We understand that choosing a centre can be a difficult decision, so it’s perfectly normal for you to have a lot of questions. To make it easier, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of common questions that we hear from parents.
If you have any other questions, please contact us or mention it during your centre tour.
Our operating hours are between 7am and 6pm. We are open Monday to Friday, 52 weeks a year. We are closed on weekends and all public holidays.
Our centre is conveniently located on Level 2 of Top Ryde City Shopping Centre.
Top Ryde City shopping centre is serviced by Sydney Buses as well as the free Shop Ryder bus service.
Sydney buses departing from:
If you are inside Top Ryde City Shopping Centre, start from the Australia Post Shop on the ground floor. Take the escalators up two floors and enter the Level 2 car park and you should see signs pointing to us.
Children six weeks old up to school age (usually around the age of five or six). We also offer OOSH & Vacation services for children from 4-12 years.
Young children learn through their senses as they experience the world around them. Children are shaped by both biological components and environmental experiences. For this reason, it is critical that your child experiences a positive, nurturing and educational environments in their early years.
There are differences among all settings in terms of hours, meals provided, number of children attending and environmental setups. However, all early childhood services are bound by the similar overarching legal requirements which guide programming and practices.
To suit the circumstances of many families, our centre offers two preschool enrolment options where term-by-term, short-hour options are available.
Our university-trained teachers ensure that educational theories, combined with child development knowledge, guides teaching and program development. Educators commit to ongoing professional development to ensure that this remains current.
Safety is first and foremost at our centre. This is why we have implemented strict measures to help keep your child safe whilst in our care. A pin code entry and reception staff offer entry security with additional photo identification checks and video surveillance throughout the service.
In relation to children’s safety and whereabouts during the day, our staff ensure that regular roll checks are conducted. Security child locked gates increase children’s safety inside the premises.
When arriving at or leaving Lilypad, a parent/caregiver is required to electronically sign in and out on the tablets located inside the centre. This is automatically transmitted through to our online attendance system. We can give extra authorisation codes for pickup at your request.
We ask our families to notify the centre where possible if your child is going to be absent for any reason. This way, our educators organise planned activities and holiday programs.
Before enrolling your child at Lilypad, we always recommend that you book a guided tour first. This gives you the opportunity to meet with us face-to-face and experience the ‘culture’ of the service.
After the tour, we will guide you through the next steps of enrolment should you wish to proceed. We offer payment options for eligible families to help secure the desired booking and secure orientation (introductory play sessions) following this.
Our fees differ based on age group and room setting. For the most accurate information that applies to you (including possible benefits and rebates), please get in touch and we will be happy to guide you through the entire process. You may have questions around government assistance, immunisation entry requirements, and individual needs.
To help support your child to positively adapt to the new setting, we recommend enrolling for a minimum of two days per week. This regular attendance allows your child time to form trusting relationships with their educators and to become increasingly familiar with the new experiences and environments that we have to offer. We work closely with both you and your child to ensure a comfortable transition when starting at Lilypad.
We provide five meals, including a late snack every day. Your child can enjoy breakfast as early as 7am and a hot nutritious meal in the middle of the day. Meals provided by our in-house qualified chef are approved by Munch and Move (a NSW Health initiative) and meet the most recently recommended nutritional guidelines for children 0-5 years. We cater for individual dietary requirements and communicate to you your child’s dietary intake on private online profiles each day.
Children enroled in the short-hour preschool program and also school-aged vacation care programs bring in a lunchbox. We offer healthy lunchbox suggestions and support children at meal times with their own meals .
Families provide nappies and formula where applicable. To accommodate for the requirement to provide these necessities, we continue to be committed to a lower daily fee than other local competitors.
Casual bookings are subject to availability. Sometimes, an extra day may be required and we can check to see if we can help you with an additional day required. Permanent booking patterns may also be modified and/or reduced in line with our enrolment terms and conditions.
We understand that family circumstances can change unexpectedly. Our service policy requires two weeks' written notice for bond returns. This is subject to a minimum eight week enrolment period.
Lilypad accommodates for allergies and will work closely with families to ensure children's safety is priority. Lilypad is a strictly nut-free environment.
Allergy plans are developed with you and your child’s medical practitioner and are updated regularly.
Medications prescribed by a registered medical practitioner can be given to your child. We ensure strict medication policies and procedures are adhered to.
Over the counter medications cannot be administered at Lilypad .
As part of the enrolment process, families are required to provide a copy of each child’s ACIR (Australian Childhood Immunisation Register) immunisation status. These records must be updated throughout your time at the Centre. Immunisation status can impact on an enrolled child’s booking and result in attendance being refused as immunisation is a requirement under Australian law.
In the case that your child becomes ill during the day, we will contact you to discuss the situation. If paracetamol needs to be administered for fever, we will seek your permission before doing so. All children displaying any signs or symptoms of illness are required to be collected from the centre.
Medical clearances are often required for reported illness in children at Lilypad before returning. We have Exclusion Policy Guidelines for specific illnesses that can be found in the Parent Handbook, provided to all new families.
If you have any concerns or would just like to receive an update, you are welcome to visit or phone the centre at any time to check on your child’s progress over their first few weeks
We will do our best to settle your child as quickly as possible. However, if we feel that your child is too upset or distressed to stay all day, we will contact you with the suggestion to collect your child early to support them through this transition. We recommend that families take advantage of the free orientation sessions offered at the time of enrolment.
To help your child settle in, we will offer an orientation process to support a smooth transition into Lilypad. You will be able to discuss areas specific to your child such as his or her interests, language abilities, individual routines, cultural aspects, nappy/toileting procedures, health and educational needs and future goals and aspirations.
Our centre aims to work in partnership with our families. This means that we warmly welcome families into the centre each day and offer opportunities to discuss your child’s day with our educators. Our personalised children’s portfolios provide instant updates including photos, journals, observations and routines. You are able to communicate directly when needed, keeping you connected to your child and their educators.
Lilypad Early Learning Centre maintains an open-door policy for our families. This means that families are welcome to visit or call the Centre at any time during the day.
Call us directly on (02) 9808 5522 or click here to book your free guided tour of the centre. From here, we can support you with any further questions that you may have.
We look forward to meeting with you!
Yes, Lilypad Early Learning Centre is an approved child care service provider. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our team. There are various hourly submissions for enrolments which support families with limited approved hours.
CCS is a government fee assistance program to help families with the costs of child care. The subsidy is paid after the care has been provided and your child’s session report has been sent through by the child care provider.
The subsidy will be paid directly to the family’s child care provider, from there, it is then the family’s responsibility to cover the co-contribution fee, often referred to as the Gap fee. The team at Lilypad are able to help our families through the process of setting up CCS.
Child Care Benefit (CCB) and Child Care Rebate (CCR) are no longer available as they have been combined and replaced with the new Child Care Subsidy program.
Lilypad is an approved “long day” child care provider which is eligible for Child Care Subsidy (CCS).
Approved child care providers are those that have been approved by the Australian Government for CCS purposes for meeting certain standards and requirements.
To receive CCS payments, families must be assessed by Centrelink. The full list of criteria is available via the link below. Learn more here.
The amount received will be dependent on a number of factors such as the combined annual family income, an activity test, and the type of child care service type required. Learn more here.
Whether you’re a new family or already enrolled, all families must be assessed in order to claim their Child Care Subsidy. Learn more.
The Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) replaces the Special Child Care Benefit (SCCB), the Grandparent Child Care Benefit (GCCB) and the Jobs Education and Training Child Care Fee Assistance (JETCCFAA). Learn more here.
