The NSW Government has welcomed new support measures announced by the Federal Government for Early Childhood Education services impacted by stay at home orders in Greater Sydney.
The Federal Government will waive gap-fees on days that parents and carers choose to keep their children at home.
Families receive a Commonwealth Child Care Subsidy (CCS) based on their needs. The gap-fee is the amount families need to pay to make up the difference between their subsidy and the cost of the service.
NSW Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell welcomed the additional support and said it would bring relief to families and services during this difficult time.
“Early childhood services play a critical role in the education of our children and supporting families. They remain open for families across NSW who need their services, so it is imperative they are supported,” Ms Mitchell said.
“From Monday, more than 216,000 families will be eligible to benefit from the waiver, easing some of the pressure and making life easier over the next few weeks.
“For families, waiving the gap-fee will support them financially and remove any pressure they might feel to unenroll their children from their local service.
“Services rely on enrollments to access Commonwealth funding, so keeping children enrolled ensures funding for services continues, maintaining a reliable income during lockdown.”
Outside School Hours Care services will also benefit from the assistance.
“The NSW Government has been working with the sector to find avenues of support during the lockdown and I am pleased we are seeing results for such an important sector. It’s a win for families, providers and educators.”
The NSW Government is continuing to support young families through its $150 million free preschool program.
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