The Australian Government has extended the Commonwealth COVID-19 Hotspot declaration for all New South Wales until 11 October 2021.
Services under extended lockdown in NSW may be eligible for Australian Government support.
Details about lockdowns in NSW are available on the NSW Government website.
To find out what a service is eligible for visit our early childhood COVID-19 support by region webpage. Here we list regions eligible for support and the dates the support starts and ends.
Support for services in extended lockdowns
The NSW Government announced current lockdowns would be extended until 11 October in the following areas:
Bathurst, Bourke, Broken Hill, Casino, Central Coast, Cessnock, Dubbo, Eurobodalla, Goulburn Mulwaree, Gunnedah, Kiama, Kyogle, Lake Macquarie, Lismore, Lithgow, Maitland, Menindee, Mid Coast suburbs in postcodes 2430 and 2428, Muswellbrook, Narromine, Newcastle, Oberon, Port Stephens, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Snowy Monaro, Sunset Strip, Wilcannia and Wingecarribee.
During extended COVID-19 lockdowns services may be eligible for:
Note: services in Kyogle, Oberon, Snowy Monaro became eligible for the business continuity payment for the period 20 September – 3 October after the pay run was made. Services in these areas will receive payment in the reconciliation process in December 2021.
To find out what a service is eligible for visit our early childhood COVID-19 support by region webpage.
When a lockdown ends
Changes to Australian Government support will apply to child care services as restrictions in their area ease.
When a lockdown ends:
- Business continuity payments will end. If the lockdown ends during a payment fortnight, services that opted-in will still receive payment for the full fortnight.
- Regular absence provisions apply. That is, families can access up to 42 days per child, per financial year.
- Services must resume charging gap fees. If the lockdown ends during a business continuity payment fortnight, services receiving payments must waive gap fees until the end of the payment fortnight.
To find out what a service is eligible for visit our early childhood COVID-19 support by region webpage.
NSW Roadmap to Recovery
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.
NSW’s Roadmap to Recovery can be found on the NSW Government website.
Services receiving business continuity payments may continue to receive them 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 or until 30 November 2021 – whichever occurs first.
The current date for this in NSW is 25 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.