Policy
Significant changes to the ACCS child wellbeing program
Freya Lucas
Oct 31, 2023
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The Australian Department of Education has made significant changes to the Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) child wellbeing program.
Designed to provide crucial assistance to families caring for children at risk of serious abuse or neglect, these changes aim to reduce barriers to early childhood education and care (ECEC) for vulnerable children and families.One of the key changes is the consolidation of service delivery under Services Australia, making the application process more efficient and straightforward. All ACCS child wellbeing applications will now be processed by Services Australia, ensuring a single point of contact for providers, and minimising the risk of gaps in entitlements.
Three new exceptional circumstances categories have also been added to allow for extended backdating of the subsidy, including:
- Children in formal foster care
- Families experiencing homelessness
- Families affected by the harmful use of alcohol or drugs.
These changes provide additional time to collect necessary evidence and ensure that children do not ‘fall through the gaps’.
View the full updates here.
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