Families using child care in the Inner West are being urged to make sure they are not missing out on the Gillard Labor Government’s $18 billion investment in child care affordability payments.
Member for Grayndler Anthony Albanese said out of the number of families in the Inner West using child care, nearly 3,000 families could be missing out on the payments and it was important to make sure they were claiming what they’re eligible for.
“Many families in our area may find they could be paying a lot less for child care with the help of record assistance from the Federal Government.
“We are investing in child care affordability like no Government ever has before and I don’t want families in my electorate to be missing out on the assistance they are entitled to.
“I encourage parents and carers to visit the website, where they can access a user-friendly estimator tool which will help them work out how much financial assistance they could be getting with their child care costs.
“In 2008, the Federal Government increased the Child Care Rebate from 30 to 50 per cent of parents’ out-of-pocket costs and increased the maximum amount per child from $4,354 to $7,500.
“This significant investment means that the Government provided an additional $8 million in child care affordability assistance for families in the Inner West last year alone.”
Minister for Early Childhood and Child Care, Kate Ellis said “the Government has now given families the option to receive the Child Care Rebate fortnightly and directly to their child care service provider for an immediate reduction to their child care fees.
“This means parents can access the rebate at the time they incur their child care fees instead of waiting till the end of the year like they did under the previous Government - making it easier to manage their weekly child care costs and family budget,” she said.
Families can contact the Family Assistance Office on 13 61 50 or visit the www.mychild.gov.au website for more information.