LEAPKIDS TERMS AND CONDITIONS

These terms and conditions apply between you and Leapkids Australia Pty Ltd (Leapkids). By enrolling your child with Leapkids, you indicate your agreement to be bound by all these terms and conditions.

References in these Terms and Conditions to ‘us’, ‘our’ ‘we’ and Company means Leapkids Australia Pty Ltd. References to ‘you’ and ‘your’ apply to the custodial parent, legal guardian or care giver. Unless specified, these terms and conditions apply to Leapkids Before and After School Care Services, and Vacation Care Programs (Holiday Care).

1. ENROLMENT, INFORMATION AND AUTHORISATIONS

1.1 Disclosures – You confirm that you are the custodial parent, legal guardian or care giver of the enrolled child, and the information provided on your child’s enrolment notice is complete and accurate (Including medical conditions, dietary requirements, emergency contacts, authorised nominees). Failure to disclose relevant information may result in your child being suspended or excluded from the nominated Service.

1.2 Your child’s participation – You authorise your child to participate in all Leapkids activities, events and experiences, on the days for which your child is enrolled with the nominated Service.

1.3 Court Orders – You are responsible for ensuring Leapkids is made aware of any court orders regarding contact with your child (Including family court orders, parenting orders, family violence-related orders, child protection orders and bail orders). If any of these orders exist, we cannot honour your enrolment or booking until the relevant orders are received prior to your child’s first attendance in the nominated Service. You are responsible for immediately informing Leapkids of any changes to custody and access arrangements. Leapkids cannot accept court orders with portions removed, omitted or redacted.

1.4 Excursions – You agree to comply with our processes for authorising your child to participate in Leapkids excursions including:

a. Reading the ‘Excursion Information’ published on the Leapkids website;

b. Consenting to Leapkids signing on your behalf ‘Disclaimer Forms’ (such as assumption of risk and waiver and indemnity forms), that may be required for specific excursions;

c. Signing the ‘Excursion Authorisation Form’ on the morning of the excursion day; 

d. Dropping-off your child at the specified times, published on the Leapkids website; 

e. Ensuring your child does not bring any personal belongings on excursions; and 

f. In the event your child misses the bus (I.e. departure from the nominated Service), he/she cannot be dropped-off at the excursion venue, by you or any other person, and your child will be marked as absent.

1.5 Incidents, injury, trauma and illness – In the event of an incident, injury, trauma and illness to your child, you authorise Leapkids staff to administer appropriate medical attention and first aid, and to seek and obtain all necessary medical assistance and treatment, and you agree to pay for any associated treatment or medical expenses.

1.6 Administering medication – You authorise Leapkids staff to administer medication to your child, that is prescribed by a doctor, from its original packaging that contains a pharmacy instruction sticker. Leapkids cannot administer non-prescription drugs or dietary supplements, unless written authorisation is provided by a doctor. You are responsible for giving your child’s medication to Leapkids staff for safe storage, and completing a ‘Medication Authorisation Form’ when you drop-off your child at the nominated Service, and you must ensure that you do not leave medication in your child’s bag under any circumstances.

1.7 Sunscreen – You authorise Leapkids staff to apply sunscreen on your child, unless you have specified otherwise on your child’s enrolment notice, and provided your own. Your child may not participate in outdoor activities unless he/she wears a wide-breamed hat, provided by you during the sun protection period, from the start of September to end of April.

1. 8 Photographs and videos – You consent to Leapkids taking photographs and recording videos of your child for use in the following manner:

a. Documenting your child’s learning experiences;

b. Sharing with parents, guardians or care givers;

c. Sharing with your child’s school via newsletters, social platforms and visual displays;

d. Leapkids internal training and mentoring programs; and 

e. Leapkids advertising and marketing. 

1. 9 Films and movies – You give permission for your child to occasionally watch G and PG rated films and movies while attending the nominated Service.

2. DELIVERY & COLLECTION OF CHILDREN

2.1 Leapkids duty of care starts when the child enters the premises of the nominated Service, and is signed-in by custodial parent, legal guardian, care giver or authorised nominee on the child’s enrolment notice. Leapkids duty of care ends when the child is signed-out by the custodial parent, legal guardian, care giver or authorised nominee on the child’s enrolment notice.

2.2 Your child will not be permitted to attend the nominated Service without a prior confirmed enrolment or booking. Irrespective of the circumstances, you are not be permitted to drop-off or leave your child on their own inside or outside of the premises of the nominated Service. In the event this occurs, you will be contacted to immediately collect your child from the Service.

2.3 Your child will not be permitted to enter the premises of the nominated Service, before the Service opening hours. Your child is not permitted to sign themselves in or out of the nominated Service.

2.4 Your child will not be released from the nominated Service, to any person who is not listed as an authorised person or nominee on the child’s enrolment notice, and your child will not be permitted to leave the nominated Service with any person visibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

2.5 You are responsible for notifying Leapkids in writing, if your child is going to be absent from the nominated Service. If you fail to notify your child’s absence within 48 hours of the session start time, you will be charged the applicable session fee.

3. FEES AND FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS

3.1 Leapkids method of paying fees is via direct debited child’s enrolment will not be accepted, and your child will not be permitted to use Service, unless you complete an online direct debit registration.

3.2 Before and After School Care fees are direct debited from your nominated bank account or credit card.  

3.3 Vacation Care fees – Families who do not use our Before and After School Care, will have their vacation care fees projected prior to the start of the holiday program. Non-payment of the projected fees, prior to the start of the nominated holiday program, will result in your enrolment, application or booking being cancelled. Families who use our Before and After School Care, will have their vacation care fees, direct debited fortnightly. 

 3.4 A late collection fee of $2.00 per minute (Rounded down to whole minute), will be charged to your account, if your child is collected after the Service closing time (I.e. 6:00 PM).

3.5 An additional fee will be charged to your account, for any session of care provided to your child, that extends beyond the normal session times (E.g. Early finish on the last day of term).  

3.6 Failed payments – IIn the event you incur two consecutive failed payments, a debt recovery agency will be commissioned to recover your outstanding debt, and the account holder on the child’s enrolment notice will be liable for all associated costs with this process.

3.7 All Direct Debit payments to Leapkids are deducted by Zenpay Pty Ltd, trading as Childcare EasyPay (external payment provider), and any additional fees and charges applied by Zenpay are not charged by Leapkids (Including $0.90c per direct debit transaction, 1.34% for Mastercard, 1.54% for Visa and 1.86c for AMEX and $9.90 dishonour fee).

3.8 In the event Centrelink does not pay your fees, you will be liable to pay the full fees for all Leapkids Services incurred by your child. 

3.9 Medical expenses and treatment costs – You are liable for any expenses incurred as a result of medical assistance and/or treatment provided for your child while attending our Service. 

4. CHILD CARE SUBSIDY (CCS)

4.1 If you intend to claim Child Care Subsidy (CCS), you must provide Leapkids with correct parent and child details matching the information provided to Centrelink (Including CRNs, names and dates of birth). You are liable for paying full fees and charges until Leapkids can verify your CCS entitlement. If you have questions about your Centrelink entitlements, contact Department of Human Services Family Assistance Office on 131650.

4.2 Certified Written Agreement (CWA) – Once you have made a booking with Leapkids, you must confirm your Certified Written Agreement via your MyGov Account, to receive Child Care Subsidy (CSS). More information on the Certified Written Agreement (CWA) and how to confirm enrolment can be found Here 

4.3 Child Care Subsidy (CSS) is only paid from the first or last day of attendance during any 14-week or enrolment period. Any CCS paid outside of this period may be revoked by Centrelink and reflected on the parents’ account. Please note this can take up to 3 months as Centrelink reconcile quarterly. In this instance, families will be required to pay the CCS portion already paid for absences prior to the first day and/or after the last day of attendance. 

4.4 In accordance with Child Care Subsidy (CCS) guidelines, Leapkids can only re-submit attendances up to a maximum of 28 days from the date of the child’s attendance.

5. CANCELLATIONS

5. 1 Cancellation procedures for Before and After School Care include the following: 

a. Cancellation made via email 48 hours from the session start time will not incur the applicable session fee;

b. Cancellation made via email within 48 hours from the session start time, with a Medical Certificate will not incur the applicable session fee; and

c. Cancellation made via email within 48 hours from the session start time without a Medical Certificate will incur the applicable session fee.

5. 2 Cancellation procedures for Vacation Care (holiday program) include the following: 

a. Cancellation made via email after the last day of the school term, will incur the applicable session fee in full, charged per child, per day.

5. 3 Refunds or credits for Before and After School Care

Refunds or credits for Before and After School Care, may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Leapkids reserve the right to discretion on all decisions concerning refunds and credits.

5. 4 Refunds or credits for vacation care

Refunds or credits for vacation care, will not be issued for absences or unsuspected illnesses or injury (Including COVID-19 related illnesses), once vacation care has commenced. This is due to pre-booked events, activities, staffing and resources. 

5. 5 Cancelled holiday programs due to low enrolment

Leapkids requires minimum enrolment numbers to operate each holiday program. In the event a holiday program is cancelled, the custodial parents, guardian or care giver will be notified in advance, and an alternate venue will be offered, or a full refund will be issued for any fees that have already been paid. Leapkids will not be liable for any other payment.

5.6 Change of event due to weather

Leapkids may change a planned event/activity (such as an excursion or incursion) at short notice due to unsuitable weather conditions, or other factors beyond Leapkids control. In the event an excursion or incursion is changed, Leapkids will notify the custodial parents, guardian or care giver in advance, and refund the difference in any fees paid. Leapkids will not be liable for any other payment.

6. HEALTH & MEDICAL CONDITIONS

6.1 If your child suffers from anaphylaxis, asthma, allergies or any medically diagnosed condition, you must provide a current medical management plan or anaphylaxis management plan signed by your child’s doctor, with a recent colour photo of your child. You will be required to complete a Risk Minimisation plan as per government legislation.

6.2 If your child has an Action Plan that requires an EpiPen to be administered, you must provide your own EpiPen to the nominated Service.

6.3 If your child is diagnosed as having Asthma, and the Action Plan requires a Ventolin to be administered, you must provide your own Ventolin to the nominated Service.

6.4 You will ensure that your child does not attend the nominated Service if suffering from an infectious or contagious disease as identified by the Department of Health.

7. PERSONAL INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE

7.1 Leapkids is not liable for any personal injury, property damage, and loss or damage to personal items (such as electronic devices, jewellery, spectacles), or any other loss, due to any cause that is sustained by the enrolled child, their custodial parent, guardian or care giver, as a result of attendance at a Leapkids Service, or participating in Leapkids activities and events (Including excursions and incursions), unless the injury, damage or loss was caused by the proven negligence of Leapkids (Including its directors and/or employees), except as otherwise expressly required by law.

7.2 You will indemnify Leapkids (Including its directors and/or employees) against any associated costs, expenses or liability incurred as a result of any injury to any other child, Leapkids employees or any other person, or any loss or damage to property, which is caused by your child at the nominated Service or at an excursion venue.

8. PERSONAL BELONGINIGS AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES

8.1 Personal items and electronic devices (such as phones, iPads, jewellery, toys), are not permitted at any Leapkids Service. You take full responsibility for any loss or damage to any personal belongings or electronic devices your child brings to the nominated Service. Leapkids is not liable for any and loss or damage to personal items such as phones, iPads, electronic devices, jewellery and toys.

9. CODE OF CONDUCT 

9.1 Custodial parents, guardians, care givers and other visitors to our services, are expected to ensuring their communication and conduct at all times, is respectful and appropriate to children, our staff and other adults. It is expected that custodial parents, guardians, care givers and visitors will be polite, act as positive role models, recognise and respect personal differences, work together with our staff to resolve issues or concerns, respect people’s privacy, speak positively about the Company, and not gossip or make negative comments about children, our staff, other adults, and the Company, in person, in writing or via social media platforms. 

9.2 Custodial parents, guardians, care givers and visitors are expected at all times, to treat Company information as private and confidential, and not disclose, share, circulate or disseminate personal information about children, other adults, and our staff, that may discredit and undermine the Company’s integrity or reputation including in person, in writing or on social media.

9.3 Breaches of this Code of Conduct will result in the Company taking such action as is appropriate to protect the safety and wellbeing of children, our staff and the integrity and reputation of the Company. This may include, and not be limited to, requesting custodial parents, guardians, care givers and visitors to immediately leave our premises, contacting the police for assistance in situations where a person refuses to leave our premises, and suspending or cancelling a child’s enrolment, or taking legal action against a person or entity to protect the integrity and reputation of the Company.

10. SUSPENSION AND EXCLUSION

10.1 Your child may be suspended for a period of time, or permanently excluded from the nominated Service, if he/she displays behaviour that does not meet Leapkids policies for standards of behaviour, or demonstrates behaviour that is considered inappropriate, threatening or dangerous to themselves and/or others. In the event your child is suspended or excluded. You will be expected to make arrangements to collect your child from the nominated Service. 

11. CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND FOOD

11.1 You will ensure that your child wears appropriate clothing for the weather and suitable footwear (I.e. closed-toe shoes). Please ensure that your child does not wear sandals or thongs to the nominated Service.

11.2 You will ensure that your child brings a morning snack, packed lunch and water bottle for vacation care. For the protection of children who have nut allergens, we ask that you do not send food with your child that contains nuts or nut derivatives.

12. PRIVACY 

12.1 Leapkids has procedures and practices in place, to ensure your personal information and your child’s personal information, is secure and protected in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988.

DISCLAIMER

Leapkids reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to change these Terms and Conditions under which our programs and services are offered. The most current version of these Terms and Conditions will supersede all previous versions. Leapkids encourages you to periodically review the Terms and Conditions to stay informed of our updates. Your usage of Leapkids programs and services, and any published change in these Terms and Conditions is your express agreement with Leapkids, that you will be bound by each of the modified Terms and Conditions.

Last Updated April 2024