The Education and Care Unit (ECU) understand that providers, services and educators are concerned about the potential impacts of COVID-19 and the challenges this situation presents to the sector and the community. This is an unprecedented event and the Department of Education is committed in our support to the education and care sector’s important work especially during this time.
Today the Premier announced that the schools will remain open until the Easter break with a student free period beginning on Monday 6 April until Thursday 9 April and that where possible from next Monday parents should keep their children home from school and take advantage of those home learning opportunities.
In response to this announcement, the ECU is working collaboratively with other Department of Education (DoE) business units, the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) and Early Childhood Australia Tasmania Branch (ECA) to support education and care services who may wish to provide vacation care services to families during this time.
School’s will remain open for the children of essential workers and for any parent or carer who doesn’t have the ability or support available to them to provide adequate supervision and learning support at home for their children. Where there is a service co located on a school site the arrangement for care will be the same as for any pupil free day. For services that have MOU’s with schools these arrangements will continue.
We are aware that education and care services may need to access additional spaces onsite to safely look after children during this period. Should your service require additional space, please discuss your requirements with the school Due to the extenuating circumstances, it has been determined by the Department that education and care services must not be charged for use of additional spaces during this period, or the remainder of the Term 1 school holiday period.
You may have enquiries from families who are not currently enrolled with your service but are seeking care because they are required to work. If you receive enquiries from families wishing to access your service but do not have current Child Care Subsidy (CCS) approval in place, please advise them to access Child-care-subsidy for further arrangements.
We are requesting that services advise their point of contact officers at the ECU as to whether they wish to offer a vacation care service from 6th-9th April. The ECU will disseminate information to the sector as it becomes available.
We thank you for your patience during this time.
Vidhya Chelliah
Acting Manager
Education and Care | Strategy and Performance
