Terms & Conditions

Fees and charges policy

Glossary of Terms:

  • Victorian Department of Education and Training (VDET)

  • Australian Government Department of Human Services (AGDHS)

  • Ignite Minds (Service)

  • Educator (the family day care educator)

  • Child Care Subsidy (CCS)

  • Centrelink

  • Family (parent, guardian)

  • Gap fee (Educator fees as published on igniteminds.com.au - (minus) Child Care Subsidy )

  • National Law (Education and Care National Law Act 2010
  • National Regulations (Education and Care Services National Regulations)

Ignite Minds is responsible to collect all child care fees from families on behalf of the educator so that the appropriate CCS can be remitted to the family account.  Ignite Minds collects all fees for care from the families through direct debit, credit card or Bpay and passes this on to the educator minus any service fees chargeable to the educator.  Ignite Minds does not charge families any service fees.  Ignite Minds accepts payments via credit card or direct debit, bank transfer and Bpay and does not accept any other form of payment for fees including cash payments.

All families will accept the direct debit agreement upon enrolment and will ensure they have enough funds to meet the direct debit schedule.

Where families have been assessed and approved for CCS by Centrelink Ignite Minds will only claim the subsidy for 'approved sessions of care'.  An approved session of care must meet the following criteria:

  1. The parent has completed the child enrolment process and confirmed the booking schedule
  2. If the booking has changed, the parent has notified Ignite Minds of any changes via this link
  3. The parent remains liable to pay the gap fees for childcare provided
  4. The educator has provided the session of care care in compliance with the National Law and National Regulations. 

Permanent Bookings:

Families will pre pay 2 weeks in advance.  Each of the 2 weeks pre payment periods will be calculated based on all bookings between each Monday and the following Sunday.  The prepayment will be calculated using an estimate of the Gap fees as follows:  Full fees for child care - (minus) Estimated Child care Subsidy (CCS) = Gap.  (A gap fee calculator can be found here https://www.igniteminds.com.au/ccs-estimator) Families are responsible to pay any difference between the estimated Gap and the actual CCS received.  Where the estimated Gap differs from the actual CCS received from Centrelink an adjustment will be recorded on the Family statement. 

The prepayment represents a commitment by the family to the Educator and Service to attend on the booked days.  This prepayment is not a bond and is not refundable. Where a child is absent they will not be eligible for a refund or to swap days.  Pre booked days are not interchangeable, additional days needed must be paid for in full.

When a child ceases care the family will provide 2 weeks written notice to Ignite Minds.  The notice will be in writing and clearly set out the name of the child, the child’s educators name, the date the notice is delivered to Ignite Minds.  Where notice is provided directly to a child’s Educator and this is not communicated to Ignite Minds, Ignite Minds will count the notice from the date Ignite Minds became aware of the notice.  If notice is provided after the first day of attendance in a given week Ignite Minds will calculate the 2 weeks from the Monday immediately following the date notice was provided.  Where a child does not attend on the first or final day of any enrolment period they will not be entitled to any CCS. 

Parents can update, vary, or cease care at this link www.igniteminds.com.au/update-vary-change-or-cease-care 

All educator fees are published on the educators listing at www.igniteminds.com.au and can be changed by the Educator providing you with 2 weeks written notice.

Casual Bookings:

Casual bookings will be charged at the educators published casual rate.  Casual bookings are only available for approved enrolments and will be notified to Ignite Minds and the Educator via the booking form www.igniteminds.com.au/update-vary-change-or-cease-care 

24 hours notice must be provided to cancel a casual booking without incurring a charge.  

CCS Percentages and approved hours

Centrelink is solely responsible for determining each Families Child Care Subsidy rates.  You can estimate your rates here https://www.education.gov.au/sites/education/files/chcare/est/index.html

Families are solely responsible for managing their CCS reporting requirements with Centrelink.  If a family updates their income estimate, fails to meet participation test requirements, or fails to meet any correspondence requirements of Centrelink, this may impact on the CCS amount paid to Ignite Minds without notice to Ignite Minds.  Families acknowledge that any changes to their CCS rate will impact on any direct debit arrangement with Ignite Minds without notice.  Families may wish to contact Ignite Minds for an updated fee estimated following any changes in CCS entitlements.

Families can locate their CCS information on their statement - assistance locating this information can be found here www.igniteminds.com.au/parent-statements

Public Holidays and Absences

Families are liable to pay full fees for Public Holidays, child holidays, absences and when child is sick. 

Service Closures

Where the Educator is sick or provides notice of a service closure (educator takes a holiday) families will not be charged in recognition that families will need to pay for another service on that day.  Where the closure falls within a parents pre-paid fortnight a credit will be applied to the next invoice.

Ignite Minds will provide fortnightly usage statements. 

Ignite Minds reserves the right to claim costs of recovery on any unpaid monies that exceed our normal trading terms. This could include debt collection and cost of solicitors on a party to party basis. Nothing in this provision is to be construed as our consent to late payment of the previously agreed price.