What is the Inclusion Support Subsidy?
The Inclusion Support Subsidy (ISS) gives funding to help child care services to include children with ongoing high support needs.
Children with ongoing high support needs are children with a disability, children being diagnosed with a disability and refugee children.
The ISS is part of the larger Inclusion and Professional Support Program which supports child care services to provide high-quality child care.
The ISS replaced the Special Needs Subsidy Scheme (SNSS) and the Disabled Supplementary Service Payment (DSUPS) from 1 July 2006.
What child care services are eligible?
All Australian Government approved child care services are eligible regardless of care type or location. Types include:
- Long Day Care
- Outside School Hours Care (including Vacation Care)
- Occasional Care
- Family Day Care
- In Home Care.
Some Australian Government funded non-mainstream child care services (non-Child Care Benefit) are also eligible. These services include:
- flexible/innovative services
- Multi-functional Aboriginal Children's Services (MACS)
- non-mainstream Outside School Hours Care
- non-formula funded Occasional Care (100 per cent Australian Government funded)
- mobile children's services.
What is funding provided for?
The ISS provides funding as a contribution towards the costs associated with:
- additional staff to increase the staff-to-child ratio
- relief staff, to cover for regular carers attending inclusion training
- specialist equipment (for example, hoists, special change tables, special toilets, support swings, positioning blocks, and sensory mats).
The ISS may also provide an extra payment to home-based carers in recognition of the extra care and attention required by a child or children with ongoing high support needs.
How much funding is available?
The ISS contributes $15.33 per hour towards the cost of employing additional staff. It is a flat hourly rate which is indexed annually.
The ISS applies differently to different child care services and types. Please note that limits apply to the number of hours per week and weeks per year for which ISS can be approved, this varies across service types. The ISS payment provided to home-based carers may be paid on one of two tiers ($4.08 or $8.15 per hour).
For more information about the level of ISS support available to specific service types, please see the FaCSIA website (see below).
How do child care services apply for the Subsidy?
Child care services must start by working with an Inclusion Support Facilitator (ISF) to develop a Service Support Plan.
This plan outlines the skills and knowledge child care staff need to successfully include all children (including those with ongoing high support needs) into their child care service.
If the ISF determines that further support is required they will help the child care service to complete an application for funds. The application is then submitted to an ISS Provider for approval. Once approved, payments are made to the child care service quarterly in arrears according to the actual attendance of the child or children.
How does the ISS help families?
It helps families in several ways. It:
- gives children with ongoing high support needs better opportunities to learn and develop alongside other children
- supports those who work in child care so they are well trained and equipped to take care of children
- supports child care services to include all children, regardless of their background and including those with ongoing high support needs
- gives families access to better child care and greater choice in child care, regardless of where they live.
Where do I get more information?
For more information on the ISS view
Child care main page.
Key points
The ISS:
- gives funding to help child care services to include children with ongoing high support needs
- contributes $15.33 per hour towards the cost of employing additional staff
- provides home-based carers with an extra payment of $4.08 or $8.15 per hour
- is based on approval of a Service Support Plan which is developed by the child care service and an ISF
- replaced the Special Needs Subsidy Scheme (SNSS) and Disabled Supplementary Services Payment (DSUPS) from 1 July 2006.
What is the Inclusion Support Subsidy?
The Inclusion Support Subsidy (ISS) gives funding to help child care services include children with ongoing high support needs.Children with ongoing high support needs are children with a disability, children being diagnosed with a disability and refugee children.
The ISS is part of the larger Inclusion and Professional Support Program (IPSP) which supports child care services to provide high-quality child care.
What child care services are eligible for the Subsidy?
The ISS is available to all eligible child care services, regardless of care type, including carers who work in Australian Government approved Family Day Care (FDC) services. It can apply differently to different child care service types.
What does the Subsidy provide funding for?
The ISS contributes to the costs of providing support so a child care service can include children with ongoing high support needs. In the case of FDC it is available:
- to engage relief staff to cover for regular carers attending inclusion training
- to engage an extra staff member to accompany a FDC carer on out-of-home excursions for children with ongoing high support needs
- or specialist equipment (for example, hoists, special change tables, special toilets, support swings, positioning blocks and sensory mats)
The ISS may also provide a Capacity Payment to FDC carers in recognition of the extra care and attention required by a child or children with ongoing high support needs.
What level of funding can FDC carers receive?
The ISS contributes $15.33 per hour towards the costs of employing additional staff. This applies where the regular carer attends training or to accompany the regular carer on out of home excursion. Please note that limits apply to the number of hours per week and weeks per year for which ISS can be paid.
How is the amount of the ISS capacity payment determined?
The Capacity Payment may be paid on one of two tiers.
Tier One - FDC carers caring for one or more ISS eligible children may be approved for $4.08 per hour per care environment where caring for the child or children has a mild impact on the carer's capacity to include the child or children in that care environment. Carers may be eligible even where caring for a full complement of children under state and territory regulations.
Tier Two - FDC carers caring for one or more ISS eligible children may be approved for $8.15 per hour per care environment where caring for the child or children has a significant impact on the carer's capacity to include the child or children in that care environment. Carers are not eligible where they are caring for a full complement of children under state and territory regulations.
The department will continue to have discretion to provide assistance in excess of these two tiers in special and exceptional circumstances. The ISS Provider may apply to the department in such circumstances.
Is the Subsidy provided if an eligible child is absent from care?
Yes. If an eligible child is absent due to unforseen circumstances, FDC carers can claim the ISS to cover up to 30 days of absence per year for each eligible child. This is in line with the maximum number of Allowable Absences for which the Child Care Benefit can be paid.
Where do I get more information?
For more information on the ISS and FDC, view the
Child care main page.