Frequently Asked Questions

Enrolment & Bookings

  • To enrol, you'll need to register for an account on our online portal My Family Lounge, and complete the enrolment form. Once submitted, a member of our Bookings Team will contact you to guide you through the next steps of the enrolment process.

  • My Family Lounge is an online portal designed for families, allowing you to easily manage your child's enrolment. Through the portal, you can submit your child's enrolment form, update contact details (such as phone number and email), and add or remove emergency contacts. You can also request changes to permanent bookings and book casual days.

    The My Family Lounge app is available for free on Apple devices. Disappointingly, the app is not currently available for Android devices. Through the app, you can request casual bookings and mark your child as absent.

  • 1.  Log into the My Family Lounge portal via your web browser.

    2.  Click on "View Enrolment" to access your current details.

    3.  Make the necessary changes to your information.

    4.  Once you've made the changes, click on "Submit" to save.

  • In case of an emergency, it is important to have a minimum of 2 people we can call, if neither guardian can be reached. These additional contacts provide backup and ensure your child’s safety and wellbeing.

  • 1.   Log into the My Family Lounge portal via your web browser.

    2.  Click on "View Enrolment" to access your current details.

    3.  Find the section for Additional Contacts

    4.  Enter the additional contact details, including their full name, relationship to your child, phone number, address, and answer "Yes" or "No" to the following authorisations: collection, emergency, medical, transport, and excursion. Also, what gender and if they are over the age of 18 years old.

    5.  Click on "Submit" to save the new contact.

  • The QK Kiosk is set up on the iPad which is available at your child’s service.

    To sign your child out:

    1.  Enter your Mobile Number and click OK

    2. Enter your PIN and click OK

    • If this is your first time logging in, the default PIN will be "0000".

    • After entering the default PIN, you will be prompted to create your own 4-digit PIN. Confirm your new PIN when asked.

    3. Click on Confirm and Next if any attendances or absences appear.

    4. Click “Sign Out”

    5. Click “Done”.

  • No, guardians or other contacts are not permitted to share their log in details with other contacts. Any additional contacts, including the second guardian must be listed on the child's enrolment and assigned their own unique contact number and private PIN to sign the child in and out. It is essential to maintain the confidentiality of your contact number and PIN, as this is a legal requirement for submitting attendance records.

  • Please inform us if your child is absent from After School Care by using the My Family Lounge app (only available for iPhone users), via email to bookings@nwcc.com.au, or by text message to the service, at least one hour prior to the session.

    Failure to notify of non-attendance will result in a non-notification fee of $5.00 per child.

  • A non-notification fee is charged when a parent fails to notify Northwest Community Childcare of their child’s absence at least one hour before the scheduled session. This fee is applied in addition to the standard booking fee and is not eligible for CCS rebates.

    You can mark your child as absent by logging into the My Family Lounge app (please note that the web portal does not support this feature). Alternatively, you can email bookings@nwcc.com.au to notify us of your child’s absence, ensuring the email is sent at least one hour before the session begins.

  • Yes, you are required to pay for absences if your child is booked for a permanent, routine weekly sessions. The standard session fee is charged to hold your child’s place. This applies to all absence types – including illness or family holidays, in accordance with our Fees Policy. The only exception would be if the Service is unexpectedly closed for an emergency by NWCC.

  • Permanent, routine care refers to regular sessions that occur each week, with the arrangement remaining in place until a written cancellation is provided with a minimum of two weeks’ notice. Please note that charges will continue as usual for these sessions, even if your child is absent, to retain their place.

  • For New Families
    To request a new permanent, routine booking, please log in to your My Family Lounge account. Click on "New Request" and follow the provided instructions. Your new booking request will appear in your account as pending approval. Please note that our waitlist is regularly reviewed, and care will be offered based upon availability.

    For Existing or Returning Families
    To modify an existing permanent, routine booking, scroll to the bottom of the page to "Current Bookings." Locate the booking pattern you wish to change and click on "Edit" on the right side. Follow the prompts to enter your new booking request. Please note that these requests are also pending approval and require a minimum of two weeks' notice for any changes to current bookings.

  • To view your current bookings, please follow these steps:

    1. Log into the My Family Lounge portal via your web browser.

    2. Scroll down past any previous offers to the section titled "Current Bookings" at the bottom of the page.

    3. Click on "Edit". The days your child is booked in will be marked with ticks.

    4. If an end date is displayed next to the booking, this indicates that the booking is no longer active.

    Note: If your child is enrolled as a casual booking, this will not appear in your current bookings section.

  • To cancel or make changes to a permanent, routine booking, please email your request in writing to bookings@nwcc.com.au. A minimum of two weeks' notice is required. You will receive an email confirmation once your cancellation or change has been processed.

  • Permanent bookings will roll over automatically each term. They will remain in place until we receive written notice to cancel care.

  • No, due to high demand, we are unable to hold or pause a permanent, routine booking. This includes for reasons such as illness and extended family holidays.

  • A casual, flexible booking is a non-recurring booking that can be made through the My Family Lounge app or via email. Please note that casual bookings may incur an additional fee. For details on session fees, please refer to the individual service Family Factsheet, or OOSH Location webpage.

  • A casual, flexible booking can be requested, and is subject to availability. You can make your request through the My Family Lounge app. For last-minute requests, please email bookings@nwcc.com.au and await confirmation. Your child is not booked in until you receive a confirmation via the App or via email.

    Please note that casual booking requests cannot be processed over the phone.

  • To cancel a casual, flexible booking, please submit your cancellation in writing via bookings@nwcc.com.au or action it through the My Family Lounge app. To avoid being charged, cancellations must be made at least 48 hours prior to the start of the session booked.

  • Yes, you can have both routine and casual bookings. Routine bookings are permanent regular sessions that occur each week, while casual bookings can be made as needed up to two weeks in advance and are based upon availability.

  • All Vacation Care bookings are made on a casual, flexible basis. Bookings can be made via the My Family Lounge app or by emailing bookings@nwcc.com.au. For more details, please visit our Vacation Care page and refer to the Vacation Care Terms & Conditions attached to the Service program for each location.

  • To cancel a Vacation Care booking, please email bookings@nwcc.com.au.
    Prior to cancellation, please refer to the Vacation Care Terms and Conditions outlined in the program, as booking changes will not be permitted after the specified cut-off dates.

  • No, if your child is booked for Before or After School Care during term time, there will be no charge during the school holidays, as these services are not operational during this period. If care is needed during the holidays, or on School Development Days, you can book your child into Vacation Care.

  • Our services are closed on NSW Public Holidays, and you will not incur any charges for these days.

  • Our fees are charged per session, not on an hourly basis. This means that even if your child attends for only 30 minutes or an hour, the full session fee applies.

  • Statements are emailed to you fortnightly, at least 48 hours prior to direct debits being processed. If you are not receiving a regular statement, please email bookings@nwcc.com.au for assistance.

  • We currently only offer Direct Debit as a payment option. To set up your payments, complete a Direct Debit Form. Once submitted, payments will be automatically processed fortnightly on Fridays. Please allow 3 business days for the payment to clear.

  • For every failed payment, a dishonour fee of $9.90 will be charged to your account. You will receive an email from Northwest Community Childcare notifying you of the failed payment. The email will include the reason for the failed payment, the dishonour fee, and the date of your next scheduled payment.

  • To update your payment details, please complete a new Direct Debit Form and email your completed form to bookings@nwcc.com.au as soon as possible. Alternatively, if you have an iPhone and have installed the My Family Lounge app, you can update payment options yourself.

  • Non-Notification Fee: A fee will be charged if Northwest Community Childcare is not notified of your child’s absence at least one hour prior to the session. You can notify us via the My Family Lounge app, by texting the relevant service, or by emailing bookings@nwcc.com.au. Please refer to the Fees Policy for current rates.

    Late Fee: A fee will be charged if your child is collected after the service's closing time. Please refer to the Fees Policy for current rates.

  • The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is a program provided by the Australian Government to help families reduce their childcare fees. If families meet the eligibility criteria, they can receive a percentage of their childcare fees paid by the government. Please check with Centrelink directly to confirm your eligibility and to make a CCS claim. For more information, visit Service Australia’s website.

  • Once prompted by NWCC, log into your Centrelink account through myGov and follow the prompts to complete the outstanding task. If you cannot see the task, please contact Centrelink for assistance at 13 61 50. For more information visit Service Australia’s website.

  • Before contacting our Bookings Team, we recommend reaching out to Services Australia (Centrelink) at 13 61 50 for assistance. Northwest Community Childcare does not have access to your personal details or arrangements with Services Australia and will not be able to provide further information.

  • If your child has not attended care for 14 consecutive weeks, Centrelink will automatically cease their enrolment details. Once your child returns to care, Northwest Community Childcare will submit a new enrolment to Centrelink for you to confirm.

  • Families are allowed up to 42 allowable absences per child each financial year without affecting their Child Care Subsidy. Once this limit is reached, full fees will apply for any further absences unless a medical certificate is provided to Northwest Community Childcare. For more information, visit Services Australia’s website.

  • Absences are tracked on a financial year basis for Child Care Subsidy, not by calendar year.

Fees & Payments

General

  • Families are welcome to drop off their child at Before School Care or Vacation Care any time from the service opening time. Families can pick up their child from After School Care or Vacation Care prior to the service closure time.

    Please refer to your OOSH Location webpage or the Vacation Care Terms & Conditions for service specific operating hours. Occasionally, Vacation Care starts and ends at a time that differs to term time, so we recommend regularly checking operating hours.

  • If your child has a school activity that overlaps with their before or after school care, please complete an extra-curricular form and return it to the service or email it to bookings@nwcc.com.au.

    Your child must arrive and be signed into Before or After School Care first.

    The external provider will be responsible for collecting your child from care, as well as returning them to Northwest Community Childcare, once the activity concludes.

  • Breakfast is provided each morning where services are open for Before School Care; times will vary between services. An afternoon tea snack is provided at all services. Please inform us in advance if your child has any special dietary needs or requirements. Please refer to our Sample Menu page for more information.

  • Yes, please notify us if your child has any food intolerances or allergies. If your child requires specific food products, you may need to provide these items for their meals whilst at our service. We will make every effort to ensure your child is included and catered for appropriately. Any changes to your child’s dietary or allergy requirements must be submitted in writing.

  • Our services offer a range of child focused activities, both programmed and free play. Please refer to our Sample Program page for more information.

  • Areas within the service are available for homework, and whilst completing homework isn’t mandatory, children can be encouraged to work on it as needed, based on family preferences. However, our Educators may not always be available to help children with their homework due to mandatory staff to child ratios and ensuring supervision is maintained across the entirety of the service.

If you have any queries, please contact our Bookings Team on 02 8678 0279 or bookings@nwcc.com.au.