The Australian Government assists child care services in meeting their operational costs through the Child Care Support Program (CCSP). The CCSP supports equitable access to child care for children and families in areas and/or circumstances where services would not otherwise be financially viable.
From 1 July 2007, the Australian Government is providing increased Sustainability Assistance to Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) services located in outer regional, remote and very remote areas. This additional support is in recognition of the extra cost of providing child care in these areas.
What is Sustainability Assistance - Outside School Hours Care?
Sustainability Assistance - Outside School Hours Care is a payment to support small,
not-for-profit OSHC services. It is designed to help communities retain access to child care where the operation of a child care service is not likely to be financially viable.
Who is eligible for Sustainability Assistance?
OSHC services that are approved to administer CCB on behalf of families and operate in areas of need determined by FaCSIA are eligible for Sustainability Assistance.
In determining whether a service is in an area of need, the following factors are taken into account:
- The service's number of occupied places or utilisation of the service
- The remoteness of the service as measured by the Australian Standard Geographical Classification
- The socio-economic status of the community, derived from the Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas
How much funding is available?
The rates of Sustainability Assistance for OSHC in 2007-08 are:
|
OSHC Component |
Utilised Places |
Major city/Inner Regional |
Outer Regional |
Remote/very Remote |
|
After School Care |
Up to 20
21 to 30 |
$8,985
$4,492 |
$10,781
$5,390 |
$11,680
$5,839 |
|
Before School Care |
Up to 20
21 to 30 |
$5,813
$2,906 |
$6,976
$3,487 |
$7,557
$3,778 |
|
Vacation Care |
Up to 20
21 to 30 |
$8,985
$4,492 |
$10,781
$5,390 |
$11,680
$5,839 |
For example, an OSHC service providing After School Care and Before School Care in a remote area with a utilisation of 19, would receive $19,237 in 2007-08.
Payments are made quarterly in advance and are calculated, reviewed and adjusted each year. Payments are based on a service's number of occupied places.
How are occupied places calculated?
A service's number of occupied places is a key factor in determining its eligibility for, and rate of, Sustainability Assistance. Services that receive Sustainability Assistance are required to regularly provide information on their number of occupied places to FaCSIA.
The formula for calculating occupied places for OSHC services is:
- Total number of sessions of care charged for during the reporting period, divided by
- Total number of sessions that the service was open during that reporting period.
For more information on calculating utilisation, please refer to the latest Child Care Service Handbook.
What are my obligations if I receive Sustainability Assistance?
Services that receive Sustainability Assistance - OSHC are required to:
- Administer CCB on behalf of families
- Provide data on occupied places to FaCSIA
- Provide performance data and financial statements to FaCSIA
Services approved to receive Sustainability Assistance must enter into a funding agreement with FaCSIA. These and other obligations are outlined in the funding agreement.
Further information
For more information on this and other payments, please contact FaCSIA on 1300 653 227 and ask to speak with the child care officer in your state or territory.
You can also visit the FaCSIA website at
www.facsia.gov.au 
.