02 FebOmicron and Child Care Subsidy funded ECEC services

Posted on 02 Feb 2022

The Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) has announced a number of changes to gap fee waiving and allowable absences to support CCS-funded early childhood services. Services can also seek support for services closures due to Omicron.

Gap fee waiver

Until 30 June 2022, services can waive the gap fee and receive Child Care Subsidy (CCS) if a child is unable to attend care for one of four reasons:

1. The child, or a member of their immediate household, must isolate due to COVID-19.
2. The child is at a higher risk of severe disease from COVID-19. This includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
3. The service, or a room at the service, is closed due to COVID-19. This includes where a service closes based on general guidance from a state or territory government agency, or because educator to child ratios cannot be safely met as the educator/s must isolate. Written advice specific to the impacted service is not required.
4. The state or territory has restricted access to child care in a region due to COVID-19. This includes where the state or territory has restricted school attendance, in the case of Outside School Hours Care.

More information about gap fee waivers can be found here.

Allowable absences

There are now unlimited allowable absences throughout January and February 2022, in response to the Omicron wave.

In addition, from 1 January to 28 February 2022, CCS will be paid for absences for any reason prior to a child’s first day, or after their last day for enrolments that begin or end during this period. CCS will also be paid for any absences in the 7 days prior to a child’s first, or after their last day, if the child or a member of their immediate household must isolate due to COVID-19 in the period from 1 to 31 December 2021 and 1 March to 30 June 2022.

Support for service closures

Services can apply for a Community Child Care Fund (CCCF) Special Circumstances grant if they’ve had to close, or partially close, due to COVID-19, including in the absence of stay-at-home orders. The guidelines and application form for the grant will be updated soon.