ABOUT US
The Kids Cottage is a non-profit organisation managed by a volunteer Committee of parents and school community members. The Committee is a sub-committee of the Middle Harbour Public School Parents & Citizens Association (P&C).​
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Kids Cottage offers a high quality care with a variety of fun, active, creative and age appropriate program. Kids Cottage Middle Harbour OOSH offers Before and After School Care for the students of Middle Harbour Public School, as well as Vacation Care for the greater community.
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The Centre currently caters for up to 230 children daily, which is separated into two groups for After School Care and two groups for Vacation Care allowing for our programs to reflect the cognitive, social, physical and emotional development of each child.
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Your children's safety and wellbeing is our number one proprieties. All staff have a current Working With Children Check, follow all polices and procedures. All our permanent and management team have their current first aid certificates. All staff undergo annual Child Protection Training, along with regular behavoiur management training and active supervision training.
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Our program is play based and based on their inputs and interests of children and families. Staff document each age group's activity and one individual child's activity daily. We use the Xplor playground app, which sends to families Xplor home app. This app allow families to comment on their child's individual post, request casual bookings, notify when your child is absent and make payments on account.
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Our programs are created one week in advance at a weekly programing meeting with staff. Staff use the children's and families inputs and follow up activities from the previous week's observations. All staff critically reflect on the previous week's program and development stages of their groups. This allows our program to be up to date and ensure that we are meeting the National Quality Framework. We use the My Time Our Place framework throughout our Before and After School Care programs and Vacation Care programs.
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Our menu is designed by one of our permanent team members. Who uses the children's and families suggestions to create a menu with a variety of healthy, nutritious foods. We aim to cater for all special dietary requirements and ensure that all children's needs are meet.
CURRENT FEES
Before School Care:
Permanent $18.45 Casual $20.20
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After School Care:
Permanent $30.25 Casual $32.45
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Vacation Care:
MH Families Incentre $96.00 per day
MH Families Excursion $106 per day
Non MH Families Incentre $109.50 per day
Non MH Families Excursion $117.60 per day
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Late Vacation Care Booking Fee: Applied for any booking requests made after close of business on the Friday before the last week of Term.
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$5 per day late is charged
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ASC Search Fee:
$20 (Non Notification of your Child's Absence)
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Late Fee:
$20 flat rate then $15 after every 15 minutes
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New Hat Fee:
$9
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Spare Hat Fee:
$1
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Parent Management Committee reviews the centre fees as part of the annual budget. The last review was July 2025
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CENTRE PHILOSOPHY
At The Kids Cottage we believe in providing an unbiased, age appropriate, creative, active and fun program with a variety of choice, in a safe and caring environment.
We believe in respecting individuality whilst challenging the children's growth cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically and encouraging the development of essential life skills.
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We maintain that children have the right to feel safe and supported in their environment and support this through developing secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships between educators and the children.​​
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CHILD SAFE
COMMITMENT STATEMENT
Kids Cottage is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment where all children are respected, valued and heard. We believe that the safety and well-being of children is everyone's responsibility and should be embedded in every aspect of our service.
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We are committed to:
- Upholding the rights of every child to feel safe, secure, and protected from harm, abuse, and neglect.
- Embedding the Child Safe Standards into our culture, policies, and everyday practice.
- Creating a child-centred environment where children are empowered to speak up and participate in decisions that affect them.
- Promoting equity and inclusion by respecting diversity and supporting the needs of all children, including those with additional needs, disabilities, and from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
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OPENING HOURS
The Centre is open for Before and After School Care, Monday to Friday coinciding with the school year. Kids Cottage also provides Vacation Care during the school holidays.
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Before School Care
7:00am - 9:00am
After School Care
3:00pm - 6:30pm
Vacation Care and Pupil Free Days
8:00am - 6:00pm
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The Centre closes for two weeks over Christmas.
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CANCELLATIONS
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Please be aware of our 14-day cancellation policy for all permanent bookings.
Vacation care booking cancellation policy now requires 14 days’ notice in writing prior to the day of the booking for cancellation without charge.​
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We require 24hrs notice to cancel a casual Before or After School Care booking without charge otherwise the casual booking will be marked as absent.
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RATIOS
Our Educator to Child ratios as outlined in the National Standards is maintained at all times. These include:
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In Centre 1:15
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On Excursions 1:8
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When Swimming 1:5
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There will be a minimum of 2 Educators present at all times.
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NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARDS ASSESSMENT AND RATING
Kids Cottage Middle Harbour is governed by the NQS who set a benchmark for the quality of all education and care services across Australia. The NQS is made up of seven quality areas with services then being assessed and rated by their regulatory authority against these areas to determine their level of quality.
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In 2021 the Kids Cottage underwent Assessment and Rating, a process in which ACECQA, the governing body, assessed the service against the 7 quality areas of the National Quality Standards and was given an overall rating based on these results. The Kids Cottage Achieved “Meeting National Quality Standard”.
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COMPLIANCE HISTORY
Kids Cottage Middle Harbour has no statutory complain history to display.
As of 10th Novemeber 2025.
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