Helping hand for child care in Townsville

The Morrison Government is offering child care providers in Townsville impacted by the recent flooding special grant funding of up to $10,000 to help with community recovery.

One-off grants are available for providers whose financial viability may have been impacted by recent extreme weather events, particularly in Queensland and Tasmania.

Minister for Education Dan Tehan has urged all local child care providers to apply for funding.

"Many families in Townsville are doing it tough after being hit by the recent floods, and the last thing they need is to worry about child care," Mr Tehan said.

"Child care providers are also having a hard time, attendance may be intermittent or their operations may have been directly impacted by the floods. These one-off grants of up to $10,000 can be used to help services remain viable, such as temporarily meeting standard operating costs or covering other reasonable expenses to ensure the continuity of child care."

Mr Tehan said the application process for special circumstances grants through the Community Child Care Fund (CCCF) had been streamlined for eligible providers in disaster struck areas.

"The CCCF includes up to $4 million in 2018-19 to support services in disadvantaged communities at risk of closure due to issues caused by unforeseen events, such as bushfires and floods.

"All child care provider types can apply for CCCF special circumstances grants. Applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis including the degree to which the service has been impacted by the natural disasters."

Further information, including eligibility details and the new streamlined application form, can be found online at https://www.education.gov.au/cccfspecialcircs or by emailing cccf@education.gov.au