Great News for Families !

CCS Activity Test changes starting January 2026

All Families will be eligible for at least 3 Days Guarantee per Week regardless of their activity levels*

The Australian Government is replacing the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) Activity Test from January 2026 to guarantee at least 3 days of subsidised early childhood education and care (ECEC) each week for children who need it.

How will this initiative work?

From January 2026, all families will be eligible for at least 72 hours of subsidised ECEC per fortnight (3 days per week), regardless of their activity levels.

Families can still get 100 hours of subsidised ECEC per fortnight if they meet activity requirements or have a valid exemption.

Families caring for a First Nations child will be eligible for 100 hours of subsidised ECEC per fortnight.

Why is this important?

The 3 Day Guarantee will support universal access to ECEC and help ensure more children are school-ready. It will also provide targeted cost-of-living relief to families.

The Productivity Commission's final report, A path to universal early childhood education and care (released September 2024), was clear that the children and families most likely to benefit from ECEC are the least likely to attend.

Who will benefit?

The 3 Day Guarantee will benefit all families through certainty around eligibility for subsidised ECEC.

In its first full financial year the 3 Day Guarantee will benefit around 66,700 families, and more than 100,000 families will be eligible for additional hours of subsidised care.

Families earning over $533,280 in 2024-25 are not eligible for subsidised care - consistent with current settings.

Dear Valued Centre Families,

Welcome to our new families and new children who have joined our Kidi Kingdom community. We hope you and your family are having a wonderful time with us here at Kidi Kingdom Child Care Springfield. We would also like to thank all our families for your ongoing support. Over the last few months both Ms Chrystle and myself have been involved in a Professional Learning Program which we were nominated by the Queensland Early Childhood Regulatory Authority. This program is delivered by Australian Children's Education and Care Authority (ACECQA).

This program that the service has been involved with over the last few months is tailored for professional learning and support to education and care services. During the program the service is guided by an ACECQA Quality Support Facilitator who works alongside Natalie and Chrystle in regards to selecting goals from the service Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) and engaging to develop programs for specific goals within the services. Below are the 3 service goals that the centre is working on.

• Enhancing Quality Areas with Focus on Positive Mealtimes and Health Education. NQS Link - Quality Standard 2 Element 2.1.3 Healthy Lifestyle.

• Fostering Consistent Critical Reflection to Improve Practices and Work Ethic. NQS Link - Quality Standard 1 Element 1.3.2 Critical Reflection.

• Increasing Community Involvement to Foster a Sense of Belonging. NQS Link - Quality Standard 6 Element 6.2.3 Community Engagement.

If you would like more information on this program or the service goals please have a chat with Ms Chrystle or myself.

Electronic Signing In and Out of the Centre.

EACH CHILD IS REQUIRED TO BE SIGNED IN ON ARRIVAL EVERY DAY on the electronic sign in and out kiosk. This is required for the following reasons:

• Child Care Subsidy

• Fire Evacuation Procedures

• Educator to Child Ratios

Please notify the Centre Manager, Lead Educator or Assistant Educator of your arrival. You are encouraged to stay and play with your child. Most children go through a stage of 'Separation Anxiety', when they will become somewhat distressed at your leaving. We understand that this can be a heart wrenching time; however experience has shown that children settle quite quickly after parents depart. May we suggest that you always say goodbye, tell them you are coming back, and leave promptly. If your child does not settle, we will contact you via telephone. You are welcome to call the Centre for reassurance, any time as often as you like.

EACH CHILD IS REQUIRED TO BE SIGNED OUT WHEN DEPARTING EVERY DAY on the electronic sign in and out kiosk. This is required for the following reasons:

• Child Care Subsidy

• Fire Evacuation Procedures

• Educator to Child Ratios

We expect an authorised person to collect your child each day. Only when prior arrangements have been made in writing and the child's enrolment form has been updated with the manager will children be allowed to go home with another person. It is a condition of enrolment that all authorised persons are required to sign their child in and out of the centre each day. This process is via electronic sign in and out on the centre kiosks located at reception though the hubhello electronic sign in and out app. All booked days attended by the child must be signed for, all booked days unattended are also required to be confirmed by the authorised person as absent. All parents will be issued a unique log in and password to successfully confirm any attendances/absences that have been entered by an authorised/responsible person at the service.

1. Parents will be made aware of the importance of signing in and out in relation to fire evacuation procedures and the health and safety of their child/ren.

2. If a parent does not sign their child/ren in and out of the centre. The Centre Manager / Responsible Person will sign the child out and the parent will be required to confirm the child's attendance or absence on the electronic sign in and out kiosk upon arrival the next attendance day. A friendly reminder from the Centre Manager and/or a Team Member will be given to ensure the correct procedure is being followed.

3. Attendance records will be checked on a daily basis by the Centre Manager and/or team member to ensure the signing in and out procedure is being adhered to by parents.

4. Times of arrival and departure will be signed in by the electronic sign in and out kiosks by an authorised team member for attendance and emergency procedures when parents have not adhered to this procedure.

Photo identification will be requested if the person or persons collecting your child is not known to the employees of the Centre.

In the unlikely event that a child is not collected by an authorised person by the Centre's closing time, educators will adopt the following procedure:

1. Parents or guardians will be telephoned;

2. If parents or guardians cannot be contacted, the first emergency contact person on the enrolment form will be telephoned and requested to collect the child.

3. If we are unable to contact any person on the contact list we have no option but to call the Department of Child Safety, to guide us on the correct steps to take.

Keeping our Children and Families Safe.

We all know how flustered we can get leaving home in the morning for work if our little ones aren't co-operating and that traffic and weather can have an impact on our time. All this can put a toll on us getting to work but please if you can monitor our speed while driving in and out of the carpark and down the road especially turning into the street with the units on the corner it can be very difficult seeing what's around. Little feet can take a run for it while we are trying to arrive and leave the centre while getting in and out of our cars. We just don't want anything to happen to our Kidi Kingdom Child Care Springfield family.

Payment of Child Care Fees

A friendly reminder to all our families that our only form of payment is direct debit and that your fees are to always be two weeks in advance as per our service policies and procedures, Please ensure your account is maintained as our services are in high demand. Your direct debit is placed on a dynamic payment system and will take out what is owed for either that week or fortnight. So if you have missed a payment your next cycle will take out what is owing. However, if you do miss a payment you can either let hubhello take it out on the next payment cycle or you are more than welcome to place that payment into our bank account which you will find the bank details on the bottom of your statement. Please reference your payment as your child's name. We find that this is the most effective and supportive payment method towards your childcare fees.

Please if you have any questions or concerns feel free to approach me at reception or simply email us at s@kidikingdom.com.au. Please head over to our Facebook page and we always appreciate our loyal families helping our centre by sharing your positive experiences to the local community by writing a quick 5 star Google, CareForKids or Facebook review.

Kind Regards, Ms Natalie Andrews Centre Manager

Click here to visit our pages at Facebook and Instagram

Dear Valued Centre Families.

As part of our ongoing commitment to high-quality education and care, we are excited to share some of the initiatives we've been working on this term as participants in the Targeting Quality Program. Our current goals include enhancing Positive Mealtimes and increasing Family and Community Engagement. One of the key ways we're supporting these goals is through the development of meaningful and engaging outdoor learning experiences.

Through ongoing critical reflection in our team meetings and collaboration among educators, we have begun implementing an inquiry-based outdoor program that extends children's learning beyond the classroom. This approach encourages children to explore the world around them in a hands-on, meaningful way while also fostering spontaneity and incorporating children's voices and interests into the curriculum.

Some recent and upcoming outdoor learning experiences include:

• Mini Garden Projects - planting herbs, vegetables, and flowers while learning about plant life cycles, responsibility, and sustainability.

• Bug and Insect Explorations - using magnifying glasses and observation tools to learn about different species, habitats, and environmental care.

• STEM in Nature - investigating natural materials (e.g. water, sand, rocks) to explore scientific concepts like volume, gravity, and cause and effect.

• Outdoor Art and Storytelling Spaces - creating with natural materials and using the environment as inspiration for collaborative storytelling.

• Loose Parts Play - using found objects like sticks, stones, fabric, and rope to build, design, and invent, supporting problem-solving and creativity.

As part of our Naturescape excursions to the local park, we will also be incorporating outdoor mealtimes and picnic style lunches. These relaxed, social mealtime experiences not only connect with our Positive Mealtimes focus but also offer a chance for children to enjoy the outdoors while building independence, sharing conversations, and developing healthy eating habits in a calm and natural setting.

Our Naturescape outings will continue to include a variety of engaging activities such as nature hunts, sports, and science-based exploration. These excursions give children the opportunity to connect with their environment, build physical skills, and explore themes such as biodiversity, changing seasons, and environmental care.

More information regarding our upcoming Naturescape excursions, including permission forms, will be sent out to families via Hubhello.

We deeply value your continued support and look forward to sharing more of your child's outdoor learning journey with you throughout the term. If you have any questions or would like to be involved in our outdoor program, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Kind Regards, Ms Chrystle Smith Educational Leader

Dear Families of the Early Learners Room,

Hello from the Early Learners classroom. It has been a pleasure to share the last three months with your children, watching everyone grow and learn new skills.

Here in the Early Learners classroom we are meeting milestones at a rapid pace with some of our friends learning to crawl, walk, climb, talk and feed themselves over the last few months. Each day we are practicing our emerging social skills including sharing, turn taking, using gentle hands and safely navigating and playing in the same area as each other.

Through play we have enjoyed exploring concepts of the five senses, colours, gross motor skills, self identification, Easter, ANZAC day, risky play, Mother's Day and we are just beginning our exploration of dinosaurs. We have enjoyed visiting our garden and using our hands to touch and smell different items of the garden. Together we enjoy painting, craft, making music, caring for baby dolls, driving cars and much more.

We follow each child's individual home routines, so if there are any changes to your child's routine at home please let us know so we can adapt the routine here at the centre.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share my days with your wonderful children.

Kind Regards, Miss Sarah Early Learners Lead Educator

Dear Families of the Junior Early Years Room,

Over the past few months of March, April, and May, our Junior Early Years children have been engaging in a variety of fun, meaningful and hands on learning experiences. It has been a busy and exciting time in our classroom as we explored several different themes that supported the children's curiosity, creativity and early development.

During the month of March we learnt about Sensory exploration and relationships with different types of foods. As part of our sensory and science exploration, we looked at textures and used our five senses to investigate the world around us. The children loved touching, smelling, listening, tasting and observing different materials and objects, building language skills and strengthening their observational abilities.

In March, we focused on sensory exploration and building relationships with different types of foods. The children used their five senses to explore textures, tastes, and smells, helping them build language skills and strengthen their observation abilities through hands on discovery.

In April, we explored Easter through creative activities that supported fine motor skills and a sense of community. We also learned about Anzac Day, using stories and art to help children understand remembrance and show respect for those who served our country. During the month of May we will be focusing on the Alphabet, exploring letter names and sounds through songs, games and hands on activities.

And will be exploring the colours of the rainbow, using art, stories, and nature to help us learn about colours, mixing, and patterns. This topic brought so much joy and creativity into our learning space!

It's been a wonderful term of learning and growth. Thank you for your support-we're excited for more adventures ahead!

Kind Regards, Miss Rianon and Miss Imogen Junior Early Years Educators

Dear Valued Families of the Senior Early Years Room,

Through the ongoing critical reflection of our programs during the month of March working with Miss Anum, the children achieved many outcomes, including our goal of enhancing imaginative play and engaging with one another.

The children learned about different cultures by celebrating the festival of colours associated with Holi Day and the significance of different colours through activities and artwork. During St Patrick's Day the children learned about Irish history, culture and tradition. Wearing green and making shamrock crafts related to St Patrick's Day.

During Harmony Week we focused on the theme 'everyone belongs' while respecting diversity. During the week we aimed to promote unity, understanding and explore our wealth of cultural diversity. We encouraged the children to share their own cultural backgrounds and explore diverse music and dance styles and even learn dance steps.

For the month of April the Easter events were particularly special with fun, learning and community engagement through various theme activities, community engagement with families, friends who attended the Easter Bonnet display, crafts, games and story times all designed to celebrate the holiday with children.

Followed by celebrating Anzac Day by teaching the children respect and appreciation for those who served and continue serving our country. Activities like poppy crafts, discussions and Anzac stories helped the children learn about the significance of the day.

In the month of May we look forward to showing our appreciation to all the mothers in this Mother's Day celebration. Creating crafts and personalized cards helps the children to understand the value of giving and expressing their appreciation and gratitude towards their mothers.

A friendly reminder if families could ensure that your child has warm clothes during this cold weather and a hat for outdoor activities during cold weather. A hat can make a big difference in keeping children warm, sun safe and comfortable during outdoor play.

Kind Regards, Miss Raquel Senior Early Years Lead Educator

Dear Valued Families of the Kindergarten Room,

The past few months have been filled with joyful learning, hands on exploration and meaningful celebrations. It has been so rewarding to watch the children grow in confidence and curiosity as they engage in new experiences that foster cultural understanding, creativity and social development.

In March, we explored a range of cultural events that introduced the children to the value of diversity and inclusion. Holi Day, also known as the Festival of Colours, gave the children an opportunity to learn about Indian culture through vibrant activities involving colour mixing, music, dance and storytelling. They were introduced to the meaning behind the celebration, learning how it symbolises joy, unity and the arrival of spring.

St Patrick's Day followed, where we focused on Irish heritage by engaging in green themed arts and crafts, exploring traditional symbols like shamrocks and rainbows and enjoying group games that supported both fine motor and social skills. Harmony Day was a very special part of the month as the children learned about the importance of acceptance and celebrating our differences. Through stories, collaborative art and classroom discussions, we reinforced the message that everyone belongs and that kindness and respect are important values in our room.

The month of April continued to bring exciting opportunities for both celebration and learning. Easter was a highlight, with the children working hard to create beautiful Easter crafts and designing their own Easter bonnets to proudly display during our Easter Bonnet Parade. These activities encouraged creative expression and provided opportunities for children to develop fine motor skills and confidence when sharing their creations with others.

As ANZAC Day approached, we took time to gently introduce the concept of remembrance and honouring those who served. Through age appropriate books and quiet reflection, the children learned about courage, community and gratitude. They also created poppy-themed art as a symbol of respect. We also had the pleasure of welcoming Urban Bee into our service for a hands on incursion all about bees. The children were absolutely fascinated as they learned about the vital role bees play in pollination, the process of making honey and the importance of caring for the environment. They explored real beekeeping equipment, examined a genuine honeycomb and even had the opportunity to taste fresh honey. This experience sparked lots of thoughtful questions and further inquiry about insects, nature and sustainability.

To round out the month, the children enjoyed celebrating National Superhero Day, where we explored what it means to be a hero and recognised the everyday superheroes in our lives, such as parents, emergency workers and teachers. The day encouraged imaginative play, storytelling and meaningful discussions about kindness, bravery and helping others.

Looking ahead, May is already shaping up to be another rich month of meaningful learning and family connection. As we prepare for Mother's Day, the children have been busy creating thoughtful handmade gifts to show appreciation for the special women in their lives. We're also excited to host a lovely Mother's Day Morning Tea, giving families a chance to come together and celebrate.

During National Families Week, we will explore the idea of what makes a family, encouraging children to share their own experiences through storytelling, drawing and conversation. This helps promote belonging and respect for the unique makeup of each child's home life. Toward the end of the month, we will begin observing National Reconciliation Week by introducing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history through Dreamtime stories, traditional music and nature-based art. These learning experiences are thoughtfully designed to help children begin to understand and respect the deep cultural heritage of Australia's First Nations people.

It has been such a pleasure sharing these past few months with your wonderful children. Their enthusiasm, kindness and creativity continue to inspire me each day and I look forward to seeing all the growth and joy that the rest of the year will bring. If you have any questions or would like to get involved in our upcoming events, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Kind Regards, Miss Maddison Kindergarten Teacher

Ingredients

• Easy Pizza Scrolls

• 1 cup self-raising flour

• 3/4 cup Greek style yoghurt

• 100g ham, shredded

• 1/2 cup cheese, grated

• 1/4 cup bolognese pasta sauce

Method

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line a baking tray with paper.

Step 2: Combine self-raising flour with yoghurt in a bowl. Mix to form a smooth ball. Knead for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 30cmx25cm rectangle. Spread pasta sauce over dough and top with ham and grated cheese.

Step 4: Roll up from the long side and cut into 3cm thick slices. Place cut-side up onto tray. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

Kind Regards, Miss Jessica Centre Chef.