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25.01.2022 ** this email has been sent to all families ** As per Dan Andrews press release today, Early Childhood Education services will reopen from tomorrow and do not require permits to attend. This is wonderful and welcome news. To all families that have been on this 'road map' out of lockdown (especially Metro Melbourne) I hope today brings you some hope and joy. We can be optimistic about meeting the next level easing of restrictions together!... IMPORTANT. Please do not bring your child to care if they are a bit unwell. Please make the call about your child's health and do not bring to care for your educator to make the call. With childcare now unrestricted we can no longer waive gap fees for children that are absent. Please continue to support your educator to maintain their COVID safe plans by signing in and out at the front porch, wearing masks during handover and avoiding extended conversations. Exceptions can be made if your child requires extra support to transition to care - please discuss this with your educator so that they can ensure many families are not congregating at their homes at the same time. Further information about COVID safe procedures can be found here: https://www.igniteminds.com.au//updated-covid-19-hygiene-p I thank you for your continued support and look forward to supporting you as we embrace this new future. Regards, Ujjval

25.01.2022 Important Update Regarding the Conclusion of Free Care This pandemic has been a rollercoaster for the childcare sector (the world!) and Ignite Minds. Initially we were told that we were to provide free childcare for all Australians with 60% less income. You will remember my desperate cries for help in early April. I am forever grateful to hear that many families stepped in and made voluntary payments to their educators. Your kindness, generosity and support will forever ...Continue reading

25.01.2022 FREE CHILDCARE IS A LIE. Educators will be paying through lost income and many will be forced to close. Use this BCP calculator and auto generated letter to write to your local member of parliament.... We have until Wednesday to get the word out that this BCP system will not work for Family Day Care. https://www.igniteminds.com.au//business-continuity-paymen Please share with all educators and parents.

23.01.2022 A new video is live on our YouTube channel, Play Learn Teach. Dont forget to subscribe, like and follow! Movement & imagination are fun and essential in every childs daily rhythm. Even more important under social distancing laws SHOP ROLE PLAY : https://www.dragonflytoys.com.au/search... Share your role play photos below!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kpvnucPa0Y&feature=youtu.be

23.01.2022 Dear families - please see latest advice from the department about COVID-19 https://www.education.vic.gov.au//cho-message-parents.aspx

21.01.2022 DAISY FAMILY DAY CARE IS OPEN! "What an amazing day to finally open my day care with few of my friends/parents beside me! Thank you everyone for your help and support - it is very appreciated Thank you to all the lovely children as well for making it a special day for me."

21.01.2022 ** this email has been sent to all current families ** I hope this email finds you well. We are absolutely looking forward to easing restrictions. It is lovely to hear that many families are planing to return to care with the lifting of restrictions to Stage 2.... Please note that Ignite Minds is unable to waive gap fees for services operating in Stage 2 restrictions. This means that families in Regional Victoria will need to pay the Gap fee for all absences from Monday 28th September. With the Government 14 day average target met it is also possible that Metro Melbourne will be in Stage 2 restrictions very soon - pending further announcement childcare will reopen across Metro Melbourne from Monday 28th September. Please discuss your plans to return to care with your educator. If your bookings have changed please complete a booking variation from from this link. https://www.igniteminds.com.au/update-vary-change-or-cease- If you book to return next Monday and restrictions are not lifted you will not be charged. I thank you all for your continued support and messages of hope. I hope you are all taking time to feel the spring on your face, picnic in your backyards and be reacquainted with the local parks. To assist us respond to the volume of questions we are receiving at this time please post any comments or questions to the following link rather than reply to this email. Stay safe and take care, Ujjval

19.01.2022 HAPPY MOTHERS DAY Of all the special joys in life, The big ones and the small, A mothers love and tenderness ... Is the greatest of them all. . . . . #igniteminds #mothersday #motherslove #mothersday2020 See more

19.01.2022 See our latest video at Play Learn Teach! Learn how to needle felt Easter Eggs. Dont forget to subscribe to our channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ73tm_HdAk&feature=youtu.be

19.01.2022 Scott Morrison (ScoMo) - We Need to Talk! FULL PRESS RELEASE - https://www.igniteminds.com.au//press-release-we-need-an-u Ujjval Goble Director and CEO of Ignite Minds Family Day Care, addresses the issues resulting in Scott Morrisons announcement of Free Child Care. ... Contact for further comment - [email protected] or twitter @ignitemindsfdc #scomo #scottmorrison #freechildcare #familydaycare #covid19 #coronavirus #igniteminds https://youtu.be/G_-vk4nRK8s

19.01.2022 One of our incredible Educators is an inspiration to all with this gorgeous hatching experience. Captured beautifully and enjoyed in many ways by the children. Through arts, craft and watching the eggs hatch and the chicks grow. If you would like to enrol your child in Sun's House Family Day Care, click this link! http://bit.ly/SunsHouseFDC

16.01.2022 This is the second of a 4 part series discussing the concepts of being, belonging and becoming and their relationship to early learning. This episode takes a deeper dive into the concept of becoming - an expression of the childs will and provides a perspective that sees and celebrates strong willed children. These children have a lot to teach us and will be the most ok during this COVID crisis. There is a link between the adult will and how we use our hands, our relationship to things and how we introduce these things into our learning environments. I hope you enjoy. If you are listening on a mobile device you may get better sound if you follow links to Apple or Spotify podcasting services. https://www.igniteminds.com.au//second-of-4-part-series-be

16.01.2022 To list the top 5 items that are used in a Family Day Care and Homeschool environment. These are the top 5 things to have on hand and stocked up ready to go for any craft project. These items are perfect for story telling, homeschool lessons, drawing, crafting and sensory experiences.

16.01.2022 NEW VIDEO A beautiful story of Story of The Little Gnome Who Had to Stay Home - Written by Susan Perrow. Brought to you by Carol Liknaitzky - Education Leader for Ignite Minds. Learn the story and create your own scene! Get your art supplies to create this story - here: http://bit.ly/2VYKJAv... https://youtu.be/kbacV2bDAj4 SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel - Play Learn Teach - for stories, crafting, songs and much more!

15.01.2022 These are truly wonderful ideas to teach children about our Indigenous Australian culture. Some true inspiration

14.01.2022 PLAY. LEARN. TEACH. Watch our latest video by Carol Liknaitzky - creating egg shakers! Dont forget to give us a thumbs up on the video and subscribe to our channel Play Learn Teach!... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd5Ek1qxCDs

14.01.2022 PLAY. LEARN. TEACH. STORY TIME : See our latest video - The Story of the Sun Fairies and Rain Fairies presented by Carol Liknaitzky - Education Leader for Ignite Minds. Dont forget to subscribe to our channel - Play Learn Teach... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiDt3GZilnQ&feature=youtu.be #playlearnteach

13.01.2022 https://amp.theage.com.au//childcare-centres-across-sydney

13.01.2022 **this email has been sent to all families** We anticipated early on that we would be entering a phase of the hammer and the dance. The past few weeks have been filled with optimism as we have seen the economy open up yet people have become complacent about returning to normal. With Dan Andrews announcing the lock down arrangements for 10 suburbs around Melbourne we can see the hammer falling once again. The good news: None of Ignite Minds educators operate services ...in the suburbs affected by these lockdowns. If families are travelling from these suburbs to drop children in care they need to be extra vigilant about their reasons for doing so. Please see this link for the latest advice about these restrictions. https://www.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-covid-19-restrictions-vi The Bad News: We are all in this together. We cannot be complacent and must all work together to ensure we protect our most vulnerable. All families are asked to please review Ignite Minds hygiene procedures available at this link. https://www.igniteminds.com.au//updated-covid-19-hygiene-p A reminder - if anyone in your household is unwell please do not bring your child to care. Stay Home. Get Tested. If your child is unwell, keep them home. Make the call about your own childs health, do not bring your child in to care for the educator to ascertain whether they are sick enough. I wish you all strength and resilience. We got through round one - lets keep our spirits up for round two! If you have any questions please post to facebook so we can all be on the same page. Regards,

12.01.2022 Dear Families I understand that many of you are feeling great anxiety about the latest announcement and lockdowns. There are many things that we know and still many things that are not yet announced.... We know that Regional Victorians are entering Stage 3 lockdowns. Regional Victorians can still leave their homes for the following 4 reasons. * For food and essential supplies * For study or work * For care and healthcare * And for exercise or outdoor recreation When outside your home, you must wear a face covering. Educators have been asked to clarify their policy for Waiving Gap fees for sessions of care where a child is usually booked but is absent. Please discuss this with your educator - you will need to sign a document acknowledging that you understand their fee waiver policy. Melbournians are now in stage 4 lockdowns. The details and impact this will have on Early Childhood education services is not yet known. We have been told that we can only provide care to permitted workers. Daniel Andrews said he will be announcing a system for how people will be able to get a work permit tomorrow. Until then we are unsure who will be able to participate in childcare. There has not yet been any announcement regarding financial support for your childs educator. This is also a distressing time for them. Please rest assured that Ignite Minds will do everything we can to administer the changes fairly to minimise harm for all stakeholders. It is not possible to please everybody when balancing harms. If you are unable to gain a work permit and have pre paid for care we will refund this to you and will not enforce any 2 week notice period. I hope to be able to update you with more clarity in the coming days. If you are suffering distress because of these announcements you have my heartfelt sympathies. If you have ideas of how we can support each other better then please share those with us. You can find information about financial assistance here https://www.igniteminds.com.au//what-financial-support-is- You can find information about our COVID hygiene procedures here https://www.igniteminds.com.au//updated-covid-19-hygiene-p If you need support with your mental health you can access information here https://www.igniteminds.com.au//mental-health-support-duri Please take care. Warm Regards, Ujjval

12.01.2022 New YouTube video released by the lovely Carol Liknaitzky. https://youtu.be/3cYlEwKGV_0 Dont forget to like, share and subscribe! ... #igniteminds #openendedplay #rudolfsteiner #steiner #mariamontessori #montessori #outdoorplay #earlychildhoodeducation #preschool #earlylearning #creativeenergy #freespirit #organisationallearning

12.01.2022 https://www.theage.com.au//parents-to-get-30-more-fee-free

11.01.2022 I am writing to further clarify some announcements over the weekend. "Permitted workers, are able to access childcare if there is no one else in their household who is able to supervise children. For example, a permitted worker in a single parent household may access childcare. If there is another carer in the household, permitted workers can still access onsite childcare if the other parent/carer cannot supervise children. This could be for a number of reasons - for example,... their partner or co-parent: * has a medical condition, or chronic illness which prevents them from caring for the child * has a disability * is completing full time study and must attend onsite * works from home, but in a role that means they cannot supervise the children - resulting in the permitted worker not being able to do their job Both carers do not have to be permitted workers to access childcare - but we are asking that Victorians only access childcare and kinder services if they have to." The above information was sources from. https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/permitted-worker-scheme-covid-19 The department released a new document titled Permitted-Worker-Scheme-Template-childcare-additionAugust-2020 Permitted workers who do not have anyone in the home with the capacity to provide childcare need to get this updated permit signed. Please make sure you check the last box in the employee declaration on page 2. I thank you for your ongoing support and keeping up with this rapidly changing information. Please post any questions to the below FB post to assist us respond in the most effective way. Regards, Ujjval

10.01.2022 PLAY. LEARN. TEACH. Watch our latest video by Carol Liknaitzky - The Story of Mother Natures Autumn Blanket Dont forget to give us a thumbs up on the video and subscribe to our channel Play Learn Teach!... SHOP HERE : Wool : http://bit.ly/2Nin5g0 Silks : http://bit.ly/2qRL3Ym WATCH VIDEO - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq-IZsQvoHU&feature=youtu.be

10.01.2022 Dear Families, Thank you for being so amazing during these extraordinary times! I am hoping that I can finally provide some detail on the changes that are coming into effect from midnight tonight. I apologise in advance if this is not what you want to hear but am grateful to finally be able to see a way forward.... Regional Victorians If you are from Regional Victoria it is largely business as usual. Please keep safe and continue your great communication with your educator around your heath and staying away if you have symptoms, have been tested and awaiting results or are a known contact of a positive case. With your help we hope to continue to be able to provide services. Metropolitan Melbourne All workers will need a work permit to leave their house from midnight tonight. The worker permit can be downloaded from this link: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/permitted-worker-scheme-covid-19 Permitted workers will be able to apply for an Access to Childcare Permit. When available this permit will be published here. https://www.vic.gov.au/worker-permit-scheme Where you are not eligible for an Access to Childcare Permit we encourage you to keep your child enrolled so that your educator can continue to receive the Child Care Subsidy payable for child absences during this pandemic. All Metropolitan Melbourne families will not be charged any gap fees for absences and Ignite Minds has committed to topping up your educators pay to 75% of their usual fees. Ignite Minds will top up Regional Victorian educators where they waive gap fees for absences however the number of absences will be restricted to 30. All educators who remain open will be providing a Covid Safe plan to Government by Friday 7th August following these action steps published here: https://www.igniteminds.com.au//updated-covid-19-hygiene-p I understand that you may still have many questions. To assist us with responding to the large volume of questions and allow everyone get the benefit of your questions please ask them via our facebook link rather than replying to this email. Further information about restrictions and support is published here. https://www.igniteminds.com.au//updated-victorian-restrict

10.01.2022 UPDATED INVOICING PROCEDURES I am wanting to reach out to you and thank you for persisting and keeping on during these extraordinary times. I am so grateful that in times of intense stress our parent community has shown us patience, kindness and compassion. ... All of us at Ignite Minds - our Educators, Coordinators, Marketers, Support and Administration staff have been energised and buoyed by the kindness of others. Thank you. We normally invoice families 2 weeks in advance. This week we were unable to do this as we do not know which families will be permitted workers and which families we will be waiving gap fees for absences. We need to change our system to avoid charging full invoices to families that may not be able to attend. We anticipate that this situation will persist for some time as families collect permits whilst juggling the new work from home and homeschooling landscape. From now on we will invoice weekly instead of fortnightly as has been our practice. We hope to raise an invoice each Tuesday (due Wednesday) for the previous week. We are still not sure how the administration system will work for waiving gap fees so fingers crossed this will happen smoothly from Tuesday 11th August for the week ending Sunday 9th August. All families will continue to get an itemised invoice. The invoice will include a charge for all booked care and a credit for any gap fees on the days the child was recorded as absent. Just to be clear - if your child is absent you wont be charged. I understand that weekly invoicing may not suit everyone - I hope you can understand why we have made this decision and can support us with prompt payment so we can pay your childs educator on time. Please continue to engage with us via our facebook page. This really helps us as it avoids us having to respond to 100 emails who have similar questions. Kind Regards,

09.01.2022 Dear families, As you will now be aware - we are back in lockdown until Midnight Wednesday 17th. Childcare will remain open and your educators will maintain your bookings during this period. ... We have not been given any advice about fee help for families. At this stage you will be charged as per an absent day if you choose not to attend. I hope you can find time to look after your physical and mental health during these challenging times. Here is a link to some of the support services available. https://www.igniteminds.com.au//mental-health-support-duri If you have any further questions please ask below - this assists us greatly in responding to the volume of questions and everyone can benefit from your questions. Regards,

09.01.2022 Thought this was a really cute idea :)

07.01.2022 A new video is live on our YouTube channel, Play Learn Teach. Dont forget to subscribe, like and follow! Watch this cute little video by Jake Wearing, Education Innovator from Ignite Minds Family Day Care, showing how kids can have fun with chores! Add a story and a song, and the washing becomes fun. Hanging clothes out to dry using a child size clothes horse and wooden pegs. SHOP : https://bit.ly/307zV96... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbWPPJtmMc0&feature=youtu.be

07.01.2022 Dear friends, Mr Morrison announced a free childcare package last Wednesday. This has got many families excited and seems to answer many of their prayers. What has not been understood is that the Childcare sector is paying for this announcement. From today, the Family Day Care sector has lost 65% of their income and many services are considering their options including closing. ... Importantly, this announcement has not been approved by parliament but it is expected to pass this Wednesday. Lets open our hearts and begin to have a conversation about the value of childcare to our nation. This sector - the lowest paid has done the heavy lifting for our economy for years and now in this emergency situation, the sector is expected to keep lifting for 65% less pay. Please have a look at this press release - please pass to any sympathetic journalist. https://www.igniteminds.com.au//press-release-we-need-an-u

06.01.2022 Hello All, We will be closed from 8AM to 2PM today for staff training. Phones will be diverted to message bank. We will get back to you ASAP. Thank you for understanding.

06.01.2022 Check out the latest Play Learn Teach video by Jake - Innovation Co-ordinator at Ignite Minds. Autumn Watercolour and leaf rubbing tutorial. Dont forget to like and subscribe to our channel! https://youtu.be/346S0NHcUzk

06.01.2022 I am writing as Ignite Minds is returning to fortnightly pre payment of your childcare fees. We temporarily moved to weekly invoices due to uncertain booking arrangements, the extension of allowable absences and the need to waive gap fees for absent children during the COVID lockdown. To avoid charging 3 weeks in one invoice to get you up to the fortnight in advance (previous week, plus this week and next week) we will break this down into 3 payments over 3 weeks. ... There will be 1 invoice each week for the next 3 weeks and then fortnightly invoices. Week 1 The first invoice will be for last week plus this week (2 weeks) which will bring you to 1 week in advance. Week 2 The second invoice will be for the second week of the pay cycle (1 week) bringing you to a full 2 weeks in advance. Week 3 The third invoice will be for a full fortnight in advance and will mirror your booking arrangement. All subsequent invoices will be every 2 weeks. As per current guidelines Ignite Minds can waive gap fees for children that are absent for COVID reasons. This includes, awaiting test results or being requested to isolate as a close contact of a confirmed COVID patient. As always, please ask any questions below. Regards, Ujjval

05.01.2022 Great idea by one of our Educators! Nice work Melissa!

05.01.2022 Are you looking for childcare? We have a number of wonderful Educators across Victoria, who have vacancies. Our Educators are passionate, friendly and compliant. Offering a premium service with Child Care Subsidy.... SEARCH EDUCATORS : http://bit.ly/2JgB1Fu Hurry before vacancies fill!

05.01.2022 ** this email has been sent to all families ** I hope you have had some happy holidays. As Victoria is anxiously watching current outbreak numbers it is important to remind ourselves of the practical things we can do to keep each other safe.... If you have visited a listed hotspot you must inform your educator and seek advice about appropriate actions. See following link for Covid Hotspots. https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/case-locations-and-outbreaks Ignite Minds has so far avoided any service infections and this credit is due to all families and educators working together and keeping safe - thank you! Please review the below information to help support us through this current outbreak. Summary of Pandemic Action plan. * Families to sign children in and out from outside the educators residence. * Families are not to enter educators homes unless absolutely necessary (for example, new child induction or child anxiety) * Families and children must remove shoes in educators homes * All visiting adults must wear face masks inside educators homes (educators are exempt from masks in their own homes) * Children are prevented from attending if they have any of the following symptoms, fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat, shortness of breath Please review our updated hygiene procedures at this link: https://www.igniteminds.com.au//updated-covid-19-hygiene-p Kind Regards, Ujjval

05.01.2022 We are pleased to be reporting that we continue to offer free childcare and Ignite Minds has now implemented a strategy to bring Educator incomes to within 90% of the pre pandemic income levels as we prepare for a return of the Child Care Subsidy system on the 29th June. Click below to learn more... https://www.igniteminds.com.au//ignite-minds-business-retu

04.01.2022 Childcare Permits for Metropolitan Melbourne Please be advised that the childcare permits have been published at the bottom of the following link: https://www.vic.gov.au/worker-permit-scheme I have attached the 2 different permits to this email for your convenience. Please note that you will need to get your employer to sign the permit.... 1 permit is for employees that need childcare who cannot work from home 1 permit is for employees that need childcare who are working from home. Sole traders have been told to complete the form and sign both the employee and employer sections. In both instances you will need to demonstrate that you do not have any adults at home that can provide care. Unfortunately you will not be able to bring your child to care in Metropolitan Melbourne without a completed permit. We understand that for many people with childcare bookings on Thursday the 6th August it will not be possible to get the permit completed on time. Unfortunately we cannot make exceptions. We apologise for any for the inconvenience caused by the late finalisation of the permit system. I thank you all for your continued support and understanding. Your kind messages have really lifted team spirits. Please continue to ask your questions below. Take care

04.01.2022 Here are some good infographics from Dan Andrews fb page clarifying what the restrictions mean. Importantly how you can access childcare if only one partner is a permitted worker. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3312835922114254&id=134712696593275

02.01.2022 https://www.theage.com.au//unintended-consequences-mass-ch

02.01.2022 Quartet of Fairy Tales Card Game - Watch as Jake - Innovation Leader for Ignite Minds, goes through the deck of cards. He reads the instructions and shows you the beautiful illustrations. Visit Youtube to watch video - https://bit.ly/PLTFairtale SHOP CARD GAMES : https://bit.ly/3bTXdkW... #dragonflytoys #ecofriendly #steiner #openendedplay #rudolfsteiner #mariamontessori #montessori #outdoorplay #earlychildhoodeducation #preschool #earlylearning #creativeenergy #freespirit #educationaltoys #sustainabletoys #waldorftoys #ecotoys #ecotoysau #naturaltoys #sensoryplay #outdoorplay #imaginativeplay #learningthroughplay