COVID-19 in Victoria: what Moorabool and Greater Shepparton hotspots mean for child care
Child care services in Moorabool and Greater Shepparton can now access Australian Government support following lockdown announcements and hotspot declarations.
Details about the lockdowns are available on the Victorian Government COVID-19 response website.
The current direction from the Victorian Government is that child care is open for:
- vulnerable children
- children with two parents or carers where at least one is an authorised worker, if no alternative supervision arrangements can be made
- children of single parents or carers who work, regardless of whether they are an authorised worker, if no alternative supervision arrangements can be made.
Gap fees
Services in Moorabool and Greater Shepparton can waive gap fees while in a COVID-19 hotspot for families who keep their children at home. You can waive gap fees from 1 October.
Learn more about waiving gap fees.
Absences
Families can get Child Care Subsidy (CCS) when their child is absent from a session of care they would normally attend for up to 42 days per child, per financial year.
Additional allowable absences will be available if the hotspot and lockdown is extended for more than 7 days. We’ll let you know if this happens.
Learn more about absences in a COVID-19 hotspot.
Business continuity payments
Services in extended COVID-19 hotspots may be eligible for business continuity payments.
We’ll let you know if you become eligible for business continuity payments.
Learn more about eligibility for business continuity payments.
More information
Check this table for regions eligible for support and the dates the support starts and ends.
Learn more about COVID-19 support for services and families on our website.
Eased restrictions in Latrobe
Changes to Australian Government support apply to child care services in Latrobe following the lifting of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions from 11.59pm 5 October.
Details are available on the Victorian Government COVID-19 response website.
From 6 October, the following applies:
Gap fees
Services in Latrobe must resume charging gap fees.
Absences
Regular absence provisions continue to apply.
Families can access up to 42 days per child, per financial year. They can also access additional absences in certain circumstances.
Victoria’s roadmap
Each jurisdiction will ease restrictions at different times based on local conditions, in accordance with the National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID-19 Response.
Victoria’s roadmap can be found on the Victorian Government website.
Services receiving business continuity payments may continue to until no longer in a hotspot and under lockdown or until 30 November, whichever is the earliest.
Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) services will continue to receive business continuity payments, even when a COVID-19 hotspot ends, until all primary school-aged children are permitted to return to school.
The current date for this in Regional Victoria is 26 October 2021. If OSHC services continue to meet the conditions for the payment, other than being in a COVID-19 hotspot, the last fortnightly payment will be for the period 18 to 31 October.