School Holiday Program

Enrolment brochures can be obtained from most local primary schools, all council libraries and buildings or can be mailed to you if you join our mailing list.

Programs are designed for children who are aged 5 to 12 and currently live in or attend primary school in the City of Monash. Once you have completed an enrolment form, bookings are accepted by mail only at MYFS and only during the designated booking period. Bookings are accepted according to Commonwealth Priority of Access guidelines and all enrolment forms must be completed in full to provide staff with adequate information for the care of your child.

No, our brochures are quite large and are colour coded for administration purposes. Additionally, all information must be clear and legible so we do not accept faxed or emailed enrolment forms. EVERY QUESTION MUST BE ANSWERED ON THE ENROLMENT FORM to meet the Education and Care Services National Regulations and provide our staff with accurate information about your child.

Bookings are only accepted at MYFS during the designated booking period. This is to allow sufficient time for the processing of all bookings and also to ensure that program staff have some time to familiarise themselves with the children in their care. If you miss the booking period, you can contact the program directly from the first day of the program to determine whether there are vacancies on the day/s you require care. If vacancies exist, you can enrol directly at the program. You will be charged an additional $5.00 late fee per child to cover the cost of processing the form outside of the booking period. To avoid this additional charge, and to ensure you secure all the days of care you require, families are encouraged to send in their enrolment form as early as possible during the booking period.

If your child has additional needs or is from a culturally and linguistically diverse background please call the Holiday Program Team Leader at MYFS (Monash Youth and Family Services) on 9518 3900, at least three weeks prior to the booking period to discuss inclusion support. Children with additional needs will be included into the program wherever possible, however, to ensure that we are able to meet each child's unique needs we must thoroughly plan for their attendance, and have appropriate resources available as required for a successful inclusion. Councils Inclusion Support Facilitation team can assist in this process as well.

Program fees are set by Council. Currently fees for a centre-based day are $43.00 per child and $ 54.00 per child on an excursion or special clinic day. However, most families are entitled to reduced fees through their Childcare Benefit (CCB). CCB is available to eligible families through the Family Assistance Office (FAO). Eligible families are also entitled to claim 50% of their out of pocket child care costs through the Child Care Tax Rebate. Please call the FAO on 13 61 50 for more information. Remember to provide us with your child and family Customer Reference Number and Date of Birth so that your child care usage can be lodged. Once you have your CCB percentage please contact MYFS on 9518 3900 for your reduced daily rate before sending in your booking form. Payment must accompany your booking form. You can pay by cheque, money order or credit card. You will receive a booking confirmation once your booking has been processed.

Children need to bring a school/sports bag with them. They need to bring lunch and snacks that are nutritious and do not require heating. Children should also bring a healthy drink to the program. We request that children wear appropriate clothing and footwear for an active program. Children must also bring a hat and sunscreen to the program each holidays, with the exception of the June / July program, in line with our Sun Smart policy.

Absolutely not! The programs are open those hours to try to accommodate the varied working hours that families sometimes need to meet, however, your child can be dropped off anytime after 7.30am that suits your commitments. On excursion days however, it is necessary for all children to be ready to go by the times indicated on enrolment forms. This is usually 9.00am. Children who are not dropped off and signed in by then will be unable to attend excursions. Scheduled activities on other days usually run within the hours of about 9.30 - 3.30pm so that is a good guide. We know that 7.30 - 6.00pm is a long day to be in care for children, so find the hours within that range that suit you and your child.

All sorts of places - museums, zoos, playgrounds, movies, sports facilities and more! Children are encouraged to be involved in the planning of their program experience so activities and excursions are planned according to the needs and interests of the children in our care. Parents can also offer their suggestions through feedback forms, suggestions boxes or just by talking to program staff.