24 Oct$25 million Drought Preparedness and Support Package for Victoria
The Victorian Government has today announced a $25 million Drought Preparedness and Support Package with targeted support for mental health, small business planning and support for parents in farming communities. As part of this package, there will be two kindergarten support initiatives made available for the 2019 calendar year for families and services located in East Gippsland and Wellington Shire Councils.
Drought Kindergarten Fee Subsidy
- The Drought Kindergarten Fee Subsidy (KFS) initiative will provide access to free or low cost kindergarten for 15 hours per week for all children in the year before school in 2019. The fee subsidy will be available to families that reside in or attend a kindergarten service in the two identified local government areas (LGAs).
Financial hardship grants
- A one-off financial hardship grant of up to $10,000 will be available to all community-based kindergarten services in the identified LGAs that can demonstrate that their income and service delivery have been directly impacted by the drought.
The attached letter from Minister Mikakos advising services in these areas of the available support will be sent by DET shortly.
Further information about the application process for financial hardship grants and the administration of the Drought KFS will be available in the coming weeks.
