Childcare gap fees waived during Sydney Covid lockdown

Sydney childcare centres will be allowed to waive the gap fee for parents who aren’t sending their kids during the lockdown.

Sydney childcare centres will be allowed to waive the gap fee for parents who aren’t sending their kids during the lockdown, saving families hundreds of dollars a week.

From Monday July 19, childcare operators will be able to drop the fee, ensuring parents don’t pay for care they’re not using, but still keep their child enrolled so the centres receive the government subsidy.

Childcare gap fees can be waived in Sydney from Monday for the duration of the Covid-19 lockdown.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said under the temporary changes made by the federal government about 216,000 families across Greater Sydney would benefit.

“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,” he said.

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

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said waiving the childcare gap fee will make life easier for Sydney parents. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

Under current NSW restrictions child care services can remain open to provide care for those who need it, but the changes were made based on the assumption many parents would be keeping their children at home.

Education and Youth Minister Alan Tudge said the childcare sector had been asking for the change and many Sydney centres were expected to offer the gap fee waiver.

“This opt-in measure ensures children remain enrolled in care and the Commonwealth childcare subsidy continues to flow to the centre, providing a valuable, stable and certain source of revenue during this time,” he said.

Education Minister Alan Tudge said the childcare sector had asked for the gap fee waiver changes. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Matray

“Previous lockdowns show that even when child care remains open, there is an understandably strong preference to keep kids at home”

Mr Tudge said the change would ease “some of the pressure” on families and encourage them to keep their children enrolled, guaranteeing the Commonwealth subsidy would keep going to centres during the lockdown.

The changes also apply to the after school-care sector, which is under particular pressure while school students are learning from home.”

The Local Government Areas eligible for the fee waiver 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.