The Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) is a not-for-profit, member-funded organisation advocating for the future of Australia's children.
We work on behalf of long day care owners and operators to ensure families and their children have an opportunity to access affordable, high quality early learning services throughout Australia.


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The Department of Education and Training (DET) recommends that ECEC services take the following steps as soon as possible, to ensure they are ready to receive the new CCS payments from 2 July this year: 
 
  • Complete PRODA registration
    You will not be able to complete the next step unless at least one person with Management or Control has registered with PRODA. 
  • Complete the on-line transition form
  • Activate, register and set up your Child care software. 
    This will involve a number of considerations that will be different for each ECEC service’s circumstances. 
    If you are not using software, you can download Task Cards from DET's Provider Transition webpage (scroll to the bottom) so that you can complete the next step in the PEP (Provider Entry Point)
  • Update and create enrolments, link personnel into PRODA and check service details using your child care software OR the PEP (Provider Entry Point)

New technologies

New technology platform for ECEC services 
The new Child Care Subsidy brings with it a new IT system – the Child Care Subsidy System (CCSS) – which will replace CCMS and will be used to administer payment of the new subsidy. 
 
To access the CCSS key service personnel will need to register in an online authentication system called PRODA (Provider Digital Access), which features a two-step verification process to give individuals secure access to Government online services. PRODA is also used for access to other government services such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). 
 

business idea New modelling tool A
In the transition to the new Child Care Subsidy regime, Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services may consider different session types or models to better meet the needs of their families under the new regime (whilst not obligated to do so). 
 
A new approach may better suit your ECEC service, along with your families due to potential affordability and accessibility impacts for families.
 
Those service providers that choose to offer more varied session structures will need to determine the impacts of “sessional care” (i.e. 4-6 hour daily sessions) on their operations and parental access, along with the financial implications in the context of their long-term financial viability.
 
To help you consider your service model options and determine the most sustainable way ahead for your service under the new system, ACA recently commissioned PwC (formerly known as Pricewaterhouse Coopers) to develop a modelling tool for member use. We've named it the Flexible Affordable Modelling Tool (FAMT).
 

New CCS Estimator

The Department of Education and Training (DET) has recently announced two new developments surrounding the new Child Care Package and the new Child Care Subsidy:
 
1/ Online calculation of fortnightly $ support for families
Families can now calculate the level of fortnightly financial support they can expect to receive using Centrelink's Payment and Service Finder. 
 
This online tool will ask families a set of questions about their circumstances, including their shared income and estimated hours of work/study along with the hourly rate of their particular Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) service, to provide an estimate of their fortnightly Child Care Subsidy. 
 

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