Child Care Finder website to be scrapped, vacancies on Starting Blocks come 2023

Three years after the Government announced the Child Care Finder website as part of sweeping reforms designed to “cover the entire journey of life events from cradle to grave,” the Department of Education, Skills and Employment announced late yesterday that the website will be scrapped, with childcare vacancies now to be advertised through Starting Blocks. 

Effective 7 February 2022, the fees, vacancies, quality ratings and inclusions of early childhood services will be published on StartingBlocks.gov.au.

This information will no longer be published on the Child Care Finder website from June 2023.

What will be shown on Starting Blocks? 

Via StartingBlocks.gov.au families can:

• find local services and view their vacancies, costs, quality ratings and inclusions; and, 
• get information and advice about education, children’s development, and parenting.

What is changing for providers and services?

At this stage, no changes are required from a provider or service standpoint. Providers and services must continue to report fees and information as required by Family Assistance Law through the Provider Entry Point (PEP) or the relevant third-party software.

When reporting fees, providers and services must report:

• current hourly or session fees before CCS, discounts or reductions
• any changes to fees (within 14 days of the change).

For further information please see here.