Money Matters

Waiting List Registration

There is no cost to put your child’s name on the waiting list.

Enrolment Fee

When your child has been offered a position at the Preschool you are required to pay a one off, non-refundable fee, which is currently $200, to secure the position.

2017 Preschool Fees

  • 3 year old fee – $76.00
    • These children DO NOT receive any NSW Department of Education funding.
  • 4 year old fee attending two or three days – $54.00
    • Child must be 4 by July 31st
    • These children receive SOME NSW Department of Education funding based upon the postcode that the preschool is located in.  (Please note that Normanhurst is in the second lowest funding band in NSW).
    • Preschools in NSW are only funded for 2 days or 15 hours for each 4-year-old child that attends Preschool.   The preschool receives no funding for 3rd, 4th or 5th days.
    • Therefore a 4 year old attending 4 or 5 days, will be charged the 3 year old fee ($76.00) for the 4th and 5th days.

Funding

The Preschool is an Incorporated Association, where any profits goes back into the running of the preschool and providing exceptional quality early childhood education for the children that attend.

Our income is derived from two sources:

  •  NSW Department of Education “Start Strong” funding which currently covers a small percentage of our yearly operational costs.
  • Fees make up the remainder of our necessary income.

St Stephen’s Preschool is funded through the NSW Department of Education (DoE).

To be eligible to receive funding we are required to adhere to the following Priority of Access.

  • Children in their year before school who are 4 years old before July 31st.
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Children
  • Children from low-income families

Children that are four years old or older by July 31st are eligible to receive some funding along with low-income families and ATSI families.

The funding for 4 year olds is for 15 hours per week/600 hours per year. Children that attend more than 15 hours per week do not receive funding for their additional hours. It is important to note four year olds attend one day per week receive no funding and therefore we will not be enrolling 4 year old children for one day.

Three year olds are ineligible for funding unless they are from a low – income or Aboriginal family, although they can still attend preschool. Thus the difference in fees.

The aim of the funding is to maximise attendance for those children that are in the year before school, DoE expects that preschools will offer a greater number of hours to children in their year before school than those that have 2 or 3 years before they will go to school and funding is capped at up to 15 hours or 2 days per week per child. For every child that attends more than 2 days, the preschool receives no additional funding for them.

For further information on funding go to www.dec.gov.au/ECEC

Fees for low income, Aboriginal and Torres Strait families

Under the terms of our funding agreement with DoE, we are required to offer a fee reduction for Low income and Aboriginal families. The purpose of this funding is to provide assistance for families to access preschool education.

To be eligible for the low income/equity rebate families must be within the income limits for the ‘Low Income Health Care Card’ and the child’s name must be on the card. We need to sight and take copies of Health Care cards as proof of eligibility.

For further information on the Rebate for Low Income/equity and Aboriginal families at St Stephen’s Preschool, please contact the Preschool Office

Before Preschool Fee

Charges will be added to your terms account.

  • $10.00 per session for 8.00am – 8.30am

Building and Maintenance Levy

A Building and Maintenance Levy of $50 per term is added to each families account.   The levy will be used to help with the ongoing costs of maintaining our facility and our beautiful garden.   Whilst we will still be having the occasional working bee, the levy will assist greatly with repairs and maintenance to ensure regulatory and Work Health Safety compliance.

Fundraising

The profits from any fundraising go directly into the purchasing of resources to enhance the teaching and learning programme.

Fundraising events differ from year to year but have included Bunnings BBQ, Fete’s, Trivia Nights, Picture Plates, Tea Towels etc. Often it depends upon the interest from families and having sufficient volunteers and organisers.