Families from Western Port, Bass Coast, Phillip Island, the Mornington Peninsula and surrounding areas are being urged to sign on and start their changeover to the Turnbull Government’s new child care and early learning system before its launch in less than two months.
With almost 5,000 families in the electorate set to benefit from the Turnbull Government’s new package, Minister Hunt said it was time for all families to “make the switch” to the overhauled system.
“It must be emphasised that this changeover is not automatic.” Mr Hunt said. “Families must visit www.education.gov.au/childcare and switchover as soon as they can so they’re ready for the new system from day one.”
“This will ensure all families are eligible for new subsidies immediately and do not miss out on the additional $2.5 billion Federal Government investment in Australia’s childcare system.
“Our new child care package will provide the greatest hours of support to the families who work the longest hours, and the greatest subsidy and financial support to the families who earn the least.”
Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham said the child care changes are focused on helping the families that need it most.
“The Turnbull Government’s overhaul of child care and early learning subsidies and extra $2.5 billion investment in the system will introduce hourly rate caps to put downward pressure on fee increases and abolish the annual rebate cap for most families,” Minister Birmingham said.
“Overall it will mean nearly one million families benefit and it’s estimated the package will encourage more than 230,000 families to increase their workforce participation.
Recent changes to the Consumer Price Index have also seen hourly rate caps and annual caps increase and will mean under the Turnbull Government’s child care and early learning package:
• More than 370,000 families earning around $66 958 or less a year will have their base subsidy increase from 72 per cent to 85 per cent
• Families earning $186 958 or less a year will no longer be limited by an annual $7,613 cap on the amount of child care they can access – that’s more than 85 per cent of families using child care and early learning and means families won’t run out of subsidy mid-year as happens now.
• Hourly rate caps will rise from $11.55 to $11.77 for Centre Based Day Care, $10.70 to $10.90 for Family Day Care, whilst families with children in Outside School Hours Care will also see their hourly rate cap rise from $10.10 to $10.29.
With the Turnbull Government’s child care system less than two months away, families can find out how to transition at: www.education.gov.au/childcare