Policy Content

Under the Education and Care Services National Regulations, an Approved Provider must ensure that policies and procedures are in place for the payment of fees and the provision of a statement of fees charged by the school and take reasonable steps to ensure policies and procedures are followed. (ACECQA, 2021).  

Quality early education and care provide the foundation for children’s development and social engagement whilst supporting the workforce participation of parents and carers. Our School is committed to providing quality education and care to all children at an affordable fee for families.  

As an approved childcare service, Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is available to reduce fees to eligible families. Our fee structure is based on our ability to provide the requirements of the Education and Care National Law and National Regulations, Family Assistance Law, the Australian Taxation Office and guidelines contained in the Child Care Provider Handbook.  

National Quality Standard (NQS)

QUALITY AREA 7: Governance and Leadership

7.1	Governance	Governance supports the operation of a quality school
7.1.2	Management Systems	Systems are in place to manage risk and enable the effective management and operation of a quality school
7.1.3	Roles and Responsibilities	Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, and understood and support effective decision making and operation of the school

 

Related Legislation  

Areas	Reg's and Laws
Child Care Subsidy Secretary’s Rules 2017   A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999	Family Law Act 1975  Family Assistance Law – Incorporating all related legislation for Child Care Provider Handbook in Appendix G  dese.gov.au/resources-child-care-provider...

 

Purpose

Parents need to understand the school fee structure, payment requirements, and Child Care Subsidy benefits before enrollment. This policy explains the fee payment process, the necessity of ensuring children’s fees are paid on time, and the consequences of failure to pay fees on time. 
 

Scope

This policy applies to children, families, staff, SOAPE, Nominated Supervisor, School Directior, Approved Provider, and school visitors. 
 

Implementation & Privacy   

Our School aims to ensure families understand the fee schedule and payment process required for education and care for their child. We are committed to meeting our obligations to maintain financial integrity and comply with all Childcare Subsidy legislative requirements. We have effective compliance systems to ensure childcare funding is administered appropriately. Our school ensures the confidentiality and privacy of all personal information provided to the School about the enrolled child and family. Our Service will 

• ensure privacy and confidentiality is maintained at all times regarding enrolments and accounts
• ensure our enrolments and accounts are recorded via SmartCentral and Early Works. Access to this software will be provided to nominated staff by the approved provider.  
• ensure each staff member who has authorised access to [name of CCS software] will be provided an individual log-in username and separate password. Staff are reminded to not share usernames and passwords
• Do not share information related to enrolments and accounts without authorisation from the account holder.

Please refer to the Privacy and Confidentiality Policy for further information.

Account Holders 

Upon enrolment, the School and family will identify the individual person responsible for the payment of the childcare fees. In many cases this will be a parent of the child, however it may be an agency or another adult who is legally responsible for the care and wellbeing of the child who has arranged to be liable for the payment of childcare fees. The nominated account holder will be legally responsible for ensuring the payment of fees.

Each child will have an enrolment record set up which records attendance, payments and identification details of each child.  An appropriate enrolment type will be created dependent on the enrolment required.  

• CWA Enrolment - Complying Written Arrangement – For families wishing to claim Child Care Subsidy (CCS) as a fee reduction
• RA Enrolment - Relevant Arrangement – For families who do not wish to claim CCS as a fee reduction. No CCS claimed
• OA Enrolment - Arrangement with an organisation (third party) – For families where an organisation is liable for fees, example an employer. No CCS claimed
• ACCS Enrolment - Additional Child Care Subsidy (child wellbeing) – provider eligible arrangement      
• Families will be advised of the CCS system and encouraged to apply for CCS if applicable through Centrelink.

For families wishing to claim CCS as a fee reduction, it will be determined upon the time of enrolment which individual is responsible for claiming CCS or ACCS for each child.

School Fee Structure, Charges and Payment

Families will be 

• advised of fees and charges upon enrolment
• notified of any changes to fees or charges in writing with notice
• required to pay an enrolment fee, bond, plus any addition fees setout below in this policy
• made aware that fees for childcare attendance will be payable for all absences and non-attendance
• advised ‘Gap Fees’ must be paid via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)

The table below outlines the current School Fee Structure, Charges and Payment for families.

 

General Fees  

• Fees are charged for each session of care and vary depending on the age of the child in care and the family’s eligibility for Child Care Subsidy (CCS)
• CCS is paid directly to the School, and this is used as a fee reduction (visible on a family’s statement) 
• Families are required to pay the difference between the fee charged and the subsidy amount—the ‘gap’ amount. 
• Fees must be kept in advance of a child’s attendance 
• A dated receipt will be provided for each payment via email
• Fees are to be paid through a direct debit system
• Fees are payable in advance for every session that a child is enrolled at the school. This includes pupil free days, sick days, and family holidays but excludes periods when the school is closed. The school may be directed to close due to periods of local emergency such as bushfire or flood or a pandemic. 
• If a session of care falls on a public holiday, families are required to pay normal fees. CCS may be paid for sessions that fall on public holidays   
• Fees are charged for full sessions only (regardless of the actual attendance hours any day)
• Casual days may be offered to families if available within the school’s approved operating license capacity. 

Child Care Subsidy (CCS)

• Parents/guardians are required to register for CCS through their myGov account linked to Centrelink and provide documentation to support the CCS payment 
• Basic requirements that must be satisfied for an individual to be eligible to receive Child Care Subsidy. The child must: 
  • be a ‘Family Tax Benefit child’ or ‘regular care child’; and 
  • be 13 or under and not attending secondary school; and 
  • meet immunisation requirements 
• The person claiming the Child Care Subsidy, or their partner must: 
  • meet residency requirements; and  
  • be liable to pay for care provided under a Complying Written Arrangement (their written agreement) with their childcare provider 
• Childcare must be provided by an approved provider 
• Families level of Child Care Subsidy will be determined by:  
  • combined family income 
  • activity test of parents 
  • type of early learning and childcare service 
• Child Care Subsidy will be provided directly to the school and this amount deducted from the parent/family account.
• Families must regularly check their details are correct and report a change in circumstance to Centrelink (family income, activity levels, relationship changes or any other changes to their circumstances)
• Any disputes with CCS payments is the responsibility of the family.  The family will be referred to contact Centrelink directly for any enquiries regarding CCS payments.
• Discounts will only be offered as outlined in the CCS Handbook.  Any discounts will be offered on the full rate of care before CCS has been calculated. 

Payment of fees and Invoice Statements

• Families are required to pay fees using the School’s direct debit system. The family is required to provide banking details to facilitate set up of the direct debit account. 
• Fees and charges associated with direct debit systems are outlined upon enrolment. 
• A dishonour fee will apply for direct debit transactions where there are insufficient funds to cover the fees. 
• Families will be issued with a Statement of Entitlement (invoice) on a weekly basis in accordance with the fee payment and Regulatory requirements. 
• The Statement of Entitlement (invoice) will include details of the sessions of care provided and the resulting fee reduction amounts 
• The Statement of Entitlement (invoice) is generated using our CCS Software (Smart Central) which meets all requirements as per Family Assistance Law Legislation.

Absences from School

• Families are requested to contact the School if their child is unable to attend a particular session.
• Families must still pay the ‘gap’ fee to the school if their child is unable to attend 
• Under the Child Care Subsidy, families are allowed 42 absence days per child, per financial year and may be entitled to additional absence days in certain circumstances (see Child Care Subsidy Handbook). 
• Additional absences can be claimed for the specified reasons as defined by the Family Assistance Law.  
• Records and evidence will be kept by the school for each additional absence, where required. 
• Families can view their absence count through their Centrelink online account via myGov 
• In a period of local emergency, such as bushfire or pandemic, and our school is temporarily shut down on public health advice, families may be provided with additional absence days as per Family Assistance Law legislation.  
• If our school is forced to close as a result of a public health directive, due to COVID-19, we will waive gap fees (effective until 31 December 2021). 

Financial Difficulties  

• If a family is experiencing financial difficulties, a suitable payment plan may be arranged with authorisation of the Approved Provider. 
• Families can apply for Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) through Centrelink for additional fee assistance.
• There are four different payments under Additional Child Care Subsidy: 
  • Additional Child Care Subsidy (child wellbeing)—to help children who are at risk of serious abuse or neglect.  The Approved Provider is involved in determining children who may require additional support who are at risk of harm. 
  • Additional Child Care Subsidy (grandparent)—to help grandparents on income support who are the principal caregiver of their grandchildren. Families are required to contact Centrelink directly regarding this payment. 
  • Additional Child Care Subsidy (temporary financial hardship)—to help families experiencing financial hardship. Families are required to contact Centrelink directly regarding this payment. 
  • Additional Child Care Subsidy (transition to work)—to help low-income families transitioning from income support to work. Families are required to contact Centrelink directly regarding this payment. 

Debt Recovery Procedure  

• If a family fails to pay the required fees on time, a reminder email will be issued after one week and then again, after two weeks if the fees are still outstanding.  
• At any time of the debt recovery process, the family will be encouraged to enter a debt agreement with the school to repay outstanding fees. A written contract will be provided for the family to sign outlining repayment plan details. The repayment plan will provide information as to the duration and amount of the repayments as well as steps that will be taken if the repayment plan is not adhered to.
• A child’s position will be terminated if payment has not been made after three weeks, for which the family will receive a final email terminating the child’s position. At this time the school will initiate its debt collection process, following privacy and conditional requirements.

Late Fees

• Our school is not licensed or insured to have children on the premises after hours. This is a breach of the Education and Care Regulations.  
• It is unacceptable to pick children up late from the school. A late fee will apply where children are not picked up prior to closing time. 
• Currently, a fee of $1 per minute will be charged if your child is collected after 6 pm. This is payable directly to the school account.
• A review of the child’s enrolment will occur where families are consistently late with fee payments. 

Change of Fees

• Fees are subject to change at any time, provided a minimum of two weeks' written notice is given to all families. 
• CCS hourly rate caps may be increased by the CPI at the commencement of each financial year. Any CCS hourly rate increases are governed by CCS and are automatically adjusted through our CCS Software. The CCS hourly rate cap must is set by the government, and, as such, the impact of this is outside of the school's control.

Termination of Enrolment

• Parents are to provide two weeks' written notice of their intention to withdraw a child from the centre. 
• If termination from the school is required without notification, families may lose their Child Care Subsidy, resulting in the payment of the requirement for full fees to be charged. 
• In some circumstances CCS may not be paid for sessions if the child has not physically started care. 
• Additionally, CCS may not be paid for absences submitted after a child’s last physical day of care unless conditions have been met as specified by Family Assistance Law. 

Responsibility of Management  

The Nominated Supervisor (School Director) is responsible for: 

• ensuring all families are aware of our Payment of Fees Policy 
• ensuring enrolments are submitted correctly with the appropriate enrolment information   
• providing families with a regular statement of fees payable 
• notifying families of any overdue fees 
• providing families with reminder emails as required 
• terminating enrolment of children should fees not be paid 
• discussing fee payment with families if required 
• providing at least 2 weeks' written notice to families of any fee increases or changes to the way fees are collected  

Responsibility of Families

• Provide the school with the correct enrolment details to facilitate the CCS claim, if required, including: 
  • Centrelink Reference Numbers for child and CCS claimant. 
  • Date of Birth for child and CCS claimant. 
• Ensure payment of fees as per policy. 
• Notify Centrelink of any changes that may affect their CCS entitlement 
• Confirm their child’s enrolment through the parent's myGov account. 

Attendance Records
Session reports are required to record actual attendance in and out times (except for absences). 
Session reports are submitted through the CCS Software (Smart Central) and include required information as per Childcare Provider Handbook, including;

1. Type of report (initial report, variation to a report or withdrawal of a report)
2. Dates (the start and end dates of the week the report covers)
3. Session details (date and session start and finish times)
4. Attendance times (Actual in and out attendance times must be reported for each session of care, not including absences)
5. Absences (notification of absences (if applicable), reasons for any additional absence (allowable absence days)
6. Actual fee charged.

What’s Included on a Statement 

The Statement of Entitlement is generated using our CCS Software (Smart Central) which meets all requirements as per Family Assistance Law legislation. 

• Statement Details
  • Name of the individual to whom the statement is issued
  • Name of the child to whom any sessions of care were provided
  • Unique identifier (assigned by the Department of Education) to the enrolment of the child for care by the service
  • Date of issue and start and end dates of the statement period.
• Service Details
  • Name of the provider
  • Any business name of the service registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission 
  • Australian Business Number (if any) of the provider and (if different) the Australian Business Number under which the service trades
  • Unique identifier of service and the provider (assigned by the Department of Education).
• Information regarding Sessions of Care
  • Daily and weekly totals of the number of hours of care provided during the statement period, including start and end times for each session of care
  • Daily and weekly totals of the number of hours of the child's physical attendance during the statement period, including start and end times of the child's physical attendance
  • For the statement period and cumulatively for the financial year until the date of issue of the statement—the sum of:
    • the number of days on which the service is taken to have provided a session of care to the child while the child was absent (up to 42 days in the financial year) (that is an initial absence day)
    • the number of days on which the service is taken to have provided a session of care to the child, beyond 42 cumulative days in the financial year and particular circumstances apply (that is an additional absence day).
• Fee information
  • Hourly session fee for each session of care provided by the service to the child in the statement period.
  • Daily and weekly totals of the amount of all fees charged by the provider for care provided during the statement period, including details about any discounting or refund applied in order to pass on fee reductions.
• CCS payment information 
  • For the statement period
    • the number of hours for which the fees were reduced (or for which the individual otherwise received the benefit of a fee reduction amount)
    • the total of the fee reduction amounts of which the provider was given notice by the department
    • a breakdown of the amounts of fee reduction for each session of care and whether it related to a payment of Child Care Subsidy or Additional Child Care Subsidy.
• Attendance Records: Session reports are required to record actual attendance in and out times (except for absences). Session reports are submitted through the CCS Software and include required information as per Childcare Provider Handbook, including;
  • Type of report (initial report, variation to a report or withdrawal of a report)
  • Dates (the start and end dates of the week the report covers)
  • Session details (date and session start and finish times)
  • Attendance times (Actual in and out attendance times must be reported for each session of care, not including absences)
  • Absences (notification of absences (if applicable), reasons for any additional absence (allowable absence days)
  • Actual fee charged.  

Third-Party Payments  

Parents are generally liable to pay the co-contribution for childcare fees. Only state and territory governments (and their agencies) can contribute to the cost, in part or full, of childcare fees for families. Where an agreement has been made between an employer or charity to assist in the contribution of fees, the fees must be reduced accordingly before CCS has been applied. Our school will record all documentation regarding any third-party payments. 

Review Of Accounts

Accounts will be reviewed on a weekly/monthly basis and the debt recovery procedure initiated if payments have not been made towards childcare fees according to the Payment of Fees Policy.

Complaints relating to the administration of Child Care Subsidy

Families who wish to raise concerns regarding the management of Child Care Subsidy should speak with the Nominated Supervisor in the first instance. The Nominated Supervisor will follow the steps as outlined in this policy, including advising the Approved Provider of all grievances. 
Families can raise concerns regarding the management of the Child Care Subsidy to the dedicated Child Care Tip-Off Line either via phone (1800 664 231) or Email: tipoffline@dese.gov.au 
 

Resources and information for families

Child Care Subsidy 
Centrelink Customer Reference Number 
Absences from childcare- Australian Government  
 

SOURCE

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).  
Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2021). Policy and procedure guidelines. Payment of Service Fees and Provision of a Statement of Fees Charged by the Service. 
Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment Child Care Provider Handbook  
dese.gov.au/resources-child-care-provider... 
Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment Early Childhood and Care  
dese.gov.au/early-childhood  
Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment Information for child care providers when a period of local emergency occurs 
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010. (Amended 2018). 
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011).      
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017). 
Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2017). (Amended 2020). 
Kearns, K. (2017). The Business of Childcare (4th Ed.). 
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018)