Childcare fee waiver brings relief to Canberra families in lockdown

Centres will still receive the childcare subsidy component but can opt to not charge the rest of the fee that families usually have to pay if their children are staying home to comply with the health orders.

Communities@work chief executive Lee Maiden said she was very pleased to be able to remove the financial burden from families.

"It allows them to keep their children at home and not have to worry about paying a fee. And from our perspective it keeps families enrolled in the services because we understand that it's very difficult if they had to pay a fee while they're still staying at home," Ms Maiden said.

"It's a win win for everyone at this point in time."

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Early childhood education and care services and outside of school care services remain open for children of essential workers and vulnerable children. These families will continue to pay their regular gap fees.

Families also have more absence days during the lockdown so they don't need to use their 42 days of allowable absences. The new arrangements are effective from Friday, August 13.

Ms Maiden said attendance at childcare centres dipped to less than 20 per cent of usual enrolments this week as Canberrans followed the advice to stay at home.

She said it was important to maintain early childhood services during the lockdown for families who need it.

"It is that real sense of community for them. It's a safe place for them. And that's what we found last time so I think children still feel very safe being there and their families feel safe sending them."

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