How our fees work with Child Care Subsidy
Child Care Subsidy (CCS) :
CCS is available to eligible families to reduce weekly service fees. Families are required to contact the “Department of Human Services” (DHS)/Centrelink or log onto their MyGov to apply for the CCS. You will need to provide your income details and activity hours (Work/Study/Volunteer) to Centrelink to apply. The subsidy is worked out using combined income for couples and the activity hours are based on the partner doing the least hours, or just the one parent if single. When calculating your activity you can include a combination of work, study and volunteering including travel to and from the service. The work does not need to occur while the child is in care e.g., weekend, night shift work. As part of the requirements you will enter into a Complying Written Arrangement (CWA) with us, this can be on a routine basis (permanent booking) or a flexible basis (casual booking). Your enrolment form meets Centrelink’s requirements for a CWA, if you change your booking from the initial booked days you will need to put this to us in writing to form a new CWA. We will enter your booking into our computer system once we receive your enrolment form, once this is done you will need to confirm the agreement through your MyGov (see link below) to receive the subsidy, if it is not confirmed full fees will apply until it has gone through. The subsidy comes direct to the service and you will pay the gap fee. It is the parent’s responsibility to keep their CCS up to date and current, this can be done through their MyGov. If CCS ceases or is cancelled full fees apply. DHS provides the family with a CCS assessment notice which includes eligible hours and a percentage they will pay towards the hourly fee, this will come through to us through our software direct from DHS. If a family has a change of circumstances that may affect eligibility for CCS, please contact the DHS or update on the MyGov app ASAP.
*Please note you need to be eligible to receive the Child Care Subsidy. For further details contact DHS/Centrelink on 136150.
Our Centre Fee's (Cranbourne) start from; (other will vary)
PER WEEK $ 410.00 under 3 year olds
PER WEEK $ 400.00 over 3 year olds
PER DAY $ 117.00 under 3 year olds
PER DAY $ 113.00 over 3 year olds
CASUAL DAY $ 123.00 under 3 year olds
CASUAL DAY $ 120.00 over 3 year olds
BEFORE SCHOOL $ 25.00
AFTER SCHOOL $ 25.00
*Please note: Fees are subject to change, each centre may have differing fees. This should be only used as a guide
Managing your booking
If you have a permanent booking and occasionally need to swap a day this may be done if a position is available,
for a small administration fee, if it is regular you will need to change to a casual booking.
Full Time fees are payable at the beginning of that week. Part-time the first day of care that week.
One day to be paid on the day of attendance
Parents more than two weeks late paying fees will be requested to pay balance before returning child to the centre.
Sick days, holidays or public holidays are still payable as you are holding the position for the child at the centre.
We are open through school holiday periods and bookings continue as normal. If you are having trouble paying
your fees or keeping up to date on fees please speak with management.
Leaving: if you are leaving we require 2 FULL weeks written notice. (Form available at the office.) If you do not use care
during this period we are unable to claim any CCS on your behalf therefore full fees will apply.
Choosing a child care centre for your children is an extremely important time for families. Our focus is to make this difficult time as pleasant and straight forward as possible. When you first arrive to one of our centres a member of our team will introduce themselves to you and your child.
They will then take you for a guided tour through our service allowing you all the time you need to see the rooms in ACTION! Educators in each room will be introduced to you and your child and be available to answer any questions you may have. During this time it is important for you and your child to get a feel for the centre as a whole and you should ask yourself questions like: what type of feeling did I get from the educators, was the centre clean and did the children seem happy.
Please read the following as it will instruct you on the requirements when enrolling your child to our centre:
Enrolment records which must list date of birth, address, telephone number of each child, language spoken, emergency contact number details,
name address and phone number of the child's doctor.
Details of allergies, medical conditions or other relevant medical history, an authority signed by the guardian authorising the centre to seek medical, hospital or ambulance service in case of an emergency.
A copy of each child's immunisation statement from medicare but be obtained due to new "no jab, no play' legislation.
Please note: Children will not be enrolled at this centre if any of the above information is excluded from the form. Enrolment form must be received prior to day child is starting; it cannot be bought in on first day.
Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS):
This covers 4 separate areas-child wellbeing, temporary financial hardship, transition to work, grandparents
ACCS - Child wellbeing
This can be applied for if a family has been previously involved or currently involved with child protection under the child wellbeing category.
The eligibility for the child wellbeing is a child that has been or is currently at risk of
-Serious Physical, emotional or psychological abuse or neglect or
-Sexual abuse or
-Domestic or family violence
This also requires supporting documentation e.g. letter from a child agency, child protection etc. So the service can apply a certificate for 6 weeks then apply for a further 13 week determination to cover the fees applied.
If the family attends full time they may need to do a 10 hour session to cover the 100 hours of ACCS otherwise there will be an out of pocket expense.
You must already meet CCS eligibility requirements to apply for ACCS For further details please see management or contact DHS.
ACCS– Temporary financial hardship
This is a short term payment to help families experiencing significant financial stress. This now needs to be applied for by accessing Centrelink online account through MyGov or by visiting a Centrelink office. https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/additional-child-care-subsidy/applying/how-apply-additional-child-care-subsidy-temporary-financial-hardship
ACCS– Transition to work
This needs to be applied for by accessing Centrelink online account through MyGov or by visiting a Centrelink office. The number of hours that are covered under the ACCS per fortnight depends on the activity level of the individual applying.
This covers study ( the old JET system).
Looking for a job. A maximum of 26 weeks is available for job search activity.
Working , again maximum of 26 weeks for work related activity
Training—depending on the type of training and the length.
ACCS—Grandparent
To qualify for this subsidy you must have 65% or more care of the child, make day to day decisions about the child's care and welfare, be the grandparent, get an income support payment and be eligible for the child care subsidy (CCS)
Allowable Absences:
Each child has up to 42 days of Allowable Absences (AA) at the beginning of the financial year, this is where your CCS is paid even though the child did not attend (public holidays are included in this count). These days can be taken for any reason (provided the day being claimed as an absence is a day on which care would have otherwise been provided). All absent days need to be signed by a parent or guardian upon return.
Approved Absent days: After your 42 Allowable Absences have been used for the current financial year you can access more paid days with evidence of the following—Illness (with a medical certificate), non immunised , rostered days off, rotating shift work, temporary closure of a school or pupil free day, public holidays, period of local emergency, court ordered shared custody, attendance at pre-school (supporting documentation must be provided, when required).
Priority of Access- We are asked by Centrelink to provide priority of access to a place to children at risk of serious abuse or neglect or a child of a sole parent who satisfies, or parents who both satisfy the Centrelink activity test through paid employment.
