NSW Child Care Services To Waive Gap Fees

From Monday 19 July services in Local Government Areas (LGAs) subject to stay-at-home orders can waive gap fees for parents on days they choose to keep their children at home.

As previously announced, services can also waive gap fees if they are directed to close by a local authority because of COVID-19 until 31 December 2021.

 

The gap fee is the difference between the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) the Government pays to a service and the remaining fee paid by the family.

 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said around 216,000 families across Greater Sydney that access childcare services could benefit from this measure.

 

“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,” the Prime Minister said.

 

“This is another measure that will make life easier for many families in Greater Sydney during these challenging times.

 

“This adds to the significant financial support we have already announced in conjunction with the NSW Government to back families and businesses, and provide additional mental health support.”

 

The measure builds on the existing gap fee waiver that is currently in place until 31 December 2021, where gap fees can be waived if a service is directed to close due to public health advice.

 

The Local Government Areas are: Bayside, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Burwood, Camden, Campbelltown, Canada Bay, Canterbury-Bankstown, Central Coast, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Hunters Hill, Inner West, Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove, Liverpool, Mosman, North Sydney, Northern Beaches, Parramatta, Penrith, Randwick, Ryde, Shellharbour, Strathfield, Sutherland Shire, Sydney, The Hills Shire, Waverley, Willoughby, Wollondilly, Wollongong and Woollahra.

 

Childcare Gap-Fee Waiver For NSW families in COVID-Affected Areas, Media Release 15 July 2021