BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE

APRIL 10, 2025

Enrolling your child at an early service is one of those things you don’t do often, but just like getting a job or buying a car, it’s an important life change that involves a certain process. 

There’s admin and emotion to take into account, and to help you understand what childcare enrolment actually entails, we’ve connected with the team at Story House Early Learning Diamond Creek. 

This Melbourne centre is brand-new, so they’ve been taking lots of enrolments in recent weeks, and the team has a well-established Story House process to make things easy for everyone! 

Service Manager, Victoria Daynes and 2IC, Tiffany Wilson, work closely with their team to welcome families into the centre.  

And although every provider has their own enrolment process, Story House’s seven-step approach gives you a good idea of how to organise your child’s enrolment.  

1. Your first step is to enquire with a centre you like, and organise a tour.  

You can book a visit by clicking the ‘Make Enquiry’ button in a centre’s KindiCare listing, and you’ll find Story House Diamond Creek’s details in the KindiCare App and Childcare Comparison Website.  

At the enquiry stage, you can also ask questions about vacancies, fees and other things that matter to your family, whether that’s casual bookings or nut-free meals! 

2. Next, it’s time to do the tour and meet the team.  

It’s important to take your child along with you, so you can both get a sense of the childcare centre and its community. 

At a great service, the team will be very happy to meet your family, tell you all about their centre, and answer any questions.  

They’ll want you to feel confident and informed about your childcare choice, and if you’re not sure what to ask when on tour, Victoria and Tiffany say questions like these can be really helpful: 

• What should my child wear and bring for each session? 

• What kind of outdoor play and physical activities are provided? 

• What inclusions do the daily fees cover? 

• How do you handle potty training or toileting? 

• Do you go on community visits and have special visitors come into the service? 

• Do you offer a funded kinder program?
   

3. Once you’re back home, you’ll then receive some extra info.  

At Story House, the team will send you a follow-up email, containing the provider’s Family Handbook, and this document is definitely worth reading.  

It answers those questions you might not have thought to ask during the tour, and it’s written in a way that’s easy to understand and refer to later.     

4. If you’re keen on the centre, the next step is to put your child’s name down. 

If you’re planning to start your child in six to eight weeks, Victoria and Tiffany say you can enrol straightaway to secure a spot at their centre, and they have some vacancies in the Toddler, Pre Kinder and Kinder rooms.    

Meanwhile, Story House Diamond Creek's sister service, right next door, has vacancies in the Infant room.  

Alternatively, if your desired start date is eight weeks or later, then you’re advised to join the centre’s waitlist. 

While you’re on a Story House waitlist, you’re welcome to attend some free Stay & Play sessions, and this is a very good idea.  

Each Stay & Play goes for 45 minutes to one hour, and you get to experience the place, people and program with your under-five, to ensure you’re making the right childcare choice.  

5. Whether you snag a spot straightaway or join the waitlist, it’s then important to stay connected with your future centre.  

You can easily keep up-to-date with centre events and announcements via social media. 

And if you’re on a waitlist, you should check in with the team fairly regularly to see how you’re progressing on the list – though you can rest assured they’ll contact you as soon as a spot is available!  

6. When you are ready to enrol, the process is all online.  

Story House will send you an enrolment pack via their childcare management platform, Kangarootime, and you just need to fill out the forms and attach the info they ask for.  

As soon as the team receives everything, they’ll confirm your child’s place by email, then give you a call to book some orientation sessions. 

7. Orientation is the last step in your enrolment process. 

These sessions are a great way to ease your under-five into the early learning experience, with you as their wingperson. 

Victoria and Tiffany recommend at least three orientation sessions to build a relationship with your child’s educators.  

You can do more or less, depending on your family’s needs, but like the Stay & Plays, the orientation sessions are free; and they’ll help to make your child’s first day less daunting.

Then, while you’re progressing through the above steps, there’s action you can take to streamline the enrolment process.  

When it comes to money:  

• Apply for the Child Care Subsidy as soon as you know you’ll be needing childcare, so you’re not paying full fees when your little one starts. 
   

• Make sure you’re clear about any enrolment fees you may have to pay. Story House doesn’t charge you to go on a waitlist or ask you to pay a bond, but some centres do.  
   

• Also, familiarise yourself with the centre’s policies around opening hours, vacations and sick leave, and how they handle public holidays. 
  
  

When it comes to health: 

• Get your child vaccinated before starting the enrolment process, as they need to be up-to-date with their immunisations, or on an approved catch-up program, to get the Child Care Subsidy. 
   

• Ensure you’ve got all the necessary enrolment documents ready, including your child’s immunisation record and any health-related forms they need (for allergies, medication etc).  
   
  You’ll also need your child’s birth certificate and emergency contact information (including a copy of photo ID) for enrolment. 
  
  

When it comes to work: 

• Contact your employer about your return-to-work plan well ahead of time, so you know which days of care you’re after, and whether there’s any flexibility.  
   
  For instance, if you can work Monday to Wednesday instead of Wednesday to Friday, this may free up a childcare space. 

 

And when it comes to communication: 

• Remember to tell the team about any family situation or special needs that could impact your child’s education and care.  
   
  For example, if you’re struggling with a picky eater or suspect your child has ADHD, this is good intel for your supportive educators to know. 
   

• When you’re on the waitlist, also make sure you communicate any changes to your childcare needs, so the team can update their systems accordingly.   
  
  

And don’t worry! At every stage, there are childcare professionals available to guide you through the enrolment process and help your family prepare for that exciting/nerve-wracking first day.   

If you’re just starting your childcare search, KindiCare makes it easy to shortlist early learning services that match your needs and wants. 

And if you’re looking for childcare in Melbourne, then Story House Diamond Creek is a great option! 

As mentioned above, they have some vacancies for ages two to five, and if your child is younger, then check out their sister centre, which has the same enrolment process and vacancies for ages zero to two!