It’s been a big week for COVID-19 and today marks another massive announcement from Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Childcare centres across the country will not only remain open for those still working, but will also be free.
This is a big deal for many families who have been left wondering what will happen to their children in childcare. As most states have closed schools to the majority of students, many were predicting childcare centres to follow suit.
Childcare centres open for who?
Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said the childcare sector would be overhauled to provide free care for working parents from next week.
Who can use the free childcare?
If you’re working, you’re eligible. In a recent press conference, Scott Morrison explained,
Critical areas [of work] are not just the obvious ones — it is not just the doctors or the nurses who are at the hospitals, it is the cleaners at the hospitals as well.
It is the people driving trucks to get food out to supermarkets and ensure the supplies continue.
If you have a job in this economy then that is an essential job, in my view, in terms of the running of the economy and it is important that all of those parents who have children, that they get access to child care and those facilities will be there for them in the many months ahead.”
Who’s paying for it then?
The Federal Government. They are offering financial support to the 13,000 centres around the country to ensure parents don’t have to pay and that childcare centres can remain open.
“I don’t want a parent to have to choose between feeding their kids and having their kids looked after,” Scott Morrison explained.
The fine print
Sounds good, right, but there are still a few questions parents have such as, how parents can claim this? Will there be a form or is it automatic? Is this all the childcare facilities including family daycares? And what about parents who have pulled their children out for the time being due to fear of sickness? Will they be eligible?
We’re hoping these questions will be answered by our leaders shortly.
MORE TO COME.Â
