Q. wrote:Jim05 wrote:Government announces free child care policy
Here is how the government has announced the childcare changes in its statement:
Around one million families are set to receive free child care during the coronavirus pandemic under a plan from the Morrison Government that will help deliver hip pocket relief and help the early childhood education and care sector make it through to the other side of this crisis.
Under the plan, the Government will pay 50 per cent of the sector’s fee revenue up to the existing hourly rate cap based on a point in time before parents started withdrawing their children in large numbers, but only so long as services remain open and do not charge families for care. The funding will apply from 6 April based on the number of children who were in care during the fortnight leading into 2 March, whether or not they are attending services.
The plan provides funding certainty to early childhood education and care services at a time where enrolments and attendance are highly unpredictable. This, along with the JobKeeper payment, means services can offer free education and care.
...“If you have terminated your enrolment since 17 February, then I encourage you to get back in contact with your centre and re-start your arrangements. Re-starting your enrolment will not require you to send your child to child care and it certainly won’t require you to pay a gap fee. Re-starting your enrolment will, however, hold your place for that point in time when things start to normalise, and you are ready to take your child back to their centre.”
“We will also make payments of higher amounts available in exceptional circumstances, such as where greater funding is required to meet the needs of emergency workers or vulnerable children.
“The Government is also providing certainty to the preschool sector in recognition of its importance to a student’s formal education.”
Waiting for more detail, but on face value this looks like a ripper of a policy. Obviously protects the industry as a whole, but it's putting money back into the weekly budget of families. It's essentially a stimulus package for middle income families, who had been left out of recent stimulus announcements.
Sure's up Mrs Boon's employment. *phew*