Nanny Pilot Programme – Frequently asked questions
What is the Nanny Pilot Programme?
The Nanny Pilot Programme is part of the Australian Government’s $3.5 billion Jobs for Families child care package.
Changes to the child care system will focus on affordable, accessible and flexible child care to help parents work or work more if they choose to.
The two-year Nanny Pilot Programme, which starts from January 2016, will provide an hourly subsidy for about 10,000 children to help families meet the cost of using a nanny.
It will support families who find it difficult to access child care services because they work non-standard hours, or live in remote areas or away from existing child care.
The cost and accessibility of child care is a barrier for parents who want to work or work longer. Better access to child care that suits the working needs of parents will help them do so. This will in turn help make our economy stronger.
When will the pilot begin?
January 2016.
Where can I find out more information about the Nanny Pilot Programme?
The draft programme guidelines, which are now open for public comment, outline eligibility criteria for families, nannies and service providers, recruitment and employment conditions, legislative and administrative requirements, and application and assessment processes.
How long do I have to provide comment on the draft programme guidelines?
The Department of Social Services will accept comments on the draft programme guidelines until 5pm (AEST) 23 July 2015.
What sort of comments is DSS looking for?
Are the guidelines clear, consistent and instructional for those services, families and nannies who are interested in participating in the pilot programme? Do the guidelines provide enough information for families and service providers? The department will consider all comments before finalising the programme implementation.
Who will be eligible for the nanny subsidy?
Families are eligible if they earn a combined annual income of less than $250,000, both parents are engaged in work, study or training at least eight hours a fortnight, and at least one parent is a permanent resident or Australian citizen.
Children must be immunised to be eligible for the nanny subsidy.
Priority will be given to families who find it difficult to access child care services because they work non-standard hours, or live in remote areas or away from existing child care.
Is the nanny subsidy only available to emergency service workers?
Any family can apply as long as they meet the eligibility criteria.
But should we receive more applications than there are places, we will prioritise families who find it difficult to access child care services because they work non-standard hours, or live in remote areas or away from existing child care.
What support will families receive?
For each child, successful families will receive a percentage of the $7 hourly subsidy. The percentage is determined based on family income, from a maximum of 85 per cent of the subsidy on a sliding scale to a minimum of 50 per cent.
This means families earning up to $60,000 are eligible for $5.95 per hour per child, and families earning between $165,000 and $250,000 are eligible for $3.50 per hour per child.
How many hours does the nanny subsidy cover?
Families will receive up to 100 hours of subsidised care per child per fortnight (50 hours per week), depending on their level of work, training and study activity. The 100 hours includes any other approved child care that the child may be accessing.
Those with 8–16 hours activity per fortnight will be eligible for up to 36 hours of care.
Those with 17–48 hours activity per fortnight will be eligible for up to 72 hours of care.
Those with 49 or more hours activity per fortnight will be eligible for up to 100 hours of care.
Where there are two parents, the number of subsidised hours will be based on the parent who does the lesser amount of activity per fortnight.
What children’s age groups does the subsidy cover?
The nanny subsidy will be paid for children aged up to 13 years, or the end of primary school, whichever comes last, except in special circumstances.
How many children can a nanny care for?
For the subsidy to be paid, a nanny can care for a maximum of four children under school age and seven children in total. The programme is not intended to fully subsidise the cost of a nanny.
What requirements will nannies need to meet?
To be able to participate, nannies must be at least 18 years old, hold a current working with children check in the state where they work, hold a current first aid qualification, and be an Australian citizen or permanent resident or hold a relevant visa classification that allows 12 months or more continuous employment.
Service providers will recruit nannies through a robust process that includes interviewing them, verifying their claims, and assessing the nanny’s application and referee reports.
When will services be able to apply?
Applications for service providers will open in August 2015 for a six week period.
How will service providers be selected?
A small number of service providers will be selected in each state and territory through an open competitive selection process assessing their capacity, experience, and competency.
Eligibility criteria includes being able to deliver services across a large region or a whole state or territory, having worked in the child care or community service for more than two years, and having the required infrastructure to successfully deliver the pilot programme.
How and when can families apply for a nanny?
In September 2015, families will be able to apply for the pilot programme. Application documentation will be published at on the Department of Social Services website.
How and when can nannies apply for a job?
Prospective nannies will need to apply directly to the selected service providers in each state and territory. The successful service providers will be announced in October 2015.
How many nannies will the pilot employ?
Through service providers in each state and territory, the pilot will employ about 4,000 nannies across Australia which we expect to provide care for about 10,000 children.
What is the duration of the pilot?
The pilot will run until 31 December 2017. An independent evaluation will take place throughout the pilot to inform future Government policy.