Fees and Government Subsidies
We Offer Flexible Hour Sessions
We know that there is no one size fits all option for our families when it comes to early childhood education and care. That is why we are giving families the freedom to choose which hours best suit their needs.
Nine-hour, ten-hour and full day options are available (Please refer to offering at each centre) to all families under the one associated flat fee, enabling them to make the most out of the Child Care Subsidy.
Flexible Hours reduces out of pocket costs and increase access to subsidised hours, the new flexible model is part of our commitment to providing greater access to quality early childhood education and care.
Our families will:
- Not be limited by start and finish times like models from other early education providers.
- Be able to confirm their enrolment in one of our flexible options.
Choose from our nine-hour, ten-hour or full day sessions (please discuss individual centre offering with Centre Director) and make the most out of the Child Care Subsidy.
Child Care Subsidies
Great Start Early Learning Centres is registered as a provider of "Approved Care" under the Child Care System ("CCS"). Under CCS, the Federal Government provide us with each families subsidy details directly once you have registered and applied for the Child Care Subsidy via Centrelink.
If you would like to receive the Child Care Subsidy, please include this information in your child’s enrolment form and register for Child Care Subsidy with Centrelink:
- Your Customer Reference Number (CRN – issued to you by Centrelink).
- Your child’s Customer Reference Number (issued to you by Centrelink)
- Your date of birth (CRN Holder).
- Your child’s date of birth.
Am I Entitled to Child Care Subsidy?
The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is a payment made by the Australian Government to help families with the cost of quality child care and early education. This is paid directly to the service to reduce your weekly fees. It is the responsibility of the parent to register for Child Care Subsidy. This can be done by contacting Centrelink either in person, by phone on 136 150 or by accessing their My Gov account at my.gov.au
Three things will determine a family’s level of Child Care Subsidy:
- A family’s combined income will determine the percentage of subsidy they are eligible to receive.
- An activity test will determine how many hours of subsidised care families can access, up to a maximum of 100 per fortnight (please refer below for examples of what may be included in activity hours).
- The type of child care service will determine the hourly rate cap.
Some basic requirements must be satisfied for an individual to be eligible to receive the Child Care Subsidy. These include:
- The age of the child (must be 13 or under and not attending secondary school).
- The child meeting immunisation requirements.
- The individual, or their partner, meeting the residency requirements.
The number of hours of subsidised child care that families will have access to per fortnight will be determined by a three-step activity test.
In two parent families both parents, unless exempt, must meet the activity test. In the case where both parents meet different steps of the activity test, the parent with the lowest entitlement will determine the hours of subsidised care for the child.
Important Information Regarding Absences on Your Start and End Dates
If your child is given a start date at the centre but is away for more than seven days (including weekends) before starting, NO CCS will be paid for any of those absent days. Full fees will have to be paid for these absent days. CCS will then only commence once your child has physically attended their first day at the centre.
If you have provided us with a date your child will be leaving and your child is away on their last day and more than seven days (including weekends) immediately preceding this day, NO CCS will be paid for any of those absent days. Full fees will then have to be paid for these absent days.
Please see the Government website for current information.
Registering for Child Care Subsidies
Registering can be completed through:
- Using your myGov account at my.gov.au
- Internet: www.humanservices.gov.au
- Telephone (Centrelink): 13 61 50
- In person: at Medicare offices or Centrelink offices
You will required to authorise your child’s initial attendance pattern using the myGov or telephoning Centrelink.
Our Enrolment Terms & Fees
All fees are to be paid in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment, Fee Schedule and our Fee Policy.
The following information is general information regarding payment of centre fees.
- Your child’s attendance is booked and charged on a daily basis (not a part day basis).
- An initial enrolment booking fee is due when your position is confirmed to secure your child’s enrolment. The initial fee is non-refundable if your child does not attend as booked.
- Two weeks advance payment (current week plus 2 weeks) of full fees is required before your child starts and must be maintained during your child’s attendance.
- Fees will apply for booked days that your child does not attend due to illness, holidays or public holidays.
- We provide Statements weekly via the App and these can also be requested at any time from your Centre Director at the administration office.
- Late Pick-up Fees: We understand that sometimes families may run late and collect their child after our early learning program ends. Please see our fee schedule for additional costs of continuing to provide care after the operating hours. This will be charged to your account accordingly. If late pick-up occurs regularly the centre reserves the right to cancel child’s enrolment.
- If your account falls in arrears, your Centre Director will work with you to plan your payments to bring your account back to two weeks in advance. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of enrolment may result in child’s enrolment being terminated.
- If your account is referred to our debt collectors, recovery costs of 25% of the outstanding account balance will be added to your account.
- If an account goes into credit due to the application or backdating of CCS entitlement, that credit will remain on the customer’s account to be set against subsequent fee statements. If an account is in credit when a child leaves the Centre, after all fees owing have been paid, then the source of the balance will be reviewed to determine whether the money should be returned to the parent or refunded to the Federal Government as an overpayment of Child Care Subsidy.
Our method of payment is via direct debit either from your nominated bank account or credit card. Once your completed direct debit form has been received at the centre your fees will be debited and automatically applied to your childcare account.
Dishonour fees are charged to you by the financial institutions. The charge is set by the financial institution or agency and is subject to change at any time. For further information consult the financial institution website.
The service unable to accept cash. If cheque payments are made, they should be handed to the Centre Director and a receipt will be issued. No responsibility will be accepted by the centre payments for which parents have not obtained a receipt. Cheque payments should be made payable to Great Start Early Learning Centres Pty Ltd. The Centre Director or Educator will assist you with EFTPOS payments.
What counts as Activity Hours for Child Care Subsidies?
Entitlement When Your Child is Absent
Initial Enrolment Booking Fees to Secure Enrolment
Holidays
Medical Conditions and Illness
Public Holidays
Late Pick-up Fees
Immunisation Compliance
Withdrawal of Children from the Centre
Changes to your Child’s Regular Booked Days
