Kindy options in SA - can anyone help?

[chody47]

DD1 is almost 3 and will therefore be having transition days into kindy at the end of this year, in order to start next year. She currently attends childcare. The childcare has a kindy program there for 4 year olds, but I'd really love to send her to a separate kindy for numerous reasons.

Anyway, my dilemma (and I'm sure I'm not the only one) is the fact that kindy seems to run 9-3 (on the full days). How do working parents manage this? Does anyone know of any kindys in Southern Adelaide (or possibly around the city) that are perhaps linked to schools where you can access before/after school care too? In all the research I've done of the kindys closest to us, I haven't been able to find any options like this.... Am I dreaming that this should be possible?

[xXHopeXx]

I have no idea chody, but I have to say I *almost* had a nervous breakdown reading about sending dd to kindy lol. In NSW kindy is different, you have to be a minimum of turning 5 that year to go, and a maximum of the year you turn 6, (so theoretically my dd could go to kindy in 2017 instead of 2016, but if she were born in dec 2010 insead of Feb 2011, she was have to attend in 2016) so it always makes me double take for a second when I read kindy lol!

[wysiwyg]

No specific info about SA - but separate kindy is extremely difficult for working parents to manage here in VIC too. There have been a few threads discussing it - this is one 3-year-old-4-year-old-kinder-daycare-193733.

It is perfectly reasonable to think that it should be possible and have access to before and after school care around kindy - but it seems to be the exception rather than the norm. When I was looking the only way I found out about anything was to go to each individual website of the kindergartens and read very closely as it wasn't always immediately obvious if they had anything. Some ran more than one program and only offered after care on one of the options. I have gone with 4 year old at childcare in the end.

[chody47]

Hope - what do you do when they are 4 then? Do you call it preschool? We don't really have preschool here. Kindy is at 4 and then we start school at 5 (well technically that's not correct as they are only having one intake a year now so if you're 5 before end of April you can start at the start of the year, so some kids will be starting school at 4yrs 9 months and others at 5yrs 9 months). We call our first year of school reception.

Wysiwyg - thanks for the info.

[xXHopeXx]

Yep chody, from 4 is pre school for us, and your reception is our kindy, and we only have the 1 intake per year too

[AnyDream]

The kindy DD went to was at a primary school with an OSHC program which the kindy kids could attend if needed. I'm sure there would be some in your area with similar arrangements. Most primary schools have websites which should reveal whether they have OSHC programs, or you can look them up using the My Child website. http://www.mychild.gov.au/

Alternatively, some community child care centres close to schools drop off & collect children from kindy sessions, but you still have to pay the session fees. Another option is to find a family day carer, most of them do school & kindy pick ups & drop offs if needed.

[~Phoenix~]

Hi Chody, where abouts are you located? The kindy DD is going to next year is attached to a school with after hours care. The childcare she was attending had a kindy program running in the centre but was also attached to a separate kindy, which kids could attend & then be taken into childcare.

These are both in the east/north-eastern suburbs

[chody47]

Hi Chody, where abouts are you located? The kindy DD is going to next year is attached to a school with after hours care. The childcare she was attending had a kindy program running in the centre but was also attached to a separate kindy, which kids could attend & then be taken into childcare.

These are both in the east/north-eastern suburbs

Phoenix, they both sound great, but unfortunately aren't convenient for us. We live in the vicinity of flinders medical centre and one of us works in a similar area and the other in the city. I'm hoping to find something just like you've described down this way....

[chody47]

The kindy DD went to was at a primary school with an OSHC program which the kindy kids could attend if needed. I'm sure there would be some in your area with similar arrangements. Most primary schools have websites which should reveal whether they have OSHC programs, or you can look them up using the My Child website. Homepage | MyChild

Alternatively, some community child care centres close to schools drop off & collect children from kindy sessions, but you still have to pay the session fees. Another option is to find a family day carer, most of them do school & kindy pick ups & drop offs if needed.

I'm hoping to find a kindy on school grounds but am struggling! Family day care is a good idea. I hadn't considered that!

[HotI]

there are a number of family day carers in my area who do kinder dropoff/pickups. My 4 yr old kinder hours are 9-2.30 and 1-4, so not very friendly if both parents work standard hours.