With Christmas a distant memory and summer now in full swing, parents across Australia are readying themselves for the challenge that is ‘back to school’ season.
From last-minute dashes to the supermarket, to preparing a seemingly endless pile of uniforms and stationery lists, January and February present some exciting, but daunting challenges for mums and dads.
But aside from the mountain of preparation, the back to school period provides a great opportunity for families to organise and plan their yearly finances, including arranging outside school hours care arrangements for their kids.
For those families working long hours or dedicating their time to other important commitments such as studying or volunteering, outside school hours care is a vital service that supports both children and parents alike. These services provide stimulating, educational activities for the kids and provide a sense of security for parents who may need those extra hours to complete their activities for the day.
The Government recognises that working families with children need more support. That’s why on 2 July 2018, we’re introducing a new Child Care Package that will bring more support to more families across Australia.
The new Child Care Package includes increased support for outside school hours care, so parents should get more information and start to plan their child care arrangements for the year now.
Under the new Child Care Package, the current Child Care Rebate and Child Care Benefit will be replaced by a single Child Care Subsidy. The new subsidy will be paid directly to child care providers and parents will only be required to pay the difference.