RNS Child Care Centre

Last updated 17 September 2009

The $950 million redevelopment of Royal North Shore Hospital and Community Health Services will deliver a new main hospital building, new facilities for community health and a new centre for education and research.

It will be the biggest hospital redevelopment project in NSW. About 53 outdated buildings on site will be consolidated into two new facilities, purpose-built for modern, high-tech medical care and community health. A new research and clinical education building has already been completed.

As part of this project, the existing Child Care Centre will need to be relocated to allow for redevelopment of the lower part of the RNS site.

The first priority of the Area Health Service is to deliver the new Main Hospital (Acute Services) and Community Health Buildings.

Construction of a new Child Care Centre will not start until at least 2012.

Until the new centre is completed, the existing Child Care Centre will stay where it is.

We will continue to provide child care on site.

Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service is committed to an accessible, affordable and high quality child care service on site.

Child care services will not be affected during the construction period, and we expect that there will be a smooth transition for staff, children and parents to the new Child Care Centre when it is completed.

This type of transition has occurred successfully at several other hospital sites, with no significant inconvenience to families. Usually, the existing centre closes on, say, the Friday afternoon and reopens in the new facility on Monday morning.

We will keep you up-to-date with any news about the new hospital and Child Care Centre development.

If you have any concerns, please speak to your Child Care Centre team, or contact the RNS Redevelopment Project Office on 9926 5938.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our project team recently briefed the Child Care Centre staff and parents on the redevelopment.

Here are the answers to questions raised by our Child Care Centre community.

Where will the new Child care Centre be located?

The project development team had identified a location for the Child Care Centre off Herbert Street, close to the main hospital building, but no final decision has yet been made.

Master planning for the site is due to commence in late 2009 and it is expected that this will identify suitable locations for child care, taking into account the special needs of a Child Care Centre site: accessibility, outdoor amenity, proximity to the workplace, shadowing from nearby buildings, and the relationship to surrounding buildings, roads and transport facilities.

When will planning begin?

The RNS Redevelopment is currently focusing on the detailed design for the new Main Hospital and Community Health Buildings. It is too early at this stage to begin planning for the child centre, but when the time comes, a `user group' will be convened to consult on the project.

This group will include Child Care Centre staff and parent representatives, hospital planners, architects and other experts.

The Child Care Centre representatives will be decided by the Child Care Centre staff, parents and potential future users of the service.

The user group will help define the Child Care Centre project, taking into account the current number of places, greater demand for places in the future, current best practice child care facility design (this may involve site visits to appropriate child care centres) and current building and operating standards for child care centres.

This may also require consultation with the wider RNSH staff community about future intended use of the centre.

As part of the planning process, issues such as affordability of child care, operating costs and level of service will be considered by the user group.

Child Care Centre staff and parent representatives will have the opportunity to advocate for their preferred options.

The user group will provide a brief for what is required so that detailed planning can take place e.g. the number of places required, but the final design for the Child Care Centre would not be done until some time later.

This is to allow innovations in Child Care Centre design and best practice, which are expected to occur over the next five years, to be incorporated into the plan.

Who will build and operate the centre?

There are several options for building and operating the centre, and no decision has yet been made about the best option.

Some options include a privately built centre operated by the hospital's existing Child Care Centre team, a privately built centre leased to a suitable accredited operator, or a privately built centre with a private operator.

Will parents and staff have a say in the planning for the new centre?

Yes. Child Care Centre staff and parent representatives will have the opportunity to advocate for their preferred options.

There is a coordinated process called a User Group process for participation in the planning. Your Child Care Centre Team will let you know when this group is being created, and the process for getting involved, either by being a user group representative, or giving your feedback to your user group representatives.

Will the Child Care Centre cater for early starters and late leavers?

It is too early to determine the operating policies for the new centre, but the planning process will take into account the special needs of our shift working staff members. This type of information is usually included in the planning brief.

Will a 24-hour care be available in the new centre?

Parents have asked us to consider the options for 24-hour child care, offering short-notice flexible care to shift workers, and emergency child care for staff on call or the public - this will be considered as part of the planning for our new centre.

What plans are being made for Vacation Care? Can the new Child Care Centre function as a vacation care centre during school holidays?

Options for vacation care will also be considered in the planning.