Changing days, casual days and holidays: how bookings work at our centres

Family life changes. A new job, a new baby or a long trip can mean your child needs different days. This guide explains how bookings work at Normanhurst, Roseville, St Ives Chase and West Ryde, and who to talk to.

Your permanent days

When your child starts, you agree on a set of days with the centre director, for example every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. These are your permanent days.

Your child's place, the educators in the room and your invoice are all planned around these days. Fees are charged for every permanent day, including public holidays and days your child is absent.

Adding or changing days

To change your permanent days, please email your centre director and give at least 4 weeks' written notice. This gives the director time to plan the room and update your enrolment.

If you would like to add a day, ask your director early. It depends on whether there is a place in your child's room on that day. The director will confirm whether the day is available and when it can start.

A note on subsidised hours. Since 5 January 2026, every family eligible for the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) gets at least 72 hours of subsidised care per child each fortnight. Some families get 100 hours, for example families caring for an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander child, or where both parents have more than 48 hours of recognised activity a fortnight (Services Australia). If you add days, check your subsidised hours in myGov so you know what to expect on your invoice. Our guide to the 3 Day Guarantee explains this further.

Casual days

Sometimes you need one extra day, perhaps for a work meeting or an appointment. We can offer a casual day if there is a place in your child's room that day.

• Fee: the same as your usual daily fee.
• Subsidy: CCS applies as long as you still have subsidised hours left in that fortnight.
• Ask early: the centre may need an extra educator on the day to keep the right number of educators with the children, so the more notice you give, the easier it is to say yes.
• New-family discount: the 4-week offer applies only to permanent booked days, so casual days are charged at the usual daily fee.

To book a casual day, phone, email or message your centre director.

Holidays and the extended holiday rate

Short breaks. If your child misses a few days for a family trip, those days are charged as normal absent days. The Child Care Subsidy covers up to 42 absence days per child each financial year (Services Australia). Our guide Do you pay for absent days at daycare? explains how the 42 days work.

Longer holidays. If your family is going away for a longer time, we can hold your child's place at 50% of the normal daily fee:

• Give at least 4 weeks' written notice to your centre director.
• The holiday rate is for one continuous period away, not single days.
• The Child Care Subsidy still applies.

Your child's place stays the same, and they come back to the same days when you return.

Travelling overseas? CCS stops if your child is outside Australia for more than 6 weeks (Services Australia). Check the rules before a long trip.

Christmas closure dates for 2026-27

All four centres close over Christmas and New Year. No fees are charged while the centres are closed.

Leaving the centre

If your child is leaving, for example to start school, please email your centre director and give at least 4 weeks' written notice.

Holding deposit. At Normanhurst and Roseville, the $500 holding deposit you paid at enrolment is taken off your final invoice. St Ives Chase and West Ryde take no holding deposit for enrolments under the current 25% offer.

Your last day. Services Australia generally does not pay CCS for days after your child's last day of attendance, so full fees apply to any booked days after that (Services Australia). If you can, plan your child's last day to fall at the end of the notice period.

Who to contact

For days, bookings, holidays and leaving, talk to your centre director by phone, email or the online form:

• Normanhurst: 02 9487 5455, director@normanhurstldc.nsw.edu.au
• Roseville: 02 9416 3002, director@rosevillekindy.nsw.edu.au
• St Ives Chase: 02 9449 8829, director@stiveschase.nsw.edu.au
• West Ryde: 02 9858 5333, director@westrydeldc.nsw.edu.au

For invoices and payments, contact head office at admin@eikoh.nsw.edu.au or 02 9487 5174. You can also use our online contact form and we will pass your message to the right person.