QLD Kindergarten/Preschool Funding - LDC
QLD Kindergartens/Preschool Funding - LDC
This article will assist you with managing the changes to Kindergarten funding for 2023.
Overview
From 2023, the QLD Government is making changes to the Kindy funding kindergarten at both sessional kindergarten and long day care services in Queensland may be free for children who are experiencing vulnerability and/or disadvantage. The new funding scheme will replace the current Queensland Kindergarten Funding Scheme.
Eligibility
- A child must be at least four years of age by 30 June in the year they commence kindergarten.
- Service providers may only claim funding for each enrolled, eligible child.
- Provide all eligible children in the approved kindergarten program an annual
- Provision of 600 hours made up of at least 15 hours a week or 30 hours per fortnightfor 40 weeks
Funding and Grant details
Subsidy | Description |
|---|---|
Base subsidy | Provided for each eligible child who is enrolled in an approved kindergarten program |
Affordability subsidy | Provided for each eligible child who meets one or more specified criteria |
Service Location subsidy | Provided to Service Providers (for each eligible child) where the service is located in an eligible remoteness category using the ABS remoteness measure at the SA2 geographic level |
Educational need grant | Provided to eligible Service Providers, determined by the Department of Education, to respond to children's learning and development needs through provision of evidence-based initiatives |
Inclusion subsidy | Provided to Service Providers to support inclusion of all eligible children in an approved kindergarten program irrespective of diversity of background and/or additional needs |
Kindergarten funding claims and payments for sessional kindergartens
- Sessional kindergartens are funded collectively through a kindergarten funding service agreement with central governing bodies.
- Each central governing body distributes funding to members or affiliates in accordance with individual kindergarten funding service agreements.
- Payments from the Department of Education are made to central governing bodies through two block grants in advance over a calendar year, with an acquittal process completed at the end of
- each quarter.
- Payments are made by electronic funds transfer
Base Subsidy
To reduce out-of-pocket kindergarten costs for families, sessional kindergartens are required to pass on to each eligible child’s family a minimum of $1,500 for each eligible child per annum, to reduce out-of-pocket costs for each eligible child’s family.
Affordability - Kindy Plus subsidy
The Kindy Plus subsidy is applied quarterly for each eligible child who meets one or more of the following specified criteria:
- The family (including foster families and kinship care families as determined by the Child Protection Act 1999) or the child must present one of the following:
o an Australian Government Health Care Card
o a current Australian Government Concession Card
o a Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card or White Card
o evidence of formal foster or kinship care arrangements
- The child is living in a formal child protection out-of-home-care arrangement
- The child or parent identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
- The family has three or more children of the same age attending a kindergarten program at the same time
- The family and child have entered Australia under the Australian Government’s Refugee and Humanitarian Program, or is in the process of seeking asylum and holds a temporary visa. Information on temporary visas may be accessed in Appendix 5
- Temporary financial hardship (equivalent to the Australian Government’s Additional Child Care Subsidy). The Affordability – Kindy Plus (temporary financial hardship) category Record of Application and Service Decision Form is available in Appendix 6
A child who is eligible for Kindy Plus will be eligible for fee-free kindergarten
Steps for managing Kindergarten Funding
Step 1. Create Kindy/Preschool programs
Step 2. Apply Tag's to eligible children eg. KFS+, FTB A/B
Step 3. Complete Forecast Report
Step 4. Apply Applicable Kindy Credits
Step 5. Invoices will be generated as per your current Service settings
Updated on: 10/01/2023
Thank you!