Starting in 2023, the NSW Government is making a landmark investment of $1.3 billion over 4 years to provide fee-relief to families with children in preschool.
This means if your child turns 4 years old on or before 1 July 2023 you will receive up to $2,110 in fee relief.
This fee relief is available to families through long day care services in the Start Strong Long Day Care 2023 program.
The fee relief will be passed on to you by your long day care service as a weekly reduction to your session fee or gap fee (after the Child Care Subsidy has been applied), allocated across the service’s total number of operating weeks for the calendar year.
The reduction will be shown to you in a regular invoice or statement from the service.
The fee relief is in addition to and will not impact on your Child Care Subsidy payments provided by the Australian Government. This fee relief is not means tested.
You will still need to pay any gap fees remaining after the Child Care Subsidy and fee relief have been applied.
What happens if my child starts later in the year?
If your child starts later in the year, your weekly fee reduction does not change. This is because services must spread the fee relief across the number of weeks they are open and apply the fee relief as a reduction to weekly fees for each child.
For example: If a centre is open 50 weeks a year, they will pass on up to $42.20 in fee relief each week.
If your child enrols in a long day care service in June, then you will receive fee relief of up to $42.20 from the week your child’s enrolment starts at that long day care service.
What happens if my child is sick and does not attend the service for the day?
If your child is sick and does not attend on one of their enrolled days, your weekly fee relief amount does not change.
You will still receive a reduced fee from your service.
The fee relief is linked to enrolment not attendance.
What information will I need to provide to access the fee relief?
In order to access the fee relief, you will need to complete a declaration and consent form and your service will help you do this. You will need to consent to your service sharing some of your child’s information with the NSW Department of Education and the Australian Government.
These details include your child’s name, date of birth, and child enrolment ID.
Your service will provide you with a declaration and consent form which explains what details are required and how the information will be used.
Can I get fee relief from more than one preschool service?
No, you can only access fee relief from one service, at any one time.
This means if your child attends a preschool program at another long day care service or community preschool, you will need to nominate which service you will receive your fee relief from. You will need to complete a declaration and consent form and your service will help you do this.
Where can I find more information?
Speak to us to better understand how the fee relief is being passed on to you.
