Terms and Conditions
Updated February 2020
We understand that it’s not easy for parents to leave their children in other people’s care. Here at the YMCA we are all about Strong Kids, Strong Families and Strong Communities, therefore we take the rights, safety and wellbeing of all the children in our care seriously, providing a fun, educational and caring environment that children love to be a part of. YMCA delivers all services in accordance with our values of Caring, Respect, Responsibility and Honesty.
To help us deliver the services in this way, we ask that you please take a moment to read the following terms and conditions carefully:
Payment of Fees
- By enrolling in an OSCAR Programme you accept that you are responsible for all fees payable to YMCA in respect to the child in your care.
Before School Care & After School Care
- Bookings will be invoiced on Thursday two (2) weeks before your child’s attendance at our programme and payment is due on the Thursday the week before.
- We require one (1) weeks’ notice in writing via email or letter to cancel or change your child’s/children’s bookings from the programme. For changes or cancellations with less than one (1) weeks notice, the absence will be charged at the hours you have booked in for.
- Public holidays will be charged for if your regular bookings fall on this day.
- A regular booking is deemed as a booking that is on-going throughout the term and booked in advance. A casual booking is deemed as a one-off or additional booking or has been booked in after 12pm on a Sunday for the following week.
Holiday Programme
- Payment for holiday programme is required at time of booking.
- Changes or cancellations can be made up until the Friday before the school holidays begins.
- Once the programme has commenced there are no refunds for cancellations/sickness. Your fees are still payable if your child/children do not attend.
- Please provide your child/children with shoes, suitable clothing for the activities advertised, sunscreen, sunhat, raincoat, sufficient lunch and drink for each day.
General Information
- If your child has additional needs, please see the centre manager to discuss whether this programme is right for them. While we are an inclusive programme we do not have the facilities to provide one on one care. Likewise if a child is unwell they should stay home rather than come to us.
- Where medical conditions or dietary intolerances have been medically diagnosed please ensure that the consent to administer medication form has been completed and provided to the programme Team Leader prior to the start and accompanied with the relevant treatment plan from the medical practitioner.
- Please ensure any changes to your contact details or information about your child is updated through the Parent Portal – it is important that communication is regular and up to date, and it is your responsibility to clearly inform us of any potential issues.
- We take due care with children’s belongings but accept no responsibility for lost or misplaced items. Please name your children’s belongings so any items left behind may be returned. All lost property will be held for 2 weeks after the programme before being donated to charity.
- Please note that the YMCA reserves the right to change scheduled activities without notice where circumstances beyond our control prevent them from being delivered.
- YMCA programmes are sunsmart programmes and sunscreen will be applied during September – April unless otherwise specified by the parent. If your child requires a specific sunscreen please provide in a named bottle.
- Bookings are essential in all of our programmes, and are made through the Aimy Plus Parent Portal.
Term and Conditions for Photo Tag
- Aimy Plus provides the YMCA with the ability to take photos and upload them to your parent portal. Images taken will only be used on the Aimy Plus Parent Portal and will not be used in our printed and online publicity. By accepting these terms and conditions, you agree to allow us to upload photos and tag your child. Without permission photos will not be taken.
OSCAR Subsidies
- As a Ministry of Social Development approved provider, parents who are eligible may apply for the Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) Subsidy from Work and Income. For more information, or to see if you are eligible please refer to the Work and Income website.
- To apply for the OSCAR subsidy through Work and Income you will need to bring your application form in to the centre for our staff to complete the relevant section. Application forms must be submitted to Work and Income within 20 working days of the start of the term/holiday programme to ensure the subsidy begins on time. It is your responsibility to ensure the forms are accurate and submitted to Work and Income.
- Please note that you are ultimately responsible for all fees. The subsidy may not cover all fees, and any remaining fees will be charged to the parent. Please see their website to view subsidy amounts.
Outstanding Debts
- You are ultimately responsible for all fees payable.
- Your child’s access to our programmes may be withdrawn if your account is not kept up to date. We will contact you via the email you provided during the sign up process.
- Overdue amounts may be referred to a debt collection agency. Any expenses, disbursements and legal costs incurred by YMCA in the enforcement of any rights contained in this contract shall be paid by the parent/caregiver, including any solicitor’s fees and/or debt collection agency fees.
Absences/Sick Children
- All absences are charged at the hours booked.
- If your child will not be attending, please notify the programme as early as possible prior to the programme commencement. If we are not notified of a child’s absence, a non-notification/search fee ($4) will be charged to your account.
- While our staff have current first aid certificates, we do not have the facilities to look after sick children. If your child appears unwell we will phone you or your emergency contacts and request that your child is collected as soon as possible.
Accidents/Emergencies
- In the instance of an accident or illness requiring emergency treatment, we will contact you immediately. If you are unavailable, we will contact those listed as emergency contacts. Where we are unable to contact you or the emergency contact the Team Leader will proceed to assist your child as deemed appropriate.
- If we are required to arrange any urgent medical treatment, you will be required to reimburse any costs incurred.
- All accidents and incidents are recorded and require parent sign off when you collect your child.
Sign in/out and Late Pick-Up Fees
- All children are required to be signed in and out of the programme at the time of drop-off and collection.
- Only those parents/carers identified during the enrolment process will be permitted to collect the child from the programme. Any person collecting a child may be asked to show photo ID at any stage, please ensure all authorised pickups are aware of this.
- Please ensure you complete the Authorised/Unauthorised pickups section in Aimy Plus. Children will not be released to any person who has not been listed on the enrolment form without prior consent.
- If you have any custody agreements in place regarding non access to your child please provide relevant documentation and a current photo of the unauthorised person for easy identification for the staff.
- Parents/Caregivers are liable for late fees at a rate of $2 per minute for collecting your children after the booking time. Late fees are invoiced separately from the main booking fees.
- If you have not collected your child by the end of the programme, and we cannot reach you, we will phone the child’s emergency contact and request that the child be collected immediately. Please ensure your emergency contacts are aware of their responsibilities.
Transportation of your child
- Before and After School Care programmes: By enrolling in a programme which offer drop off / pick up from your child’s/children’s school you agree to allow us to transport your child in a YMCA vehicle or Taxi.
- Holiday Programmes: By enrolling in an excursion (off-site) holiday programme you agree to allow us to transport your child by bus or YMCA Vehicle.
- No private vehicles will be used.
Behaviour Management
- YMCA has detailed and well-structured behaviour management strategies and processes in place, reflecting our safeguarding code of conduct and requirements. These are available to view in centre.
- For any behaviour displaying an immediate and/or significant risk to the child, other children, staff and/or property, YMCA may request immediate collection of the child and review ongoing placement within the YMCA service/programme.
- Where a child has an identified behaviour, we require the parent / caregiver to complete a behaviour management plan to ensure the child receives the best out of the programme. Please note we operate a 1:10 ratio and cannot offer 1 one on one care.
Safeguarding
YMCA North is proudly New Zealand’s first Safeguarding Accredited organisation. The Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF) has accredited our safeguarding culture including our safeguarding policies and ways of working.
-All staff are recruited under Safer Recruitment processes, undertake YMCA mandatory Safeguarding Training.
- Programmes that require sector standards in regards to staff / child ratios will operate under the identified ratios at all times.
- Programmes such as (but not limited to) Recreation, Aquatics and Youth development may operate as in a single staff member model, all staff operating to this model will also have this practice as a recognised element of their Position Description.
- For more information about Safeguarding visit ymcaauckland.org.nz/safeguarding
Child Protection
- YMCA has a suite of accredited child protection policies and procedures. All are available via our website and by request.
- Should YMCA have any concerns, receive any disclosures relating to the wellbeing or safety of any child/young person (or associated community member), YMCA are required to share this information, along with any known child data to child protection services. This may include Oranga Tamariki (formerly known as Child, Youth and Family) and/or NZ Police.
- YMCA aims to be open and honest with parents/carers around any concerns and offer support where possible. However, YMCA are not able inform parents/carers of our reporting concerns, if to do so could:
Questions/Concerns
- If you have questions/concerns please talk to our staff on site or at your local YMCA.
- We encourage feedback about any aspect of our programmes and services.
- All of our programmes are approved by the Ministry of Social Development and meet the requirements in the Level 3 Social Sector Accreditation Standards, and the MSD Specialist Accreditation Standard: Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) Programmes. These can be viewed on the MSD website.
- The collection of information in the enrolment process is for the effective delivery of our services. Customers under the age of 18 may have their data shared with Oranga Tamariki and this data is managed in accordance with the Privacy Act 1993.
- Information collected through the website is maintained by Aimy Plus – please see their Privacy Policy. For information on YMCA’s privacy policy please click here.
Liability and indemnity
- To the extent permissible in law, YMCA shall not be liable for any injury, loss or damage of any type, or physical injury arising from YMCA programmes.
- To the extent that YMCA is liable to the customer for any reason, its liability is limited to a maximum amount equal to the value of fees payable by the customer in any 12 month period.
- The customer shall be responsible for any malicious damage they cause to equipment of the facilities used in delivering YMCA’s programmes.
- Nothing in these terms and conditions is intended to have the effect of limiting or reducing the customer’s rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 or the Fair Trading Act 1986, to the extent they may apply.