Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) Child Wellbeing
The ACCS child wellbeing helps eligible families by providing access to 100 hours of subsidised childcare per fortnight. The ACCS child wellbeing is for children identified as being in need of wellbeing support because they face a risk of suffering harm, or children who have already been assessed as being in need of wellbeing support under state and territory law. The ACCS child wellbeing helps ensure the cost of childcare is not a barrier to supporting a child to attend early childhood education and care.
Who
The ACCS child wellbeing provides 100 hours/fortnight of free or low-cost childcare for children who meet Service Australia’s eligibility requirements for needing wellbeing support. A child is considered to be in need of wellbeing support if they are at risk of experiencing harm because of:
- serious physical, emotional or psychological abuse
- sexual abuse
- domestic or family violence, or
- neglect.
Children may be also eligible for this subsidy if they are living in situations where they are likely to experience these circumstances in the future or have experienced these circumstances in the past.
Children are also eligible for the ACCS Child Wellbeing if they are living in formal Out of Home Care (OoHC) arrangements including:
- Foster care
- Kinship care and
- On a long-term protection order.
What support is available
- The ACCS Child Wellbeing is paid directly to the ECEC service on top of the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and allows a child to access up to 100 hours per fortnight of free or low-cost childcare.
- It is important to consider the family’s needs and discuss what sustainable attendance looks like in the best interests of the child. This may mean the child attends part-time, even if the subsidy provides access to full-time hours.
- To prevent debt accruing, the CCS must be in place first before the ACCS: Child Wellbeing can be applied. It is important to support parents/carers to submit the CCS application as a matter of priority when discussing childcare access.
- The ECEC service can make an initial short-term ACCS application on behalf of the family for up to six weeks, however, will request supporting documentation to apply for ongoing ACCS Child Wellbeing funding.
- Typically, the ACCS Child Wellbeing subsidy provides access to 13 weeks of subsided childcare. Ask the service for the ACCS end date, record it with the family and make a financial plan with the family and service beyond this time.
- A service can re-apply for a subsequent ACCS Child Wellbeing subsidy if the child continues to meet the eligibility criteria. Supporting documentation for subsequent ACCS Child Wellbeing applications needs to be provided to the ECEC service at least four weeks in advance to allow enough time for processing. If the approval process extends beyond the end date of the current ACCS, a debt will accrue.
- Childcare centres that charge for a 12-hour day may still accrue a cost even when Early Start Kindergarten (ESK) grant funding, CCS and ACCS subsidies have been applied. Confirm with the childcare at enrolment the number of hours charged each week, and that there are no outstanding fees due at the end of each fortnight.
How to access
- The Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) service makes the application on behalf of the family and will request written evidence from supporting professionals evidencing the risk of serious abuse or neglect to the child as part of the application process.
- Discuss the ACCS Child Wellbeing application directly with the ECEC service and seek support from your team leader about what to include in the supporting documentation.
- When family services is closing the case, advise the ECEC service and discuss the implications for ongoing ACCS access with the family and ECEC service. Make a plan with the family and service for sustainable ongoing childcare attendance beyond family services involvement.
For more information, including evidence requirements for the supporting documentation, see the ACCS Child Wellbeing Practice Guide.
Resources
- More information about ACCS Child Wellbeing can be found on the Services Australia and Federal Department of Education websites. Centrelink Families Line - 136 150 - provides help with Centrelink family payments, including the ACCS.
- Services Australia have a CCS Help Desk and an Additional Child Care Subsidy Team to support child care providers and services seeking answers.
Assistance with Proof of Birth
- The Commonwealth’s Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) require proof of birth.
- New and existing Foster and Kinship Carers (where there is child protection involvement) can contact The DFFH Care Support Help Desk for assistance with proof of birth documentation.
- If the child is living in Out of Home Care, the Early Childhood LOOKOUT team can support in this area.
