DESE updates confirm Guide to ACCS changes, session cut off date and CCCF funds

The Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) has issued an email to the broader early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector, confirming that the Guide to Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) (child wellbeing) has been updated, reminding services to submit session reports by 8 August for child care subsidy (CCS) reconciliation, and confirming that more than $100 million was awarded to 385 child care providers in the latest round of the Community Child Care Fund (CCCF) Open Competitive Grant.

ACCS updates 

The Department has updated the Guide to ACCS to reflect changes that came into effect on 1 July 2021. 

The guide contains information for providers and services involved in the administration of ACCS (child wellbeing). Changes to ACCS (child wellbeing) include:

• extending the backdating period from 28 days to 13 weeks (in exceptional circumstances),
• extending the determination period for children in foster care from 13 weeks to 12 months, and
• changes to Provider Eligible Enrolments (now Provider Eligible Arrangements).

More information about the updates to the Guide to ACCS (child wellbeing) is available here. 

Session report submission reminder – 8 August 

ECEC providers have been reminded that they have until 8 August to submit session reports to Services Australia for the 2020-21 CCS year.

Finalising session reports in line with the deadline, the Department said, is essential for balancing CCS entitlements for the financial year which has recently closed. 

From 8 August services will be unable to submit, vary or withdraw session reports for any period of care between 13 July 2020 and 30 June 2021. 

CCCF funding announced for 385 child care providers 

More than $100 million was awarded to 385 providers in the latest round of the Community Child Care Fund (CCCF) Open Competitive Grant across three categories to help services to stay open and increase the number of children accessing care in regional, remote and disadvantaged communities.

A total of 1194 applications were received from 962 child care services under Round Three of the grant with further details about the announcement available here. 

To subscribe to updates from DESE, please see here.