The Child Care Package
The Child Care Package helps parents and carers with children aged 0-13 to work, train, study and volunteer. The centrepiece of the package is the Child Care Subsidy. The arrangements are designed to ensure that more financial support is targeted to the families who work the most and earn the least.
The Australian Government provides a significant investment through child care subsidies to improve families’ access to quality early education and care, to support parents as they balance work and family responsibilities, and to increase engagement with the workforce.
The Package also includes a safety net to give the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children, as well as those from regional and remote communities, a strong start through access to quality early learning and child care.
The Department of Education website has information available for providers on the Child Care Subsidy and Additional Child Care Subsidy.
The Department of Human Services website has information available for families on the Child Care Subsidy and Additional Child Care Subsidy.
Family Assistance Law and National Law
Family Day Care providers and services have to comply with a variety of different laws and regulations, including those that govern child care payments – the payments Family Day Care services receive from the Australian Government. These laws are called the Family Assistance Law and National Law and National Regulations.
- Family Assistance Law (administered by the Australian Government) and
- National Law and National Regulations (administered by State and Territory Governments).
Child Care Financial Integrity Strategy
The Child Care Financial Integrity Strategy (Integrity Strategy) summarises the Australian Government’s approach to ensuring child care funding is being properly administered by providers, services and educators.
The Integrity Strategy will help you understand the Australian Government’s expectations, potential intervention responses and the assistance they provide to help providers, services, educators and families gain the necessary skills and knowledge to comply with the law. If you have any questions about the Integrity Strategy, please email childcareintegrity@education.gov.au.
Resources to help you comply with the Family Assistance Law
There are a range of resources to help providers and services comply with the rules, including:
- A series of educational mini videos to help you to understand your obligations under the Family Assistance Law.
- Child Care Provider Handbook: a guide to the requirements and responsibilities of early learning and child care providers and services approved under Family Assistance Law.
- Child Care Compliance Obligations (from 2 July 2018): a reference guide to support and assist you to understand your obligations.
- Help using the Child Care Subsidy System webpage: information about the Child Care Subsidy System.
Child Swapping
The Australian Government has implemented laws to stop ‘child swapping’ in Family Day Care services. These changes affect approved Family Day Care services and educators entitled to child care payments if their child is enrolled for care in an approved Family Day Care service.
Information on child swapping is a web page containing information for child care providers, services, educators and families.
Compliance self-assessment tool
Use this online tool to assess your Family Day Care service’s current capacity to meet compliance and regulatory requirements. The tool enables Family Day Care services to self-assess and print a report, with suggestions to upgrade their policies and procedures.
Additional Resources
The Department of Education website has a resources page available, which includes:
- The Guide to ACCS (child wellbeing): contains information for child care providers and services involved in the administration of Additional Child Care Subsidy (child wellbeing).
- The Frequently Asked Questions page: covering a range of topics on the Child Care Subsidy and Additional Child Care Subsidy.
You can also access previous email newsletters to find information on important topics. The Department of Education sends regular email newsletters, which cover important early childhood education and care related information.
If you would like to receive these newsletters, please subscribe here.