With NSW’s lockdown extended till 30 July, the Morrison Government has now announced additional support for families in COVID-affected areas. Gap-fees for childcare services will now be waived for parents keeping their children at home.
Under current restrictions, childcare centres can remain open to provide help for families who need it.
“This is another measure that will make life easier for many families in Greater Sydney during these challenging times,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
“When gap-fees are waived families will not have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for those days that their children are at home during the current stay at home period.”
More than 200,000 families across Greater Sydney will be able to avail this waiver which will be in effect from 19 July.
The gap fee is the difference between the Child Care Subsidy that the Government pays to a service and the remaining fee paid by the family.
“Previous lockdowns show that even when child care remains open, there is an understandably strong preference to keep kids at home,” explained Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge.
“We are easing some of the pressure on families and encouraging them to keep their children enrolled, guaranteeing the continued flow of child care subsidy to service providers. Importantly, this means providers can keep their staff employed so business can continue as usual when the stay-at-home orders end.”
The Local Government Areas in which the childcare gap-fee waiver will be available include Blacktown, Fairfield, Hornsby, Liverpool, Parramatta, Penrith, City of Sydney, Strathfield, and Wollongong.
The recent announcement joins the $3 billion commitment by the Morrison Government to support early childhood education and care sector during the pandemic.
READ ALSO: COVID relief funding for vulnerable multicultural communities in NSW
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