Orientation policy.

Aims

• To ensure that families new to the centre or new to a room within the centre are given an orientation process that involves meeting staff, becoming familiar with the layout and management structure of the centre, becoming familiar with routine activities within the room as well as policies and procedures within the centre and understanding documents within the orientation/enrolment package.

To ensure that all new families to the centre receive a link to the OWNA App, which will provide families with access to the services enrolment form, to be completed before the child begins at the centre.

The service will ensure that the following information is loaded to OWNA for families to be able to read and access at any time.

• Parent Handbook

• Information about the classrooms, such as routines.

• Health Policy

• Centre Philosophy

• Supplementary routine form.

• Dietary requirements form.

• Child Care Subsidy information.

• Sleep/ Rest preferences.

• Questionnaire about family celebrations.

• Child interest web.

• Parent skills/talents/interests and cultural experiences form.

• Sun Protection Policy.

• Medical Conditions Policy.

• Clothing Policy.

• Building Relationships with Families.

• Child Protection Policy.

• Late Collection of Children Policy

• Centre’s Quality Improvement Plan

• Information about the centre educators

• Procedure for Dealing with Parents Concerns and Comments

• Links to the classroom curriculums

• Nutrition, Food, Beverages, Dietary Requirements Policy.

• Suggestions for Morning Tea and Lunch (for Centre’s where families provide meals)

If required, supplementary forms such as:

- Administration of Medication for Children with Asthma, Anaphylaxis and Allergy Action Plans

-Medical Management and Risk Minimisation Plans

-Medical Conditions Communication Plans

will be provided to families and organised before the child begins at the centre.

Purpose

• To ensure that families know enough about the centre in order to feel comfortable in leaving their children in our care. To develop a relationship with families that encourages the flow of communication between centre and home and also encourages the involvement of families within the centre.

Procedure

1. To provide all new families to the centre with an orientation/enrolment package.

2. To make an orientation process available to all new families to the centre and to families that have children changing rooms within the centre. This includes an orientation interview prior to the new child starting at the centre with the centre director and organising of time to come and spend in the child’s room with educators and other children. For children moving to a new room, this includes spending time with a familiar carer in their new room and an orientation meeting for the families of children changing rooms.

3. To adjust the orientation process for each family to be suited to the individual needs of the child and their family.

4. To work in conjunction with parents and the centre’s community and update this policy with families based on their changing and diverse requirements.

5. To provide families with an evaluation of the orientation process to ensure it reflects family’s requirements.

Transition from one room to another

Change is harder for some children than others. We aim to make the transition between rooms as smooth as possible to minimise any distress to the child. In order to achieve this, we will:

• Carefully consider the move to a new room and lay the groundwork for a new educator to get to know the child by sharing information and insights.

• Talk with the family about how their child handles change and the strategies they use to help their child cope with change.

• Plan to have the child and family visit the new room as often as possible prior to the move.

• Spend time in the room with current educator and new educator (without breaching ratios) for child to have familiarity in their new environment.

• Discuss the move to the new room with the child 2-3 weeks before the transition.

• Talk about their new educator every day in general conversation.

This policy is to be used in conjunction with the centres Enrolment Procedure (Procedure 2).

This policy is the property of Eikoh Seminar Australia Pty Limited and must not be reproduced without the consent of management.