwell and not attending. Your consideration and action to keep your children at home when unwell will be greatly appreciated for all concerned. Fees are due for days that your child is registered but does not attend. Fees are due all year round except when the service is closed over the 2 week closure period over Christmas and New Year each year.
Yes there is. Once you have been offered a place all new parents are invited to our Parent Orientation Night which is held in November each year. This event aims to help new families understand how we operate, what we do to support the learning and development of your child – social, emotionally and academically, what our daily program and routine is about, how we work with your family, and our policies and procedures that are in place to support our Preschool and our community. The Parent Orientation Night is for parents only and gives parents the opportunity to ask questions, to meet other parents and to get to know the Birralee Team. We will also provide you with a Welcome Pack. Prior to your commencement date, we also encourage new parents and children to come in for a Stay and Play as part of the orientation process. This will give new children a chance to join in on the activities, to take part in the rhythm and routine of our centre, to get to know other children and to give both the Birralee Team and the new children and families a chance to start to get to know one another. We just ask that parents/carers stay at Birralee with their child during these visits.
Our priority is to work in with the needs of your family. So we don’t have a minimum, maximum or pattern of days a child must attend. Some children who are here every day, while others are here for one day. So let us know what works for you.
Although we have a wait list, we are a small service and we pride ourselves on being warm and responsive. So you are welcome to arrange to come in for a tour when it suits you. During the tour we can provide you with a Application for Enrolment Form which you can complete and return to us along with a copy of your child’s birth certificate and up to date immunisation history statement. We will then add your child’s name on to our waitlist. As a general rule it’s probably a good idea to contact us the year before you wish them to start.


Opening HoursMon to Fri - 8:00am to 4:00pm

Address48a Bindea Street, COMO NSW 2226

Telephone(02) 9528 6975

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