New COVID-19 outbreaks occurring in 2021 may have similar impacts to attendance rates that were seen in 2020. The attendance rates are similar to the December 2019 quarter, which shows that children are returning to child care and usage is back to pre-COVID levels (DESE 2021a). Of these, 1,266,800 children were eligible to receive a Child Care Subsidy. In the December quarter 2020, there were 1,311,630 children who attended a Child Care Subsidy approved child care centre. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government allocated almost $3 billion to keep childcare open and available for essential workers and families with vulnerable children (DESE 2021a). The Australian Government provides a Child Care Subsidy to support children and families attending early childhood education and care services. Outside School Hours Care services experienced the largest decline in attendance followed by Centre-based Day Care services (DESE 2020).Ī number of relief packages aimed at keeping ECEC services open during the COVID-19 pandemic were in place throughout most of 2020 (DESE 2020). In 2021, the Australian Government have continued to provide support to ECEC services in COVID-19 affected areas by waiving gap fees and increasing the number of allowable absences to ensure families can maintain their enrolment and services continue receiving the Child Care Subsidy (DESE 2021b). Overall, ECEC attendance had decreased between 30 and 40 per cent with services finding it difficult to remain open and retain staff. This resulted in a significant decline in enrolments and impacted the ability of services to remain viable and open.Īt the beginning of April 2020, Early Childhood Australia estimated that 650 ECEC services had already closed (Parliament of Australia 2020). This may have been prompted by health concerns or because care was being provided in the home due to parents or carers being stood down, losing employment or working from home (Parliament of Australia 2020). In 2020, in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many Australian families withdrew their children from Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services.
Preschool was once considered a type of formal care, however since 2005 the definition of formal care has excluded preschool.
Childcare can be categorised as formal or informal.įormal care: The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) defines formal childcare as regulated care away from the child’s home, including:
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