Early learning service providers should have now received an email from the Department of Education and Training (DET) regarding the treatment of absences before care in the transition to the Child Care Subsidy.
Following feedback from ACA and early learning providers regarding a previous update from DET on 12 July (particularly with respect to the treatment of school holiday absences), the Department has reviewed the legislative provisions and provided the following clarification.
Child Care Subsidy (CCS) can be paid for absences as usual where a child is enrolled under a transitioning enrolment.
That is, if the child’s enrolment started before 2 July 2018, the child attended at least one session of care before 2 July 2018, and care is continuing at the same service under the same enrolment, absences can be eligible for CCS from 2 July 2018.
As per usual practice, absences after any child’s last day of attendance under their current enrolment are not eligible for CCS.
New FAQs - preschool exemption
ACA has raised questions about how parents’ entitlement to the preschool exemption is applied and displayed in the CCSS. Answers to these queries are outlined in a new set of Frequently Asked Questions on the DET webpage.
General information about the preschool exemption entitlement and operation is also available in this DET fact sheet: 'Preschool exemption to the Child Care Subsidy activity test'.