Early childhood Services that have had to close or partially close due to COVID-19, including in the absence of stay-at-home orders, can apply for a Community Child Care Fund (CCCF) Special Circumstances grant. The Community Child Care Fund (CCCF) Special Circumstances Grant Opportunity helps services stay open when something unexpected happens.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Education James Merlino today announced a plan to keep education settings open while taking every measure to protect children and Educators – with surveillance testing, ventilation, vaccinations and comprehensive workforce planning to ensure a successful 2022 school year.

NSW Health has advised that people who are symptomatic or are household contacts of a positive case may rely on the results of a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT), instead of awaiting the results of the PCR nose and throat swab from a testing clinic.

The best way to deal with a positive case when it happens is to be as prepared as possible before it happens. The following provides information for early childhood services in NSW that includes Managing Positive Cases, COVID - 19 Contacts Within A Service, RAT, Cleaning, Letter To Contacts and more. 

In partnership with the New South Wales regulatory authority, ACECQA has developed a series of short, interactive eLearning modules to help approved providers understand their responsibilities under the National Law and Regulations. These modules are also available in web accessible versions.

Child care services in Commonwealth-declared hotspots will be eligible for payments of 25 per cent of their pre-lockdown revenue. Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) services will be eligible for payments of 40 per cent.