Check list for this week - CareforKids.com.au®

Check list for this week…

1. Vacation Care
2. 2013 child care re-enrolments
3. Xmas parties – book your babysitters
4. Out of School Hours Care – have you registered?

Vacation Care
Many child care centres close during the summer holidays so you need to check on the dates for your child care and make sure you have a back up if they're closed. Many out of school hours child care centres based at schools etc run vacation care for the week before Christmas and then again from the second week of January until the new school year starts (except Australia Day).

So get checking on CareforKids.com.au now and select Vacation Care search. Pop in your postcode and see which of the centres have vacancies (indicated by a red house).

2013 Child Care Enrolments
As the previous letter to Santa explains, child care is very difficult to find, so don't miss out on your child's care for next year by forgetting to get those forms in, because there is a waiting list of parents behind you ready and waiting to grab your spot!

Most child care facilities will have already sent out notes to parents advising of Enrolments or Re-enrolments for 2013, so if you have not yet received anything, it's worth asking in case it's been lost in transit or are at the bottom of your child's bag!

You spent all that time trying to get a place, don't lose it!

Book Your Christmas Babysitter – They're In Huge Demand
Don't miss out on your Christmas office party or social occasion this Christmas because you don't have babysitting or get let down by your niece or neighbour's teenager when she gets a better offer!

Babysitters are in huge demand at this time of the year and get booked up early over the festive season. With the silly season also brings silly prices too, so be prepared to pay more than the usual rates. But only within reason. Some private babysitters will really try it on and you shouldn't really be paying that much over the odds.

Some babysitters can charge double for New Year's Eve or Christmas key dates, though if you book through an agency you should be able to avoid this (usually it's the same booking fee plus an additional fixed rate on top) and ensure that the babysitter you book is reliable and will show up…

Click here to book a babysitter through our easy online booking service which only uses reputable agencies with police checked, vetted and referenced, professional babysitters.

Out Of School Hours Care
Out of School Hours Care (OOSH) are centres which are often either on the school premises or very close by. Usually independently run they provide care for children from that school and often some nearby before and after school. Generally speaking they're open from around 7am in the morning and close at 6pm in the evening.

OOSH centres generally provide care, a range of activities, snacks and breakfasts (for those on the early morning shift). They usually also provide vacation care, at very reasonable cost (which is also eligible for the child care rebate) and many of them process child care benefit and child care rebate directly through their accounts system.

They are extremely convenient, but if you've not had OOSH on your radar before, then it's really important to enrol your children as early as possible for each year, even if you're not going to use it regularly, because it can be a lifesaver if you're running late or have the odd early start and you need it on a casual basis.

If your child is already registered, then all it will take is a call to the centre to ask if your child can be included in that afternoon's centre on a casual basis, and they will sort it out. However they are not allowed to take your child if you haven't already registered with them.

Registering simply involves giving your child's and your details, bank account for direct debit as required, CRN number to log you into the Centrelink system and process any rebates due and also emergency contacts and doctors' numbers. Don't forget that the first time either you or any of your child's nominated "collectors" go to pick up your child, you will have to take a passport or driver's licence for ID.

There are usually limited spots in out of school hours care, so you need to get in there quickly to make sure you'll have a place.

For an overview on Out of School Hours Care, click here.

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