Child care access hotline

The Child Care Access Hotline provides information to help you choose a child care service that meets your needs. The hotline also provides information on possible child care vacancies in local areas.

http://australia.gov.au/service/child-care-access-hotline

Child care assistance

The Australian Government provides different types of financial assistance to help you with the cost of placing your child in child care. The main payments to eligible families are Child Care Benefit, Child Care Rebate, Jobs, Education and Training Child Care fee assistance, Grandparent Child Care Benefit, and Special Child Care Benefit.

http://www.mychild.gov.au/childcareassistance.htm

Child care benefit

Child Care Benefit is a payment from the Australian Government that helps you with the cost of child care. You can choose to receive Child Care Benefit as a lump sum payment or as reduced child care fees. To see if you are eligible for Child Care Benefit and, if so, how much you can get visit the Family Assistance Office website or call 13 61 50.

http://www.familyassist.gov.au/Payments/familyassistance/child_care_benefit/Pages/default.aspx

Child care estimator

Child Care estimator helps families budget for their child care costs for Child Care Benefit, Child Care Rebate entitlements, and out-of-pocket child care costs. The rate estimator lets you estimate Centrelink and/or Family Assistance, Child Support, and Child Care payments you may be able to receive, based on your current or proposed circumstances. You do not need to register to use this service.

http://australia.gov.au/service/child-care-estimator

Child care information for families

The National Childcare Accreditation Council can give families helpful information about quality child care and can provide the names, contact details and accreditation status of child care services throughout Australia. Included are links to information on choosing and using child care; a listing of all child care services with their accreditation status and history; and family fact sheets providing advice and tips to help families prepare for child care.

http://www.ncac.gov.au/families/families_index.asp

Child care rebate

The Child Care Rebate (prior to July 2009 known as Child Care Tax Rebate) is a payment to help families using approved child care for work, training or study related reasons. The Australian Government will provide you with 50 per cent of your out-of-pocket child care costs, up to $7778 (indexed) for each child each year and can now be paid quarterly. For child care costs incurred in the 2006-07 financial year and onwards, the Child Care Rebate is a payment delivered through the Family Assistance Office.

http://www.familyassist.gov.au/Payments/familyassistance/child_care_rebate/Pages/default.aspx

Information for families using child care (fact sheet kit)

This downloadable fact sheet kit aims to assist families to access the support and services required to make important and sometimes complex, child care decisions. The fact sheets include information on Child Care Benefit, Child Care Rebate, Jobs, Education and Training Child Care fee assistance, Child Care Support program and Child Care Access Hotline.

http://www.deewr.gov.au/EarlyChildhood/Resources/Pages/CCfactsheetkit.aspx

Jobs, education and training (JET) child care fee assistance

JET Child Care fee assistance provides extra help with the cost of approved child care for eligible parents undertaking activities such as work, job search, training, study or rehabilitation as part of an Employment Pathway Plan, to help them enter or re-enter the workforce.

http://www.familyassist.gov.au/Payments/familyassistance/jetccfa/Pages/default.aspx

mychild.gov.au

Mychild.gov.au is about children, with the main focus being on early childhood learning and child care. You will also find helpful links to other information for families in this site.

http://mychild.gov.au/

Office of Early Childhood Education and Child Care

The Office of Early Childhood Education and Child Care aims to achieve a nationally consistent, accessible, affordable and high quality early childhood education and child care system for all Australian children and families.

http://www.deewr.gov.au/EarlyChildhood/OECECC/

Search for an approved child care service

Search the Child Care Benefit approved services to quickly locate a child care service in your area. You can find information about each service and compare what each has on offer. This may help you find the child care service that best suits your needs.

http://australia.gov.au/service/search-for-an-approved-child-care-service

Search for child care (National Childcare Accreditation Council)

Search for child care services by location or name to find contact details and Accreditation information. All services listed are registered with NCAC to participate in the Child Care Quality Assurance systems.

http://www.ncac.gov.au/Search/Search1.asp