The Queensland Government has announced a three-day period of restrictions for the Greater Brisbane area starting 5pm on Monday, 29 March because of a local COVID outbreak.
During this time, schools and child care centres remain open for vulnerable children and the children of essential workers.
At this stage, there is no change to fee charging and or allowable absences. Only services directed to close by a local authority because of COVID-19 can waive gap fees until 30 June 2021.
The Department of Education, Skills and Employment is monitoring the situation closely. If the situation changes, we will contact providers and services with updated advice.
Actions to take
We are advising providers to take the following action, if they have not already:
- Update vacancy details in Child Care Finder. Do this via the Provider Entry Point or through your third-party software.
- Update your contact details (particularly email addresses) in the Child Care Subsidy System so you don’t miss important information. Do this via the Provider Entry Point or through your third-party software.
- Ask families to maintain their enrolments. This will ensure their children receive continuity of care and early learning.
- Keep an eye on the Queensland Government's COVID-19 website for up-to-date information in your region.
Support for families
Families can get Child Care Subsidy when their child is absent from a session of care they would normally attend for up to 42 days per financial year. These absences can be used for any reason.
Families looking for alternative child care options can visit Starting Blocks or Child Care Finder.
Nationally, the activity test has been eased until 4 April 2021 for Australian families whose employment has been affected by COVID-19. Affected families can access up to 100 hours of subsidised child care, per child, per fortnight.