01 JunNew ELAA submission re Federal childcare relief package
As the lockdown begins to ease and some of the government measures in place are due to conclude, ELAA is working with other early years peak organisations to advocate for the following changes to the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) system:
1. Remove the activity test or ensure all families can receive 100 hours per fortnight of CCS
Permanently removing the activity test or allowing children to access to 100 hours of CCS per fortnight would provide children with stability of access and simplify CCS.
2. Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS): service level approvals and increased income thresholds
Streamlining the ACCS process by allowing service-level approvals for child wellbeing and temporary financial hardship and extending the period of access to the ACCS to a minimum of 13 weeks.
Increase the income threshold for ACCS Transition to Work to ensure that people that transitioning from JobSeeker will be eligible for support.
3. Block funding of ECEC for vulnerable groups
Block funding of services for vulnerable groups such as Indigenous children would enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities would provide the certainty needed to continue to operate ECEC services throughout the pandemic.
4. Maintain 60 days of absences and allow services to waive parent fees
Recognise the continuing impact of COVID-19 and encourage families to keep children at home if they have a family member is unwell.
Services should also be permitted to waive parent fees when children are absent so children can be kept at home at no cost to families in the event of illness, COVID-19 outbreak, and service closures.
5. If CCS payments remain, increase payments
Improving the affordability of childcare for all families and in particular low-income families will support workforce participation and help to kickstart the economy. If the options outlined in point 1 above are not adopted, then ELAA asks that the affordability of CCS payments be improved for all families, in particular low income families.
More details can be found in ELAA’s submission to the Senate Select Committee Inquiry into the federal government’s response to coronavirus (COVID-19) .
