In this section of our website we have information especially for Margaret Ives parents. You'll find Latest News, information on Menus and Nutrition and our Policies.

If you need to make a change to your child's attendance at Margaret Ives (for example, when you are going on holidays), please complete our Notification of Change form below and return to our administrator. Four weeks’ notice of any change or cancelling bookings is required.

Closure Dates 2025:

The last day of care for 2025 is Tuesday 23rd December 2025.

The Centre will be closed on Wednesday 24th December 2025 up to, and including, Wednesday 7th January 2026.

The Centre will re-open on Thursday 8th January 2025 at 7.30am.

You are not charged for the closure period.

Notification of Change form
Download information: PDF, File size: 80KB

Medication plan
Download information: PDF, File size: 147KB

Margaret Ives Community Children’s Centre offers a developmentally appropriate curriculum based on The Early Years Framework (EYLF) which focuses on the individual child's strengths, interests and needs.

The Early Years Framework is a national curriculum framework which is a tool used to help educators achieve the best learning and developmental outcomes for children. It has a strong emphasis on play based learning, as play is believed to be the best vehicle for young children's learning and provides the most stimuli for brain development.

As a priority, we believe feeling safe and secure is essential in the foundation of children's learning and wellbeing in the Centre environment. We aim to develop strong relationships with the children and their families, which is why a vital part of our approach is building strong attachments with children through a Primary Carer. Our programs are respectful and embrace the inclusion of diversity, including culture, gender and additional needs.

The Primary Carer program at the Centre means one caregiver assumes responsibility for a child’s care and routines. The use of primary caregivers ensures the children, families and staff have an opportunity to form a special relationship that fosters close communication and shared understanding. Primary caregiving is not exclusive caregiving. All staff work as a team to ensure positive experiences for both the child and the family. We work in partnership with you to provide a warm, caring and stimulating environment for your child.

As a staff team, we believe secure, nurturing relationships with caring adults enable children to build strong attachments, the foundation for all future learning. For more information please see our blog post. https://www.margaretives.com.au/blog/item/66-an-explanation-of-our-primary-care-system.html

Our Coral Room is for children around three and a half to school age, and offers both long day care as well as sessional preschool for children in their year before formal schooling. The Coral Room has two large rooms and an extensive outdoor learning environment with space to run, shady trees, a large sandpit with a watercourse and challenging climbing equipment.

In Coral Room there are three qualified teachers and four Early Childhood Educators with a range of different qualifications.

For more information about our Preschool please follow the link:

Click here to view our Coral room handbook

Current parents can contact our Preschool: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  for all other enquiries, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Bottlebrush Room (Toddlers)

Our Bottlebrush Room caters for children aged around 18 months to 4 years old. The Toddlers have a multifunctional indoor space with a large veranda and their own outdoor learning environment.  There are six staff in the Toddler Room who promote the primary care philosophy to foster secure relationships with the children. Staff work collaboratively with the children and families in developing programs which are stimulating and fun and appropriate to the age, needs and interests of the children.

For more information about our Toddler Room please follow the link:

Click here to view our Bottlebrush room handbook

Current parents can contact our toddler room: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   for all other enquiries, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Jacaranda Room (Babies)

Our Jacaranda Room provides high quality education and care for children from birth to around two and a half years old. There are two attractive rooms with a large veranda and a shady, welcoming outdoor learning environment. We have seven staff in the Jacaranda Room who encourage secure, nurturing relationships to build strong attachments, the foundation for future learning.  Each child is cared for by a Primary Carer who is responsible for their care and works closely with parents to ensure care is appropriate, culturally sensitive, and supports the child's optimal development.

For more information about our Jacaranda Room please follow the link:

Click here to view our Jacaranda room handbook

Current parents can contact our baby room: jThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   for all other enquiries, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To view the Parent Handbook please click here.

Our Centre is funded through fees paid by parents and Government grants.

There is a daily fee charged weekly. We have a 2 day minimum policy and only provide full day care.

Families can apply for the Childcare Subsidy (CCS) to be deducted from their childcare and preschool fees.

Please contact us for a copy of our fee policy

New child care fees from 1/7/2023: Daily: $135.00

New preschool fees from 1/7/23: Daily: $70.00

There is a $40 enrolment fee per child. This is a once off fee and your child will be provided with a hat. Jacaranda children will be provided with a wet bag and Coral room children will be provided with a library bag.

A bond of $25 per day, for 2 weeks, will be charged to all new children.

Parent Handbook

This booklet provides parents with general information about our Centre’s philosophy and objectives, education and care programs, details on Centre management and our policies.

National Quality Standards (NQS) sets a national benchmark for the quality of education and care services. It brings together seven key Quality Areas that are important to outcomes for children.

These are:

1. Educational program and practice
2. Children's health and safety
3. Physical environment
4. Staffing arrangements
5. Relationships with children
6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
7. Leadership and service management

In 2025 we were reviewed under the National Quality Standards and were pleased to receive the "Meeting National Quality Standard" in all seven Quality Areas. Our staff are always happy to discuss the standards with parents, and for further information, visit the Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority's website - www.acecqa.gov.au.

Our Centre is committed to the health and safety of every child in our care, from the policies and procedures we follow to the supervision and curriculum we provide.

Margaret Ives Community Children’s Centre is a self-managed, community-based organisation. It is incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act 1985; thus it’s activities are bound by a constitution. Parents of children who attend the Centre form the membership of the Association. The Governing Committee is the governing body of the organisation and has overall legal, financial and managerial responsibility for the Centre. It is also the employer of the Centre’s staff, including the Director.

The Chairperson of the Committee is the Licensee of the Centre. Responsibility for the day-to-day management, provision of services, and administration is delegated by the Committee to the Director. Committee Meetings are held once a month with sub-committee meetings in between, as required.

Membership of the Committee

The Committee has members comprising of parents and staff that serve for a period of one year. Parent members are elected at the Annual General Meeting and staff representatives are elected by the staff.

The Director is an ex-officio member of the Committee. Parent members of the Committee act as parent representatives and promote communication, which can occur independently of staff at the Centre. The parent representatives also aim to make processes and decision-making visible and accessible to parents.