Your First Childcare Week: Enrolment, Packing and Settling In
A practical checklist for the move from accepting a childcare place to understanding the first statement. Agree on communication and care arrangements with the service rather than expecting every child to settle on a fixed timetable.
In this guide
Confirm the place and the money before day one
Ask for the booking in writing: start date, booked days, opening and closing times, billed session length, full fee, deposit terms and cancellation notice. Check whether meals, nappies, excursions or other items are included. A waitlist position is not necessarily an enrolment, and a place offer is not CCS approval.
Read the refund and notice conditions before paying a waitlist or enrolment charge. Rules depend on the agreement; do not assume every fee is refundable. Keep the service’s contact details and the agreed collection deadline somewhere both carers can find them.
For eligibility and claims use Services Australia’s CCS guidance. Eligible families have at least 72 subsidised hours per fortnight from 5 January 2026, but this does not promise a place or free care. Our service-selection guide explains comparison and subsidy scope.
Complete a child-specific handover
Follow the service’s enrolment checklist for identity, authorised collection, emergency contacts, immunisation evidence, care arrangements and relevant medical information. Tell the service about allergies, disability, medication, communication needs and any current care plan through its secure process. Do not rely on a casual conversation alone for a safety-critical instruction.
Ask who receives changes and how they reach the educators caring for your child. Check the procedure for another trusted adult collecting your child and what identification they need. If parenting or court arrangements affect collection, provide the requested documentation and discuss the service’s procedure.
For CCS, check that the enrolment details and claim are correct in your account. If there is a mismatch in days, care type or personal details, resolve it with the service and Services Australia rather than assuming the next invoice will repair itself.
Pack from the service’s list
Use the provider’s list as the starting point. Depending on what it supplies, you may need labelled spare clothes, weather-appropriate outdoor clothing, a drink bottle, nappies or a comfort item permitted by its policy. Ask how milk, food and any medication must be labelled and handed over; safety and storage requirements matter more than a generic internet packing list.
- Check labels so belongings can be returned to the right family.
- Ask what should stay at home, including choking hazards or prohibited foods.
- Tell educators where essential items are packed.
- Confirm who supplies replacements and how you will be told when they run low.
Do a trial of the route and collection plan. Keep a backup contact who is authorised and realistically able to collect if a shift runs late.
Agree on a flexible settling plan
Ask whether the service offers orientation visits or a gradual start and how those visits are charged. Share your child’s routine, familiar comfort strategies and words used at home. Agree on how the educator will update you and when you should call if worried.
There is no fixed number of days in which every child must settle. Look for patterns together: sleep, eating, transitions and engagement across several visits, as well as your child’s needs at home. If distress or another concern persists, discuss adjustments with educators and seek appropriate professional advice rather than treating a rigid settling timetable as a diagnosis.
At collection, ask a focused question such as what helped with a difficult transition and what you should repeat tomorrow. Keep the handover manageable; a short shared plan is easier to use than several conflicting instructions from different carers.
Know the illness and exclusion process
Ask when the service will call you, when a child must stay home, what evidence is needed before returning and how absence charges work. Do not use a supposed “normal number of illnesses” to decide whether a child needs care. Follow medical advice and the service’s current exclusion requirements.
The NHMRC Staying Healthy guidance supports infection prevention and exclusion decisions in early childhood settings. A webpage cannot diagnose symptoms or replace an individual care plan. If you are concerned about a child’s health, seek appropriate health advice; urgent or life-threatening symptoms need emergency help.
Keep emergency contacts current and make sure your backup collection plan works during the day. Tell the service promptly about relevant diagnosed infections or updated medical instructions using its procedure.
Check the first statement, not only the subsidy percentage
Compare booked sessions, billed hours, full fees, subsidy credited, withholding, extra charges and the balance due. A 90% subsidy rate does not necessarily leave 10% of the total bill: the hourly cap and available subsidised hours can limit the fee reduction.
For example, five 12-hour sessions a week book 120 hours per fortnight. A 72-hour entitlement leaves 48 booked hours without subsidy. Ask how the service allocated the approved hours and whether another service shares them. Use the one-child scenario calculator only within its stated standard-rate scope.
If the bill is unexpected, keep the statement and assessment together and ask the provider to explain each line. Check the billed-hours and cap rules and income/withholding guidance. Update your income estimate or circumstances when required rather than waiting for an annual surprise.
Frequently asked questions
What should I pack?
Use the service’s own list and labelling rules. Confirm what it supplies and how food, milk, medication and comfort items must be handled.
How long should settling in take?
There is no single timetable for every child. Agree on communication and adjustments with educators, and seek appropriate advice if concerns persist.
Will 90% CCS cover 90% of the whole invoice?
Not necessarily. Billed hours, hourly caps, the fortnightly entitlement, withholding and other charges can change the bill.
Are waitlist fees always refundable?
No universal rule is promised here. Read the service’s written refund, credit and cancellation terms before paying.
Source review: 30 September 2026. General planning information. Confirm current rules and your individual circumstances with the linked official service before acting.