Reprieve for Goodstart with Treasurer’s announcement

Having expressed concern last week about the future viability of its centres in wake of the ECEC relief package announcement, Australia’s largest early childhood education and care (ECEC) provider, Goodstart Early Learning, has welcomed an announcement made by the Federal Treasurer that charities, including Goodstart, will be able to apply for JobKeeper payments for their staff.

The announcement, made over the weekend, outlined that charities registered with the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profit Commission (ACNC) will be eligible for the JobKeeper Subsidy if they estimate their turnover has, or will likely fall, by 15 per cent or more relative to a comparable period. 

“While the legislation won’t be introduced into Parliament until Wednesday, we are very relieved that once it is passed, we will be able to continue to support families in our centres across the nation,” CEO Julia Davison said this morning.

“The Treasurer and the Minister for Education have worked hard in recent days for our centres and our families to ensure they found a solution for us and we thank them for their support,” she added. 

Ms Davison explained that access to the JobKeeper payment is vital in supporting the provider to remain viable during the economic and social fallout from COVID- 19.  

“We commend the Government’s recognition that Australia’s charities and not-for-profit sector play a unique and vital role in supporting Australians in times of crisis and in the recovery period to come,” she added. 

Although Goodstart is a not for profit organisation, the scale of the organisation, with 665 services, meant it did not necessarily qualify for the JobKeeper scheme prior to the announcement.

To learn more about the ECEC Relief Package, please see here.