Frequently Asked Questions
Early Education
What is early childhood education?
Early childhood education relates the education, learning and development of children which takes place predominantly from birth to five years of age. During this time, children will learn vital skills and set foundations that will prepare them for schooling and later life. Early childhood education focuses on the essential developmental milestones, skills, and concepts that children achieve during this period which include physical growth, social, emotional, and cognitive development. We believe in providing children with quality early education in which they will develop lifelong skills.
According to the Victorian Government, a child who has attended two years of a quality kindergarten program will, on average:
- Have better cognitive and social skills when they start school (including better development in language, pre-reading, early number concepts, non-verbal reasoning, independence, concentration, and social skills)
- Have higher exam scores at 16, including better grades in english and maths
- Have more developed social and emotional outcomes at age 16
- Be more likely to take more final year exams and to go on to higher academic study
Why is play important in early childhood?
Play is vital to children’s learning, development, confidence, and wellbeing. A variety of structured and unstructured play activities builds on all areas of children’s development.
Active play such as jumping, running, and climbing supports children’s overall health, physical growth, and supports awareness of the benefits of an active lifestyle.
Imaginative play, which includes dressing up and role play, can help children develop positive social and emotional skills and values. Imaginative play provides children opportunities to learn how to play and work with other children, discuss ideas, and make decisions.
Individual and collaborative play helps children to develop cognitive skills through learning how to problem solve, think creatively, and concentrate. Play also supports literacy and numeracy development, by learning new concepts such as counting, measuring, vocabulary and identifying letters and words.
When does a child start Kindergarten?
We offer 3-year-old and 4-year-old Kindergarten programs. Children may attend the services provided they will be three or four years of age for the relevant service, as of 30 April in the year of their attendance.
How do toddlers learn?
Children’s brains will develop faster in their first five years of life than at any other stage in their life. Therefore, it is important to provide your child with a nurturing and stimulating environment with a variety of ways for them to grow and learn.
During the toddler stage, children will learn mainly through relationships and through play. Play is crucial to your baby’s cognitive development as they develop the ability to think, understand and communicate. Your child explores through play by experimenting, creating, and thinking. Playing with your toddler builds the relationship with your child, by supporting them and providing them with a safe space to explore and learn.
Is childcare and kindergarten the same?
Although we offer both childcare and kindergarten in our centres, the two are different. We offer childcare for children aged from 6 weeks old for families who require care for their children. While we offer educational programs to younger children, our 3-year-old and 4-year-old Kindergarten programs offer a structured approach to the children’s education. Our programs follow the National Quality Standards, and our Kindergarten educational program is designed by a fully qualified early childhood teacher. Our teachers comply with comprehensive knowledge of the Early Years Learning Framework and Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework.
What are the benefits of kindergarten and pre-school?
Attending kindergarten or pre-school offers numerous developmental, social, and educational benefits for children. Here's how our program can benefit your child:
- Building confidence and independence
- Enhancing numeracy and literacy skills
- Developing social skills
- Encouraging positive wellbeing practices
- Nurturing creativity and imagination
Our 3 to 6 year old programs are available in Vic, NSW and WA ensuring that children receive the essential early education they need for a successful future.
Aspire Centres
What do I need to bring for my child?
Our centres provide children with nutritious meals, linen, nappies, and sunscreen. We ask families to supply a water bottle, hat, spare change of clothes, and, if required, a comfort item (toy or blanket), and formula. Please pack all items in a bag for the child ensuring that the child’s name is clearly labelled on each item and the bag.
What are the operating hours of your centres?
Our services are open Monday to Friday 6.30 am – 6.30 pm for 52 weeks of the year. Centres and Head Office are closed on public holidays
Do you follow a set curriculum?
Yes, Aspire follows the National Early Years Learning Framework, delivering a high-quality curriculum that supports development across literacy, numeracy, STEM, creativity, and social-emotional learning.
How do you keep families informed of their child's learning and development?
Aspire uses regular updates, learning journals, and our parent communication app Kinderm8 (Storypark) to keep families engaged in their child’s progress. Our educators provide insights into learning, development, wellbeing, and daily activities.
Do you offer meals and snacks during the day?
At Aspire, we offer breakfast, morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea and cater these meals to each age group. All food is provided by the centre and prepared fresh each day on the premises by our qualified chef who prepares the children’s meals according to the nutritional needs of children as per the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.
Our approach caters to picky eaters, food preferences, and cultural diversity, ensuring every child’s needs are met.
What happens if I am breastfeeding?
If you are breastfeeding, we fully support your choices and provide a comfortable and private space for breastfeeding or expressing milk. We work closely with parents to ensure that their child's feeding needs are met. If you prefer to breastfeed your child during the day, we will accommodate this and provide any necessary storage for expressed milk.
Can my child with additional needs attend Aspire?
Absolutely. Aspire welcomes children of all abilities. We work closely with families and specialists to provide inclusive support and tailored learning experiences for children with additional needs.
Enrolment
When do I need to enrol my child in kindergarten?
At Aspire Early Education and Kindergarten, we focus on your child’s journey from the nursery to kindergarten. It is recommended that you secure your child’s place in kindergarten as soon as possible, or when your child first starts care at the centre.
Depending on vacancies, we may be able to take external bookings for our Kindergarten program.
Do you offer tours or orientation before enrolment?
Yes! We offer personalised tours and orientation sessions to help your child and family feel comfortable and confident before starting. It’s a great way to meet our team, see our learning environments, and ask questions.
How do I enrol my child at Aspire?
Enrolling is simple — you can book a tour, contact your local Aspire centre, or visit us in person. Our team will guide you through the enrolment process and answer any questions about kindergarten age, funding, or CCS.
Otherwise you can call the friendly enrolments team on 1800 978 429.
Fees and Pricing
How is the cost of childcare calculated?
The cost of childcare at our long day care centre is calculated per day. If you are eligible for the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), it will be applied to reduce your childcare fees. The final daycare cost you pay depends on your eligibility and subsidy percentage.
Do I pay for absent days?
Families are expected to notify the service if the child/ren are to be absent for the day. The service has a legal obligation to the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to record all absences of children who are in receipt of CCB within the Service. If your child has been absent, and you receive CCS, you have a legal requirement to notify the Service of the reason for your child’s absence.
Allowable Absence Days - CCS is paid for up to 42 allowable absence days for each child per financial year, the initial 42 absence days must be exhausted before additional absences can be claimed.
Approved Absence Days - CCS is payable for absences taken for the following reasons:
- Illness (medical certificate required)
- Non-immunisation
- Rostered days off
- Rotating shift work
- Court ordered shared custody
- Attendance at pre-school
- Temporary closure of a school or pupil-free days
- Exceptional circumstances
All absent days from the service whether they are due to illness, holidays, rostered days off etc. must be paid for in full. All booked days must be paid in full regardless of attendance.
Do I pay for public holidays ?
Public holidays are charged at the normal daily fee. Families will be eligible for the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) for public holidays if they have not exceeded allowable yearly absences.
What is included in Aspire's fees?
At Aspire, your child’s fees cover more than just care – they include nutritious meals prepared by centre chefs, nappies and wipes, engaging learning programs, and access to a team of passionate, qualified educators. We’ve thoughtfully included everything needed to support your child’s wellbeing, development, and daily comfort.
What payments plans do you offer?
We understand that managing childcare fees and daycare costs can sometimes be challenging. In cases of special circumstances or financial hardship, we may be able to arrange a payment plan to help ease the burden of childcare costs.
If you are experiencing difficulties, we encourage you to reach out to us. While payment plans are assessed on a case-by-case basis, our priority is supporting the families and children in our care wherever possible.
What if I make a late payment?
We understand that sometimes delays happen. While there are no late fees charged for delayed payments, we will send friendly reminders and follow up with you to ensure that your childcare fees are up to date. We’re here to support you and are happy to assist if you have any questions or concerns regarding your payments.
How do you take payments?
Childcare fees are charged weekly on Thursdays via Pay Choice from your nominated bank account. Daycare fees must be paid one week in advance to ensure your child’s continued care.
What is the Child Care Subsidy (CCS)?
The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is a payment from the Government that will provide financial assistance towards the cost of your child’s care and reduces the cost of your total childcare fees. There are certain requirements you need to meet to be eligible for CCS. Until your CCS has been approved and has commenced, full fee payment is required.
Family entitlement to CCS, will be determined by a three-step activity test, more closely aligning the hours of subsidised care with the combined hours of work, training, study, or other recognised activity undertaken, and providing for up to 100 hours of subsidy per fortnight.
A broad range of activities will meet the activity test requirements including paid work; being self-employed; doing unpaid work in a family business; looking for work; volunteering or studying. There will be exemptions to the activity test for parents who legitimately cannot meet the activity requirements.
What is funded kindergarten in Vic?
Government funding significantly reduces kindergarten fees for families. For some families, it means that their children can attend kindergarten programs for no or low cost.
The Victorian Government covers around two-thirds of the cost of an average funded 3-year-old and 4-year-old Kindergarten program. This funding is provided directly to the kindergarten service. This allows children to access up to 15 hours a week of funded kindergarten delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher.
The amount families can expect to pay will vary depending on the type of early childhood education service their child attends. Eligible families can receive a rebate on per day fees via the Commonwealth Government’s Child Care Subsidy.
Families can access a funded kindergarten programs at low or no cost if the child:
- Is Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- Is a triplet or quadruplet
- Is covered by a Health Care Card
- Holds an eligible concession card or refugee, humanitarian or asylum seeker visa, or their parent or guardian does.
Speak to us about your family’s eligibility when you enrol your child.
Careers
How do I apply for a position at Aspire?
- Explore all the current roles available at Aspire Early Education.
- Choose the position you’re interested in and click on the listing for more details.
- Submit your updated resume and add an optional cover letter.
- You’ll receive an acknowledgment email confirming that we’ve received your details.
- Our talent acquisition team will carefully review all applications. If your experience aligns with the role, we’ll get in touch within 5-7 business days to discuss the next steps.
How do I become an early childhood educator?
To become an early childhood educator, you are required to study at TAFE or at a Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
There are two courses an individual can study to become an early childhood educator:
- Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care or
- Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care.
There are opportunities to upskill through a university degree to become a teacher.
How long does the application process take?
The application process can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the volume of applications. We review every application carefully to ensure we’re finding the right fit for both you and Aspire. You’ll be notified once we’ve had a chance to review your submission.
Why was my application rejected?
At Aspire, we are committed to empowering excellence, and sometimes, it’s simply a matter of finding the right fit for both the role and our culture. We place great emphasis on ensuring that every member of our team aligns with our values, as we know this directly impacts the experiences of the children in our care and the strength of our community. While you may not have been the right fit for this role, we truly appreciate your passion and encourage you to apply again in the future. There’s always room for dedicated people like you at Aspire.
What do I need to prepare before applying?
Before applying, ensure your resume is updated and clearly reflects your experience and qualifications. A cover letter that highlights your passion for early education and why Aspire is the right fit for you will also help make a strong impression.
When will I know the outcome of my interview?
After your interview you can expect to hear from our talent acquisition team or the centre leadership team as soon as possible regarding the outcome and next steps. We want to make sure we give your application the time and consideration it deserves.
Do I need to provide references?
Yes, we ask for references to gain a better understanding of your previous experience and how you work with others. We value your past achievements and want to hear how you’ve made an impact.
What qualifications do I need?
Qualifications vary depending on the role, but for most educator positions, a Certificate III or Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care is essential. If you’re unsure about the qualifications for a specific role, feel free to check the job description or reach out to us for clarification.
Why haven’t I heard back?
We truly appreciate your patience. Sometimes, the review process can take longer than expected, especially if we’re managing a high volume of applications. Rest assured, our talent acquisition team will get back to you as soon as possible.
How should I prepare for my interview?
We recommend reviewing the job description and reflecting on how your experience aligns with the role. At Aspire, we value passion and dedication, so think about why early education matters to you and how you can contribute to our community.
How many rounds of interviews will I have?
Typically, our process involves two rounds of interviews: the first being a phone or video interview, followed by an in-person interview where you’ll meet key team members to discuss the role in more detail. However, this can vary depending on the role, and we’ll provide clear guidance on the process for each position. We want to ensure we find the right fit for both you and Aspire.
Do I need a working with children's check?
Yes, all educators and those working directly with children are required to have a valid Working with Children Check. This is crucial for ensuring a safe environment for both children and staff.
Where are interviews conducted?
Interviews are typically held at one of our Aspire Early Education centres or at our Head Office in South Yarra, depending on the role. If the interview is conducted virtually, we’ll provide all the necessary details in advance.
Can I apply for multiple roles?
Absolutely! If you feel that your skills and passions align with more than one position, we encourage you to apply for multiple roles. We want to help you find the perfect fit.
Will I be contacted if I am not selected?
Yes, if you’re not selected for a role, we will notify you as soon as possible. We believe in transparency and appreciate your interest in Aspire, and we encourage you to apply for future roles that may be a better fit.