Edge Early Learning Strathalbyn – Braemar Dr

A: The first step is to book a tour at our Strathalbyn childcare and Kindergarten centre. Our Centre Director, Sue, will personally show you around our purpose-built centre and give you an opportunity to meet our Strathalbyn educators, explore our nurturing environments, and understand how we can provide an experience that is best suited to your child. After your tour, our Family Engagement Team will either send you an enrolment form to secure a spot or join our Strathalbyn waitlist.

A: We accept enrolments for future start dates at Edge Strathalbyn, so whether you’re trying to enrol your child to start next month, or further down the track, we can assist you. Our Family Engagement Team can provide you with our current availability in each classroom, and help you join our waitlist if we don’t have a position for your child when you need it. Call us on 07 3517 0629 between 8am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.

A: The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is a federal government subsidy designed to help Australian families with the cost of approved childcare. The amount you receive depends on your family’s income, the type of care, and your recognised activity hours. You will need to apply for the Child Care Subsidy through MyGov before your child starts at our Strathalbyn childcare and kindergarten, so that it can help reduce the cost of your childcare from day one. Each eligible family’s CCS is paid directly to Edge Strathalbyn – Braemar Dr, and we are then able to invoice families for any ‘gap’ fee payable for each day of care. Learn about CCS.

Applying for the Child Care Subsidy is simple; however, you should apply early to ensure you are ready to receive subsidised care in time for your child’s first day at Edge Strathalbyn – Braemar Dr. To apply for the CCS:

• Set up a MyGov account (if you don’t have one already) and ensure you have a Customer Reference Number
• Set up your Centrelink online account through MyGov
• Prove your identity through documentation to be able to claim payments (you can do this online or in-person at Centrelink)
• Gather supporting documents including payslips, birth certificate, and medical records
• Submit supporting documents in your Centrelink online account or the express plus Centrelink mobile app. You can also mail, fax, or visit a service centre.
• Lodge your application via MyGov.
• Once this is lodged, Edge Early Learning, as your childcare provider, will input your enrolment details and lodge your application for you to get it fully processed.
• The Government will then notify you to confirm your subsidy eligibility and entitlement (how much they will subsidise off your childcare cost).

For more information on the application process, including how to do the childcare subsidy assessment, visit Services Australia website.

A: You can use our easy Childcare Subsidy Calculator to get an estimate of your out-of-pocket fees for our Strathalbyn childcare and kindergarten. Simply complete the questions in our CCS calculator and input your details, and the calculator will provide an indication of your potential childcare subsidy and resulting out-of-pocket daily fees (the actual childcare cost you will be invoiced for each fortnight).

A: There is no difference to the quality of the Kindergarten education program offered at Edge Strathalbyn – Braemar Dr versus a community or stand-alone Kindergarten. Our program meets the Early Years Learning Framework (national curriculum) and is taught by a degree qualified Early Childhood Teacher.

What you will find sets us apart is our Teach A Rainbow education program in Kindergarten, which is exclusive to Edge. The other main difference between our Strathalbyn Kindergarten and other standalone providers is family flexibility. Our Childcare and Kindergarten run year-round, with long daycare session hours (how long we can care for your child each day) for those families that need it. This means you don’t need to find alternative care for your child during the school holidays, or outside of the Kindergarten program each day.

A: At Edge Strathalbyn – Braemar Dr, we aim to make life as easy as possible for you, so we supply most of the necessities including sustainable nappies, wipes, sunscreen, bedding, and nutritious meals (breakfast through to a late snack) to ensure your child is well-cared for throughout the day. However, there are a few items that you will need to bring to ensure your child has everything they need:

• Hat and drink bottle (supplied on enrolment)
• Spare clothes (3 sets)
• Any comfort items (dummies)
• Nappy cream (requires pharmacy label)
• Formula (pre-measured in dispenser) & baby bottles (pre-filled with water) / Breastmilk (clearly labelled)

A: We’re conveniently located on Braemar Drive, directly opposite the Strathalbyn Skatepark, and just a 2 minute drive from both Eastern Fleurieu School and Tyndale Christian School. Plus, we offer on-site parking for added ease and accessibility.

We’re also only minutes from our Edge Early Learning Strathalbyn – North Pde centre, just across the skatepark. This close proximity makes it easy for children to enjoy shared excursions and form friendships with peers they may later attend school with.

A: Yes! Your child will enjoy fresh, nutritious meals prepared daily by our on-site chef, using recipes developed in collaboration with accredited dietitians at The Biting Truth. Designed with growing bodies in mind, our seasonal 4-week rotating menus are designed to be age-appropriate and nutritionally balanced, aligning with the Australian Dietary Guidelines to support healthy growth and development. Featuring a variety of whole foods and culturally inspired dishes, meals can be tailored to suit individual tastes, dietary needs, and allergy requirements—ensuring every child receives nourishing meals each day.

A: At Edge Early Learning Strathalbyn – Braemar Dr, we believe open and collaborative communication is essential to every child’s learning journey. That’s why we encourage families to connect with our Centre Leadership Team and educators for face-to-face conversations about your child’s development, whenever it suits your schedule.

As an Edge family, you can also expect to receive regular updates from our centre, including:

Weekly

• Highlights of your child’s learning experiences across the week
• Our Teach A Rainbow program summaries and planned experiences in your child’s room
• Classroom updates, including projects, displays, and environment changes

Monthly / Bi-Monthly

• Individual learning snapshots: goals, progress and meaningful moments
• Centre newsletter with classroom highlights, team introductions and centre events

Twice Yearly / Annually

• Summative Assessment offering a detailed overview of your child’s progress over the prior 6 months, linked to the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0
• A detailed transition report is shared with your child’s primary school, highlighting their strengths and readiness to support a smooth move into formal schooling. For children attending Preschool only
• A planned room transition program, including family discussions and a transition letter, to keep you informed, reassured, and supported throughout the transition

We’re here to partner with you every step of the way, fostering a supportive and engaging environment for your child’s growth.

A: At our Strathalbyn early learning centre, the safety and wellbeing of every child is our highest priority. We provide a secure, nurturing long daycare environment where children can explore, learn, and grow with confidence. Our team is committed to protecting children through consistent daily practices, evidence-based programs, and strict adherence to national child safety standards and Edge child safeguarding policy and procedure.

We work closely with child safety organisations such as Life Ed and Bravehearts to strengthen personal safety education within our program including body boundaries, emotions and social awareness.

We exceed regulatory requirements with a 1:9 ratio of educators to children in our 3–5-year-old rooms (versus the regulated 1:11 ratio) to ensure your child receives more individual attention, closer supervision, and stronger educator relationships.

At Edge, your child’s safety and wellbeing isn’t just a policy, it’s part of everything we do. Our S.A.F.E. framework (Spot, Act, Fix, Explain) empowers educators to speak up if they see or suspect something isn’t right, fostering a culture of accountability and vigilance. Our Active Supervision policy supports staff to plan, position, look, and listen to ensure all children are continuously supported and monitored in a safe learning environment. In addition, all supervisory and senior staff complete ongoing Child Protection and Mandatory Reporting training to stay up to date on best practices.