24 OctOur recap on the ECEC worker retention payment webinar
The Australian Department of Education recently held a webinar outlining the details of the Federal Government’s ECEC worker retention payment for long day care.
The recording and slides from this session are now available for providers to view here: Worker retention payment webinar – Department of Education, Australian Government
To recap, the worker retention payment is available to long day care providers who:
- operate a Centre Based Day Care (CBDC) or Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) service; and
- are approved for the Child Care Subsidy (CCS); and
- meet a fee caps percentage for the 2-year period. Between 8 August 2024 and 7 August 2025, this percentage is 4.4%; and
- engage their workers through a workplace instrument (see below) that meets the grant conditions; and
- agree to pass all funding on to eligible workers through increased wages; and
- meet all other grant conditions and reporting requirements.
Workplace instrument – eligibility requirements
The payment applies to ECEC employees (workers) at CCS-approved Centre Based Day Care or OSHC services who are:
- covered by the Children’s Services Award 2010, the Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020 (or another award such as state industrial instrument); and
- are engaged under a ‘workplace instrument’ that meets grant conditions which legally enshrines above-award wages (minimum rates here) to meet grant conditions which includes an enterprise agreement (EBA) or Individual Flexibility Arrangement (IFA).
For more information, you can refer to these important links:
- Awards, workplace instruments and bargaining – Department of Education, Australian Government.
- How to apply for the worker retention payment – Department of Education, Australian Government.
Have more questions? Contact the Australian Department of Education’s CCS Helpdesk;
Child Care Subsidy Provider Helpdesk
Phone: 1300 667 276
Email: ccshelpdesk@education.gov.au
